- Written by Foresight I.E.C.
Do you have some essential classroom items that you can’t imagine teaching without? We sure do! For our Ontario-based ESL program, we aim to recreate a classroom environment for students that would be similar to what they would experience in schools in Canada. While teachers have the freedom to make their classrooms their own to reflect their individual teaching style, there are some key elements that you’ll consistently find in each of our ESL classrooms across the program. Walk into an ESL classroom at any of our partner schools, and here are 10 essential elements that you are sure to spot.
Read more: What's in My Classroom? 10 ESL Classroom Essentials
- Written by Sophia Wang
- Bittersweet (adj.): both pleasant and painful or regretful.
Saying goodbye to students is a bittersweet experience. The sweetness stems from seeing them successfully reach the end of a year-long journey, one filled with personal and academic growth. The bitterness bleeds from carving the word "former" in front of "students". These six letters represent the sobering realization that future reunions, no matter how joyful, won't replicate bygone days: the ordinary yet precious experience of seeing this particular cohort of bright-eyed students gathered together in our classroom for a regular day of class. That time has passed, run out, expired - preserved only in imperfect memories and paper trails.
Read more: Zài Jiàn (再見) – See you again: A Reflection on Ending the School Year Online
- Written by Foresight I.E.C.
- Written by Lian Lister
Going to see a doctor or dentist can be a nerve-wracking experience under any circumstances. Move to a new country, where you’re unfamiliar with the environment and the local language, and anxieties are amplified. Personally, hospital visits of any kind have always made my stomach churn and, when I first moved overseas, it was something I earnestly prayed that, as a relatively fit and healthy young person, I would be able to avoid as much as possible.
Read more: What I Love Most About Taiwan's Healthcare System as an Expat
- Written by Jake Tobiyama
Jake, a high school teacher in our Ontario ESL program, recounts experiences living and working in Asia that led him to become an English (EFL/ESL) teacher, despite public speaking not coming to him naturally.
Read more: The Accidental Teacher – How did I ever get into teaching English as a Foreign Language?
- Written by Foresight I.E.C.
Read more: How Did You Decide to Teach in Taiwan with Foresight?
- Written by Luke Venn
Luke, an elementary and support teacher with Foresight, reflects on valuable lessons learned inside and outside of the classroom while teaching abroad in Taiwan.
Read more: What Teaching Abroad has Taught Me About Compassion, Adaptability and Teamwork
- Written by Foresight I.E.C.
What happens when you are planning to teach abroad and then a global pandemic hits? What is it like to move to a new country amidst the uncertainty? Is it even possible to go? These brave new teachers moved to Taiwan to teach in 2020. We asked them to tell us about their experience.
- Written by Lian Lister
One of our Foresight staff members share photos and reflections from visiting Dihua Street Lunar New Year Market last year, an annual event cancelled due to the pandemic this year.
Read more: Spending Chinese New Year in Taiwan - Visiting Dihua Street
- Written by Daniel Alfaro
Daniel, a high school teacher in our Ontario ESL program, shares how, through making connections to K-pop, learning Chinese, and discovering hole-in-the-wall restaurants, he’s been able to grow personally and make the most of his experience teaching in Taiwan.
Read more: Making Connections: 5 Tips to be More Present While Teaching Abroad
- Written by Foresight I.E.C.
Who doesn't love a carnival? This weekend was the GuangRen Elementary School annual carnival fundraiser. The ESL Department worked together to create and host 4 carnival games to test their students' English ability while also having fun!