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The Flame of Hope, The Optimistic Goodbye, and Our
Living Legacy.
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"It is by teaching that we teach ourselves, by relating the we observe, by
affirming that we examine, by showing that we look, by writing that we think, by
pumping that we draw water into the well." ----- Henri-Fredric Amiel,
1821 -- 1881. Swiss writer known for his "Journal Intime."
I am leaving Thailand. In fact, I'm leaving Asia. Not for good I hope, but for a
while. It happened very quickly. I knew it would. I woke up one morning and
suddenly felt that I had had enough of Asia. It happens. After seven plus years
in Asia I was almost expecting this jolt. Don't get me wrong. I've loved my time
here. Most of it, anyway. I've had some great times in Asia, especially
Thailand. Times I will never forget. But when it's time to leave, it's time to
leave. And we all know when it's time.
I have titled this column "The Flame of Hope, The Optimistic Goodbye, and Our
Living Legacy." I'm not sure why. For the most part, I'm not a very optimistic
person. And the times I feel hopeful, I mean real hope, are few and far between.
As far as the glass being half empty, that would be wonderful. On most days, I
barely see a drop of water in the glass. The world is full of horrible and
beautiful things. I suppose it's up to each of us to find our way. It's like
that old saying: Some people look out at the world and ask "Why?", while others
look out and ask "Why not?" I suppose the worst thing would be to refuse to look
out at the world and not bother to ask questions at all.
The flame of hope lies in all of us travellers and expatriates: Teachers,
doctors, missionaries, and anyone who tries to do good; who tries to make the
slightest positive difference in the lives of other people, and in so doing,
makes the world just a bit more livable. The flame of hope lies in us all as we
struggle to connect with our fellow man and bring him some peace of mind that
seems to have escaped him and most of us for so long.
Inherent in the flame of hope is the profound belief that we EFL teachers can
alter the course of human history simply by sharing ourselves with others. We
many not be able to move mountains, but we can touch people's hearts and move
their souls. Never doubt that a group of dedicated people, however small or
seemingly insignificant, can change the world for the better.
Why? Because throughout history, that's all it took. We may be a small group of
EFL individuals, but we are very capable of making profound and positive changes
in so many people's lives worldwide. That is the flame of hope. People don't
have to live in dire poverty. People don't need to feel hopeless. We can help by
guiding our students into a far better and more prosperous future.
We EFL teachers are not doing this to make the rich richer. We should not be
wasting our time, money, and energy padding fat businessmen's bank accounts.
We're doing this to make the poor richer. We're not foot soldiers fighting some
proxy war for business interests. We're not educational puppets on a string
being made to dance by the school administration. We're EFL teachers trying to
make our students lives better. And the respect that we deserve should be, and
must be, on our own terms.
As EFL teachers, there are always two major obstacles constantly in our way: The
school management, and the financially upper class of the societies in which we
teach. Some schools, with its repressive and archaic teaching methods, as well
as their greedy business practices, are not always working with the student's
best interests in mind. While the upper class has absolutely no vested interest,
financially, socially, or otherwise, of seeing the poverty stricken of their own
society rise to the ranks of the middle class. In fact, the upper class needs a
certain number of its citizens to remain poor so that they, the upper class, can
remain rich. I fully realize that I'm saying absolutely nothing new here. I
simply point this out as a reminder of what we EFL teachers are up against.
Living and working in Thailand and other Asian countries offers us foreigners so
much. It gives us the chance to see a different part of the world through, not
only our own eyes, but through the eyes of others. It offers us the wonderful
opportunity not only to teach, but to learn. It gives us the chance to
experience life, in all of its multitudinous and wondrous facets. Life in other
countries will make you angry, lonely, joyful, pitiful, afraid, glad to be
alive, nostalgic, homesick, and sometimes, just plain sick. There are times when
we experience so many of these emotions together. And if you're lucky, living
and working in a foreign country will humble you. Although most of us want so
much to help others, there's only so much we can do. That's hard to take, but
accepting our limitations is a large part of what it means to live and work
overseas.
I have so many people to thank. Firstly, my friends, mentors and fellow teachers
at AUA. Although I had some disagreements and irreconcilable differences with
the management, my fellow teachers and mentors at AUA not only helped to make me
a better teacher, they also helped to make me a better man. And for that, I'm
eternally grateful. Secondly, the people of Thailand. I have always felt
welcomed here, whether as a teacher or a tourist. I look forward to coming back
one day. Third, Philip at ajarn.com for giving myself and so many others the
opportunity to express ourselves through columns and an open forum. His
contribution to Thai TESOL community is very important and serves a great
purpose. Keep up the great work, Phil. Forth, the readers and teachers on
ajarn.com for letting me know when they think I've gone too far. Never
underestimate the power of the free exchange of ideas and opinions. The great
TESOL debate is what is sorely lacking in this part of the world. So thanks
guys. And, saving the best for last, the students. This is why we're here. I
have been blessed in Thailand for some of the best students I've ever had the
pleasure of being with. Their smiles have touched me deeply, and their outlook
on life has inspired me to continue. They are truly our living legacies.
I will be going home to Montreal for a month or two. Then it'll be time to
continue the journey.
I've been thinking about South America for a while. Brazil seems exotic. Maybe
Peru or Argentina. Mexico seems like an interesting place to try and make a
difference. I hear that a secretary in Mexico City can earn up to a thousand
pesos a month more just because she can speak English. With this extra money she
can help feed and clothe her family, and perhaps send her children to a better
school. She can have a better future. And it's the same just about everywhere
else. More English means more money for those who learn it. And more money means
a better future. This is our gift to the world. And the students that we help
are our living legacies.
Schools must continually remind us of our living legacy. We must be shown how we
EFL teachers are making a positive difference in the lives of our students. The
management of most schools shy away from this, and they shouldn't. Although in
most cases we can see this for ourselves, it would be nice to be reminded of it
every now and then.
One of the reasons I write this column is the plain fact and honest truth that
as foreigners living in a foreign land, we're all in this together. Whether we
like it or not, whether we accept it or not, all of us are in the same boat. We
all share the same goals and objectives for our students, or at least we should.
Success, freedom, liberty, and knowing that with a lot of hard work and perhaps
with a little luck, our dreams will come true. This is everyone's birthright,
and as EFL teachers and TESOL providers, we all share in the responsibility to
ensure the birthright of our students. A little support and encouragement does
go a long way.
I hope to continue with this column wherever I decide to go in the world. Not
necessarily because I have so much to say, (that may be partly true), but
because I still have so much to learn. I'm continually learning from other
teachers and readers on this website, and I am grateful for that.
My flight home leaves on the 17th of this month and where I will teach and learn
next, I don't know. A map of the world gives us many opportunities, and we EFL
teachers are extremely fortunate to be in the position we're in. Before I go,
I'd like to leave you with one of my favorite quotes.
"A day dawns, quite like other days; in it, a single hour comes, quite like
other hours; but in that day and in that hour the chance of a lifetime faces
us." ----- Maltbie Davenport Babcock, 1858 -- 1901.
Steve Schertzer, esl_steve@excite.com
December 1, 2005.
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