I Quit Corporate America to Teach English in Thailand by Jocelyn Pollak | Inspiring Story #23

I spent time teaching in Cameroon, Luxembourg, and at an ESL community center in Chicago.  For the past six years, I have been teaching English in Thailand and loving every minute of it.

Helping Others Score Their Dream Teaching Job and Lifestyle

After several years of teaching English in Thailand, it became clear that there was a disconnect between what new teachers learn in their TEFL courses and what actually happens in the classroom.

My co-teacher, Whitney, and I formed TEFLPros in order to give new teachers the real tools they need to begin a successful TEFL career.  TEFLPros is the only accredited online course that focuses most of the course hours on practical skills (i.e. lesson planning, classroom management, and self-reflection).

We are really excited that all the teachers, who have graduated from our course, are working!  And the thing that’s been even more rewarding is that, because we personally interact with all of our students, we keep in touch.  We get regular updates when they score that dream job or have an awesome lesson or have a kid come to them and tell them that they are an inspiration.

One of our first students, Kate, has become a good friend of mine.  She moved in across the street, and we hang out all the time.  She’s working at a great private high school in Bangkok now.  We go out for dinner/drinks and the occasional $5 Thai massage and talk about what a small world it is that we became such good friends.

Another grad, Bridget, joined a volunteer program we administer together with the Thai Ministry of Education.  She registered for two courses before finding us and said ours was the only one she felt engaged enough to complete.

Bridget is going to start volunteering in underprivileged Thai classrooms this November. Another grad, Joan, is an older woman, and she recently sent us a handwritten note about how our course is going to help her serve the refugee populations that she works with so much better.

Stories like these are why I love what I do now.

The most full-circle moment in my journey was when one of our graduates came to Thailand and started working with me as a teacher at the school where my journey began.   There is so much satisfaction in helping someone else reach their dreams.  

No amount of corporate America money could buy that kind of fulfillment.

I love my work.  As a teacher and trainer, my work-life balance is amazing.  I can travel and I learn something new every single day.  I’ve been to over 40 countries on 6 continents, taught thousands of students, and tried some really weird foods. 

I’m passionate about teaching and helping new teachers feel comfortable beginning their TEFL career with all the knowledge that they need to be comfortable, skilled, and successful.

TEFL is not for everyone, but if you are the kind of person who wants to have a more fulfilling life, see the world and learn, there is no better job.

If you’d like to try our course out, you can go to www.teflproscourse.com.

We unlocked a module to show people a little bit of what we have to offer.  Please don’t take my word for it.  You can also check out the link to the third-party review site to see what our grads have to say.  Or feel free to email me directly, and I can answer any questions that you may have about the TEFL journey – [email protected]

It may seem like a leap at first, but in reality, it’s just one foot in front of the other.  There is literally a world of opportunity out there waiting for you!