ITP - 006: Teaching in Yemen, QSI Schools, Recruitment, and Expat Life

Greg: In this episode of the International Teacher Podcast, Matt and I sit down and talk through some of the realities of international teaching—what it looks like, what people think it is, and what it actually is once you’re in it.

Greg: Welcome to the International Teacher Podcast with your host, Greg the single guy and Matt the family guy. We’re recording episodes from around the globe to tell you about the best-kept secret in education. That’s right—it’s teaching overseas. We’re glad to have you.

Matt: All right, welcome back everybody. This is Matt, the family guy, and with me is Greg, the single guy.

Greg: Good to be back.

Matt: Greg, today we’re going to talk about something that comes up all the time—people asking what it’s really like to teach overseas.

Greg: Yeah, and I think there’s this idea people have that it’s either this amazing vacation lifestyle or it’s something scary and unknown.

And the truth is—it’s somewhere in between.

Matt: Right. I think a lot of people think you’re just traveling all the time, going to beaches, living this luxury life.

Greg: And you can have that—but you’re still working a full-time job.

You still have responsibilities, expectations, and everything that comes with teaching.

Matt: Exactly. You’re still planning lessons, dealing with students, meetings—all of it.

Greg: But what makes it different is everything outside of school.

That’s where the lifestyle shifts.

Matt: Yeah, your weekends look different. Your holidays look different. Your access to travel is completely different.

Greg: And even just day-to-day life—where you live, what you eat, who you interact with—it’s all different.

Matt: So let’s start with this—what do people usually get wrong about international teaching?

Greg: I think the biggest thing is they underestimate the adjustment period.

Moving to a new country isn’t just exciting—it’s hard.

Matt: Yeah, culture shock is real.

Greg: And it’s not just one phase. It comes in waves.

At first everything is new and exciting, then things get frustrating, then you adjust, and then something else hits you again.

Matt: And that can happen multiple times, not just at the beginning.

Greg: Exactly. And I think people don’t always expect that.

Matt: Another thing people don’t realize is how different schools can be.

Greg: Yeah, not all international schools are the same.

There’s a huge range—from top-tier schools with incredible resources to schools that are still developing.

Matt: And that can impact your experience a lot.

Greg: Definitely. Your school can make or break your experience overseas.

Matt: So if someone is thinking about going overseas, what should they focus on first?

Greg: Research. Absolutely research the school, the location, the package—everything.

Matt: Talk to people who have worked there if you can.

Greg: And don’t just look at the salary.

Look at housing, cost of living, benefits, workload—all of it.

Matt: Because what looks good on paper might not translate the way you expect.

Greg: Exactly.

Greg: So you’re in Yemen now—you’ve landed, you’ve been teaching in the States for a few years. Your wife isn’t a teacher, and that’s not always easy to make work overseas.

What was that first stretch like once you arrived?

Kent: Usually when you fly into the Middle East, you arrive in the middle of the night when it’s cooler.

So you land in this new country, at a new job, and you can’t even see anything yet—it’s still dark.

The school meets you at the airport, helps you through customs, and gets you to your housing.

We had a great experience.

The drive in from the airport—I was like a kid on a bus going on a field trip, just staring out the window the whole time.

Greg: That first drive in—that’s something every international teacher remembers.

Kent: Absolutely.

And if you haven’t done it yet, that first arrival is unforgettable.

Greg: And just to say—it’s not always like that.

Not every school rolls out that kind of welcome.

There are different tiers, different levels of support.

Some schools meet you, some don’t.

So it’s a good question to ask in interviews—what does onboarding actually look like?

Kent: Exactly.

Greg: So you stayed for three years. What made you stay?

Kent: I loved it.

For me, the lifestyle really worked.

But I’ll say—my wife and I had slightly different experiences.

In Yemen, like in some parts of the Middle East, public life is more geared toward men.

My wife is someone who likes being out, meeting people, being active in the community, and that was more difficult for her.

So while I felt very comfortable navigating public spaces, it was more limited for her.

Greg: That’s important for people to hear—same place, different experiences depending on who you are.

Kent: Exactly.

But we both loved the environment.

The weather was incredible—like San Diego year-round.

Even though Yemen is known as a desert, Sana’a is up in the mountains—7,000 to 8,000 feet up—so it’s green, it’s beautiful, there are hills, trees.

It doesn’t feel like what people imagine.

Greg: That’s not what I picture at all.

Kent: Most people don’t.

Greg: Did Carla end up working at the school?

Kent: She did.

She started part-time in the library, then became the librarian, and eventually taught kindergarten.

By our last year, we were both working full-time.

Greg: That’s a great setup.

Kent: It really worked out.

Greg: What was the size of the school?

Kent: Small.

At most, maybe 230–240 students, K–12.

Some classes combined grade levels.

Greg: So a tight community.

Kent: Very much so.

About half expat students, half local Yemeni students, though the expat population was declining while we were there.

Greg: All right—give me a story. Something that stands out from living there.

Kent: One of my favorite things was just walking around the city.

On weekends, we’d walk from our house through back streets, past embassies, other schools, neighborhoods—just exploring.

We’d end up at the fish market, where everything came in fresh twice a day—from the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Greg: That sounds incredible.

Kent: It was.

And bargaining was a big part of the culture.

People love to haggle.

Greg: Were you good at it?

Kent: Not at all.

Coming from Seattle, I was terrible.

I’d overpay constantly.

Greg: They saw you coming.

Kent: Oh yeah—they were ready for me.

But honestly, prices were still great, and the seafood was amazing—shrimp, tuna, things you’d never see back home.

Greg: What about surprises? Things you didn’t expect?

Kent: There were a lot—some really good, some more challenging.

One day, the power went out—which happened regularly, maybe three or four hours a day.

We came home and one of our neighbors was waiting at our door with lit candles.

He handed them to us and walked us inside so we could see.

Greg: That’s incredible.

Kent: That’s how I remember Yemeni people—welcoming, generous.

Even in taxis, they’d want you to sit in the front with them and talk.

Greg: That’s not what people expect when they think of Yemen.

Kent: No.

But then there were other moments—like checkpoints appearing on your commute.

You’d have to talk your way through, explain where you were going.

Greg: That’s a different kind of stress.

Kent: It is.

But over time, you learn how to handle it.

Greg: Did you ever have to bribe your way through?

Kent: I’ll say this—the experienced teachers always told us not to go down that road.

What’s cheap today becomes expensive tomorrow.

A smile and a respectful conversation usually worked better.

Greg: That’s solid advice.

Greg: So if someone’s moving there, do they need to learn Arabic?

Kent: Not necessarily—but it helps.

I think there are levels to it.

Some people show up and don’t learn anything, and they get by.

But I wouldn’t recommend that.

Even just learning a few basic phrases goes a long way.

Greg: Give us one.

Kent: “Tamaam.”

We used that all the time.

It can mean okay, good, great, no problem—it kind of covers everything.

Greg: One word survival strategy.

Kent: Exactly.

And people appreciate the effort.

If you try even a little bit of the language, you get respect back.

Greg: And some people go deeper, right?

Kent: Yeah.

Some teachers who stayed longer really learned Arabic well.

They built local friendships, handled daily life in Arabic—it just depends how far you want to go with it.

Greg: All right—let’s talk travel. Where did you go when you had time off?

Kent: There were a few standout places.

First, heading west from Sana’a to the Red Sea coast—we’d go out to Kamaran Island.

The coral reefs there are some of the healthiest in the world.

Not the biggest, but incredibly alive and growing.

Greg: That’s not what people think of when they think Yemen.

Kent: Not at all.

Then we’d go south to Aden, right on the Gulf of Aden.

Beautiful beaches, very different feel from Sana’a.

Greg: Different how?

Kent: Just a completely different character—coastal, more open, different history.

Greg: And you mentioned a third place?

Kent: Yeah—this was the big one.

Socotra Island.

Greg: I’ve heard of that.

Kent: It’s incredible.

It’s actually closer to Africa than the Middle East, but it’s part of Yemen.

About 75% of the plant and animal life there is unique to that island.

Greg: That’s wild.

Kent: Spending time there—just unbelievable.

One of those once-in-a-lifetime places.

Greg: You’re selling this pretty hard.

Kent: It sells itself.

Greg: But at the same time—you said earlier—you wouldn’t necessarily rush there right now.

Kent: Yeah.

Even in our last year, there were visible tensions—soldiers on one side of the street, protesters on the other.

But what stood out to me was that everyone was still incredibly kind to us.

You’d get smiles, waves—very welcoming on a personal level.

Greg: That’s such an interesting contrast.

Kent: It is.

And I really believe that at some point in the future, when things stabilize, it’s going to be a place people will want to visit again.

Greg: Let’s bring it back to teaching for a second.

You mentioned QSI earlier.

Would you recommend it?

Kent: Absolutely.

Especially for newer teachers.

They’re willing to take chances on people—whether you’re early in your career or have a non-teaching spouse.

They’re family-oriented and open doors for people.

Greg: That’s huge in this field.

Kent: It is.

A lot of teachers start there, learn the international system, and then either stay or move on to other schools.

Greg: I’ve noticed they’re often in places people don’t think about.

Kent: Exactly—and those are often the best experiences.

The places not on your radar.

Greg: I always say that.

Some of the best teaching experiences come from countries you never planned to go to.

Kent: 100%.

Greg: Any final thoughts on Yemen?

Kent: Just that I’m really grateful for the experience.

It changed my perspective, and I’d go back if the opportunity was there.

Greg: That’s a great way to end it.

Greg: All right, listeners—this has been Kent, sharing his experience teaching in Yemen.

Kent: Thanks for having me.

Greg: This is Greg, the single guy, signing off—with Kent, the cat guy filling in today.

We’ll see you next time.