I'm glad I made that decision! Teaching is a great experience, even though I was apprehensive at first about teaching students who are so young. But teaching in Taiwan is quite different to the image of teaching in our “home” countries – the students are different and because they are coming outside of their regular school time, their attitude and energy levels are a bit different too. Some days you are doing your best just to keep up with them!

As much fun as regular teaching is, the special events that Hess puts on are even better. In my time here, I've been fortunate enough to go to two Summer Camps – week-long events where the aim is to keep the students speaking English 24/7. You really have lots of fun and get to learn a lot about the students there, even though the days are pretty long for the teachers. I've also had one of my students go through to the National Championship round of the Hess Speech and Writing Competition. Some of these things are extra work, but the relationships you build up with your students and the things you learn from them are well worth the time spent.

Hess also has a lot of professional opportunities. Before I came to Hess, I basically considered myself to have two different career options – research, or teach at University. Now, I have been a teacher to elementary and secondary school students, been a Head Teacher at a branch, been a trainer for Hess, helped develop curriculum for Hess, Manager for the English Human Resources Department, and also picked up a bit of Chinese along the way. I could now go to many different countries and work in management, teaching, curriculum design, corporate training, event planning, or perhaps even international or trade relations with the skills I have now developed.

The main point is, being a teacher at Hess in Taiwan teaches you a lot about yourself, how to adapt to a classroom and students, and also how to adapt to a new place with a different culture to your own. These skills are things that you can't easily be taught by anyone – you need to experience them yourself and learn your lessons in the school of life. So get over here and start your learning – you will become a much better person because of it!

Andrew