Clarke Birrell ’13
France and then the Ivory Coast. That is where my two first jobs have been since graduating from Mary Washington with a business degree in 2013!
In France I was an English teaching assistant in a public high school in the suburbs of Paris. Every year through the TAPIF program (you should apply) 4,000 native English speakers are hired by the French government and placed in public schools throughout the country.
This was my first real experience teaching and it is not an easy job. Just remember to stay calm because kids are like sharks, if they smell fear it is over.
But, don’t worry it is a great job! You work only 12 hours/week and just have to plan lessons focused on conversation (so, no grammar). The other teachers at the high school were very supportive and the students were nice on the whole.
The main piece of advice that I can give to anyone teaching a foreign language is that you have to adjust your expectations for your student’s abilities and to have lots of patience! The teaching process is a struggle, but the rewards from the smallest nuggets of progress are rewarding.
Living abroad is an amazing and challenging experience that I would recommend to anyone. I feel fortunate and grateful to experience French culture at the high school level to travel throughout such a beautiful country.
This Summer I will be working in the Ivory Coast for SIFCA, an agricultural company with 30,000 employees. SIFCA is involved in the cultivation, processing and marketing of vegetable oil, natural rubber and cane sugar. My assignment is in their marketing division providing internal and external communication.
So there you have it, Mary Washington was my launching pad to the world!
Inoculated and bringing my sunscreen, I am sure it will be an adventure! Check back in 90 days for part 2 where I will be discussing how it all went.
Story and image submitted by Clarke Birrell ’13.
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