Interview with Teacher Alfred B. Caamino, Jr. – ESL Teacher

Coinciding with the celebration of World Teachers’ Day, we have here a Filipino teacher teaching abroad as our special guest. With his courage and kindness, he was able to achieve his dream of broadening horizons and is now a passionate ESL teacher in Mongolia.

  1. How long have you been teaching abroad?

I have been teaching abroad for almost 2 years. Technically, I’m here for a year and 8 months now.

  1. What made you decide to leave the Philippines and seek greener pastures?

It was my desire to explore more about life and to challenge myself more as to what else I could do besides teaching under the DepED umbrella that made me decide to work abroad. I thought that my professional growth would have been limited if I continued in the inner schools of the Bukidnon Division.

  1. What, for you, should be the prerequisites to go abroad?

Going abroad, I consider that having a brave heart, a strong mind and communicative competence in English are prerequisites for someone who aspires to work abroad. A brave heart would counter nostalgia; a strong mind would keep him focused on what he does and on his duties; and proficiency in English would make you internationally employable.

  1. How did you adapt to foreign lands? Students? Culture? What challenges did you face?

Adapting to the foreign land, students and culture is a matter of positive attitude and flexibility. We Filipinos are known for being optimistic and educated. Therefore, adjustment in both the physical and social environment has not become such a total barrier. However, I faced more challenges in coping with the language differences. Living in a community that speaks a foreign language to you was difficult, especially since even in English people could not communicate intelligibly.

  1. Comparing your workload, income and achievement in the Philippines with that in Mongolia, what would you say?

Here in Mongolia, I only teach 21 hours a week with an additional 2 hours for club moderation. As for income, I only earn a little more than the current rate of Master Teacher 1 (Salary Grade 18). And in terms of fulfillment, I feel more fulfilled here because I was able to maximize my teaching skills in English language teaching compared to my experience in the Philippines.

  1. Was the adjustment hard? Why do you think that?

For me, the adjustment was not difficult at all, perhaps due to my personality. I am too flexible having been well exposed socially, even during my years from student leadership to employment. Perhaps, it was difficult in the first three (3) weeks due to the language barrier.

  1. As a foreign teacher, how do you share your own culture with your colleagues and students alike?

I display Filipino values ​​and traits all the time, such as: courtesy, being hygienic, musically inclined, the virtue of patience, diligence, punctuality, and consideration. I think that in that simple way I was also able to share the Filipino culture with my colleagues and students.

  1. What would you say to a kababayan Who plans to try their luck teaching abroad?

For all my kababayan who want to work abroad, please think several times before you decide. Consult your loved ones and discuss whether or not it is worth leaving the Philippines.

  1. World Teachers Month is September, right? How is it celebrated and with whom?

We also have the celebration of world teachers here, similar to what we do in the Philippines, like having big gatherings and theatrical performances, parties, and card/gift giving. All teachers in the country carry out various activities in their respective localities, schools, offices and the like.

  1. Farewell shot to all the Filipino teachers around.

To all Filipino teachers around the world, HAVE A GREAT AND MEANINGFUL TEACHER’S DAY! Be proud to be one because our life is our legacy to the next generations. Mabuhay tayong mga guro!

Teacher Alfred B. Caamino, Jr., 32, licensed teacher for more than 11 years. He left his service with the Department of Education with the designation of Teacher Teacher 1 in Talakag III District, Bukidnon Division in search of further professional growth abroad. He found his luck in Mongolia as an ESL teacher at Darkhan Empathy School (SY 2018-2019) and teaching at Terelj Boarding School (SY 2019-2020) in the same position. Additionally, he works part-time as an IELTS Coach at EDX School, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. She completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in English, cum laude, and a Master of Arts in Education with a mention in Educational Administration, with special distinction in research. Due to his employment abroad, he ended up earning 12 units for his Doctor of Philosophy degree with a concentration in Educational Management.

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