70-30

In September, I begin my B.Ed. program at the University of Toronto. In May of next year, I will be finished. Then I'll need to figure out what to do.

The options are stay in Ontario and try to get a placement in a high school, or come back to Korea and see what options there are at international schools. Of course, if I do come back to Korea, I could also put in time at a university, a language academy, or maybe even a Korean public school while I wait for a position at a place such as K.I.S. to open up.

Right now, I'm leaning 70-30 to coming back to Korea. The reasons are numerous, but among them are the fact that my family will be here, and Heather will hopefully have a secure job, something which eluded her in Canada. There are other less important factors such as climate and travel opportunities that favour coming back to Korea. I think, though, that during my return to Korea this summer I've realized that I'm happier here. I'm working at my old school, seeing many of the people I had gotten to know during my previous stint here, and I just feel much better about myself than I did back in Ontario. This really is a second home for me, but perhaps it should be my first home.

After reading The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman, I came to the conclusion that it is no longer necessary for students to get their education in Western countries in order to achieve future success. This inter-connected world of ours permits the sharing of knowledge and employment opportunities that weren't possible before the Internet age. Kids who grow up studying in Korea, China, India, and in every other part of the globe can still access the level of education that Canadian and American kids have long accessed. Furthermore, the kids in the non-Western countries usually study harder and achieve more than their Western counterparts. And taken one step further, they usually learn multiple languages. So I'm actually starting to believe that my kids will be better off staying here in Korea.

About a week ago, I met a young man, an overseas Korean now living here. He grew up in England and Kenya, and he speaks four languages (English, Korean, Japanese, and Spanish). He told me that he sometimes feels like he has no real home in this world, no grounding in a particular culture. This is probably a common sentiment of students who grew up attending international schools in multiple countries, and at first glance it seems like a reasonable argument against the international school experience. Yet, I can't help but believe that these kids are best suited for the world of globalization. They don't necessarily see the world in nationalistic tones. They typically speak a variety of languages. And they make contacts with people from all over the world that ought to increase the chances of success when they finish with their formal education.

On a personal level, I have long felt a desire to travel the world and experience different cultures. I'll admit, however, that I'm more comfortable sticking close to Western values while living overseas. I'm stuck speaking English (although there is no better language to be stuck on), as I just find the study required to learn new languages too bothersome. But my girls are well on their way to being bilingual. I'd love for them to pick up Mandarin, maybe Japanese, as well as a European language or two.

Which brings me back to the question of the day: teach in Canada or overseas? Sure, there are good reasons to think about Canada (family and friends). But I'm thinking more and more with each passing day that I belong overseas. I love the energy of Korea, and I really like the fact that I'm in demand here. In Canada, I'm just another guy in a depression-hit country, competing with many people like myself. Not so here.

I might still change my mind a year from now, but for now I'm leaning toward returning to Korea.