The Don't of Teaching by Rheux

The Don’ts of Teaching in the US

by Rheux Serendipity Britt

1. Don’t ask unless google can’t answer your question.

2. Don’t play know-it-all; we all start back from scratch when we get here, everything here is completely different from the Philippines.

3. Don’t just wait and speak up only after everything has been wrapped up; locals find it weird and rude when you only speak up once everything has already been agreed upon, you can be involved, you have the right.

4. Don’t be a marites; key rule: mind your own business.

5. Don’t be timid, refer back to no. 3. Unlike in PH, we are free to express our opinion and share what we know in front of our superiors, provided of course we put an appropriate amount of confidence and professionalism.

6. Don’t be afraid to admit what you are struggling with. Locals are helpful and they are open to sharing ideas with you.

7. Don’t be unapproachable to parents. Parents here are your key to survival.

8. Don’t be stuck and stick a 100% with what you know from the Philippines. Afterall, we are here to teach, learn their culture, and share ours. We can only educate our students so much that we also need to adapt to their norms.

9. Don’t be the typical traditional teacher back in PH. There’s nothing wrong about it, it is in fact very effective. However, our traditional “strict” classroom management doesn’t work with the students here. In fact, it can even be used against us as teachers (some teachers were sued because of this).

10. Don’t be closed-minded. You will learn so much when you come here and teach. You will see and understand things that you’ve never experienced back in our country.

The U.S. is a very exciting country to explore as a teacher. You’ll learn things that you haven’t before. The kids are interesting, you’ll need to have triple the patience. The most beautiful thing about teaching in the United States is that you are a REAL teacher: someone whose time and attention must be dedicated to the students, not reports. Your data is yours, your kids growth are real and legit. You will be able to appreciate how an amazing teacher you are.