Recommendation I'm a failed-normie public school teacher on the verge of roping. Should I do TEFL?

Mr.FailedChad

Active member
Mar 6, 2023
33
74
Welcome to my blog post. Consider this my introduction to the board.

Five years ago I started teaching in a Title 1 school in Southern California. I'll spare you all the details since I'm sure most of you are familiar with just how dismal the American public education system is, but it's worth noting that over that time I went from being a fit, bright-eyed, optimistic, open-minded young teacher to a fat, alcoholic, depressed (and much more prejudiced) person. Worst of all, I've developed hypertension so I can't even drink anymore (God knows it was one of my favorite copes).

I want out and TEFL seems like a good way to do it. A lot of people would tell me to do international school but, truth be told, I really don't want to have that responsibility. I just want to work in a fly-by-night English center, go to the gym, meet a nice girl, and relax).

I'm going to put my stats below:
30 years old
White
Green/Hazel eyes
5'11 (6' in shoes)
245 pounds (I was 50 pounds lighter and muscular when I started teaching.)
5 years public school teaching experience
(Worthless) M.A. in Education

Where should I go? Thailand is the top of my list because, obvious reasons. Not to mention, I've been looking around on Ajarn and they have a really strong TEFL industry and some pretty not-too-stressful looking bilingual schools there.

My other option is to go move to some nice (i.e. mostly White and Asian) town somewhere in like Oregon or something but that wouldn't cure my loneliness. Frankly, I just want to kiss the West goodbye. The West is done and California has long been the canary in the coalmine.
 

Aphex

Hi.
Aug 12, 2022
1,131
1,685
You have experience teaching so definitely go TEFL, looksmax and go Thailand/Phillipines.
What is your body count OP?
 

Mr.FailedChad

Active member
Mar 6, 2023
33
74
You have experience teaching so definitely go TEFL, looksmax and go Thailand/Phillipines.
What is your body count OP?

I had two committed relationships while in college. The first lasted two years. The second only lasted one year. After that I tried dating a little bit but I've been mostly escortcel. I used to make regularly runs to Tijuana. Probably fucked over a dozen professionals there. It was nice but it's not something I'm interested in anymore. I want a committed relationship.
 
Last edited:
Feb 27, 2023
23
34
TEFL i hear is fun, also can do volunteer farming on the side to have a place to sleep at eat. i thinks if WWOOF... good luck man i would do it too
 

Mr.FailedChad

Active member
Mar 6, 2023
33
74
TEFL i hear is fun, also can do volunteer farming on the side to have a place to sleep at eat. i thinks if WWOOF... good luck man i would do it too

Thanks man, I don't know about working on a farm but I do want to see the world and, at this point, I think I'll do whatever it takes to do it. Truth be told, this was probably where I was always going to end up. I would have done this a few years ago if it weren't for fucking COVID shutting down the whole world.
 

Mr.FailedChad

Active member
Mar 6, 2023
33
74
What age range did you teach?

I've mostly taught high school freshmen and sophomores (i.e. 14-16 for non North Americans). It's a good-enough age group to teach but I'm just burnt out. I'm burnt out by all the politics, equity ideology, bending-over-backward for IEPs/504s, obnoxious parents, and repressed sadness. Teaching is a very emotional job. You are dealing with very emotional people who don't have shit figured out yet. There are many good and rewarding moments, but there is also a lot of sadness, desperation, and stress. I think this generation of kids is more stressed and detached than any before. I really feel for the Zoomers.

And God forbid you ever try to leave. Other teachers will pull you back in. They don't want anyone escaping the plantation.

That said, I think I just want to find something authentic and something new. I don't think I ever really fit into North American culture. I was a whiteboy born not too far from the Mexican border and I went to school with a lot of Mexicans (For the record, I speak Mexican really well). As a teenager I started learning French, Latin, and Japanese. I got pretty advanced in the first and only mediocre in the latter two.

I think it was always going to end this way. When I started teaching, I knew I couldn't put up with it until retirement. I was honestly surprised to even get tenure (although I shouldn't have considering the turn-over at my school). Truth be told, I knew I wasn't going to be able to make it 30 years in this system. No way. No way. I'm off to greener pastures and, even if it all goes to shit, at least I'll have had an adventure and maybe even found someone to share it with along the way.
 
Last edited:

fatchadlitecel

Gymcel coper
Aug 16, 2022
1,235
2,007
Welcome to my blog post. Consider this my introduction to the board.

Five years ago I started teaching in a Title 1 school in Southern California. I'll spare you all the details since I'm sure most of you are familiar with just how dismal the American public education system is, but it's worth noting that over that time I went from being a fit, bright-eyed, optimistic, open-minded young teacher to a fat, alcoholic, depressed (and much more prejudiced) person. Worst of all, I've developed hypertension so I can't even drink anymore (God knows it was one of my favorite copes).

I want out and TEFL seems like a good way to do it. A lot of people would tell me to do international school but, truth be told, I really don't want to have that responsibility. I just want to work in a fly-by-night English center, go to the gym, meet a nice girl, and relax).

I'm going to put my stats below:
30 years old
White
Green/Hazel eyes
5'11 (6' in shoes)
245 pounds (I was 50 pounds lighter and muscular when I started teaching.)
5 years public school teaching experience
(Worthless) M.A. in Education

Where should I go? Thailand is the top of my list because, obvious reasons. Not to mention, I've been looking around on Ajarn and they have a really strong TEFL industry and some pretty not-too-stressful looking bilingual schools there.

My other option is to go move to some nice (i.e. mostly White and Asian) town somewhere in like Oregon or something but that wouldn't cure my loneliness. Frankly, I just want to kiss the West goodbye. The West is done and California has long been the canary in the coalmine.
Go to China
 

Mr.FailedChad

Active member
Mar 6, 2023
33
74
or you could just lose weight js
I'm currently working on that. Honestly, a big reason I want to go to Thailand is that I currently have enough saved to last about 6 months there. I'd like to spend that time working out and cutting weight. After that, I think I'll be able to make a much clearer decision about my career and life goals.
 
Last edited:
Top