Emma talks about her UK Teaching Adventure in Brighton!
Hi there!
My name is Emma and I’m a Canadian teacher from Hamilton, Ontario. Teach In supported my first (and best!) teaching experience since graduating from teacher’s college where I worked both as a supply and contract teacher in Brighton, England. I have since returned to Canada but had such a wonderful experience abroad with Teach In that I want to share about it here.
Taking the Leap
I had always dreamed of teaching abroad, but I would say the hardest part of this whole experience was actually making the decision to go. Deciding to move to another country can be a pretty big leap of faith. But boy, am I glad I made the choice to go!
Teach In served as a great support throughout the transition. They set up a session where numerous teachers from the Toronto area in Canada (myself included!) could meet prior to arriving in the same location in the UK. It was incredibly useful to have those connections prior to arriving. These Canadian teachers became my first friends abroad and we had a lot of fun navigating the experience together, especially in the beginning!
All things Brighton
Brighton is an eccentric city on the southern coast of England and has a youthful, artsy vibe; I loved everything about living there. It took me a little over a week to get settled. Get a new phone plan, find an apartment, open a UK bank account, get a bus pass, were all things on the to-do list that week. Teach In was patient with me as I got settled in and had work ready whenever I gave the go ahead.
I started out supply teaching because I wanted to take my time getting to know the city and UK curriculum. Supply teaching in the UK is similar to the Canadian system except that instead of an automatic dispatch system, it’s the agency that contacts you. I was consistently given at least 4 days of work per week and usually 5. Supply teaching in primary and junior classrooms was a blast. After receiving my call-out each morning, I sat top-deck on the bus, enjoying a scenic ride through the city thinking “do I actually live and work here?! I feel like I’m on vacation!”. The children in the UK were, for lack of a better word, SO cute. It was hard to say no to anything they asked because of their adorable accents!
About 3 months in, I had familiarized myself with some of the cultural and curricular differences that came with being in a new country and I felt ready to take on a contract. Within one week of reaching out to Teach In to inquire about open contract positions, I was interviewing at a school for a Year 3 teaching position which was only a 10-minute train ride from where I lived—I got the position!
The experience of teaching my own class and being a part of a greater school community enriched my experience of teaching abroad immensely. It was harder to find that “work-life balance” when full-time teaching, but it was 100% worth it. The UK curriculum took some getting used to but I received a high level of support from fellow staff, mentor teachers, and administration.
Travel Opportunities:
As if living in Brighton wasn’t already a travel experience in itself, one of the best parts of teaching abroad was the opportunity to travel. I was able to use every half-term break and even some weekends to explore Scotland, Ireland, Italy, other parts of England, and my personal favourite was a week of skiing in Chamonix, France. It was a surreal experience to have all these incredible locations just a short and inexpensive flight or train ride away. 
Final Thoughts:
Upon returning to Canada, I have brought back with me confidence, adaptability, and experience teaching. These things are all wonderful on their own, but they have also served me well in continuing my career in Canada. I would honestly say that teaching in the UK has been one of the best and most influential experiences of my life and I would highly recommend taking the leap if you’re considering it!
You can read more about Emma’s time in the UK on her blog!
If you would like to register to live and teach in the UK or just want to ask us some questions, click here.