Siddharth: Canada: Aug 17, 2020

I aim to provide compelling reasons as to why I am the perfect candidate to teach English in Korea. I will first explain my approach to teaching before outlining my experience both with Korea specifically and with living abroad more generally.
I firmly believe that teachers must be able to play two key roles: that of an instructor, and that of a learner. To be an effective instructor, the teacher must know the material, be an effective communicator, and have the ability to express ideas in a lucid and engaging manner – this is the intellectual component of what it means to be an effective instructor. However, there is also an emotional component: the effective instructor will be encouraging, compassionate, and patient – yet firm, confident, and assertive. Teachers must also play the role of a learner; they must be open-minded enough to question the methods they employ, and flexible enough to adjust those methods to suit the needs of their students.
On a more personal note: throughout my time in school – from grade school through university – I always appreciated teachers who were motivated to have their students develop a genuine liking of the subject material, and who really enjoyed interacting with their students and keeping them engaged. Without exception, I found these teachers to be extremely empathetic toward the needs of their students, and it was these classes that students enjoyed the most. I aim to emulate this approach when I teach, for which the above description of the roles I think teachers must be able to play provides a framework.
I have had exposure to different cultures in the past because, from grades nine to twelve, I studied at an international boarding school in India under the British A-Level curriculum, where I had the chance to interact with students from many different countries, including many students from Korea. I found that they were very warm, friendly, generous, and open-minded. Overall I found that living abroad was an incredibly enriching experience, cultivating within me an even greater sense of curiosity about the world. I am very aware that there's the chance for culture shock in cases where one moves somewhere new; I am confident my experience living abroad for school has prepared me well for any such challenges, should they ever arise.
I firmly believe that as a foreign teacher I am representing Canada and Canadian culture. Teaching in Korea would be an amazing opportunity for us to exchange cultures and to learn more about each other – this fills me with excitement!