ITP - 012: 20 Years Teaching Overseas

Greg: This episode of the International Teacher Podcast was recorded in May of 2021. Matt, the family guy, is out fishing, so it’s Greg, the single guy. That’s me. I have a special treat for you—the most positive international teacher I’ve ever met. He’s been teaching overseas for over 20 years. He started in the States, then went to Honduras, China, Qatar, and most recently Pakistan. He has a lot to share.

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.

Greg: All right, welcome to our show. This is Noah, a good friend of mine. How are you doing today, Noah?

Noah: Hey, I’m doing great, Greg. It’s great to be here.

Greg: And where is “here,” Noah?

Noah: I’m in Pakistan, finishing my fourth year at an international school. I’m really enjoying it, which tends to surprise people when I say that I enjoy living in Pakistan.

Greg: Now, you and I were teaching at the same school our very first year in 2001. Even though it was a different campus, it was the same school system in Honduras. You remember that?

Noah: Oh yeah. I had my share of “baliadas,” that’s for sure, Greg.

Greg: That’s right. I like that you still have that Virginia accent. You haven’t lost it after 20 years overseas, have you?

Greg: Can you walk us through a bit of your teaching history? I know we don’t talk about our current schools, but we can talk about the ones we’ve been at before. You’ve been overseas since 2001.

Noah: That’s right. My story really starts with meeting my future wife in Virginia. She’s Honduran, and we met there. Our first date was October 23, 2000, and by Christmas we had decided we were going to get married. So within two months, we made that decision.

Noah: My parents were probably a little shocked. My wife was in the process of getting her green card, but I convinced her that we should move to Honduras. She has a large family there, and I wanted to learn Spanish.

Noah: I started looking for schools and found an international school. Next thing I knew, we spent eight years in Honduras. Three years at the same school system we were in together, and then I found a smaller school up in the mountains—El Mochito.

Greg: I might have been up there. I’ll have to ask Shannon and Bryn if they remember it.

Greg: Eight years—that’s a long time. So you spent three years at the international school like I did. What were you teaching then?

Noah: I was at the Lali campus teaching seventh grade—social studies and language arts—for three years. Then I moved to that mining school in the mountains. I was a classroom teacher there for three years.

Noah: After that, they asked if I wanted to train to become a principal. I found a program through Lehigh, and the school paid for me to go. I got certified and then spent two years as a principal there.

Greg: So you have a Honduran wife. How did you convince her to leave that big family and move on from Honduras?

Noah: My wife has always been an explorer. She grew up moving around—Costa Rica, the States, back to Honduras—so she was open to it.

Noah: We originally said we’d stay one or two years, but we had two kids there, and time just kept going. Eventually, we decided to try something new.

Noah: I found a school in the Middle East—Qatar Foundation—and we spent six years there.

Noah: After that, we went to China. It was a smaller city—about six million people. I always say the name wrong, and even people there didn’t understand what I was saying. But we spent two years there.

Noah: We loved China, but the school was privately owned, and there were things that just didn’t feel right. So from there, we moved to Pakistan, where we’re finishing up our fourth year, and we really love it.

Greg: Before we get into Pakistan, I want to talk a bit about your path because you’re like me. You tend to stay longer in places. You fulfill contracts, usually two years, and then move on. How have you found your jobs over the years?

Noah: That’s a great question because that’s one of the biggest concerns for people getting into international teaching. Recruiting season can be stressful.

Noah: You often have to tell your school you’re leaving before you actually have another job lined up. So there’s a lot of uncertainty.

Noah: A lot of people go to job fairs—big ones in Bangkok, Boston, or San Francisco. I went to a fair in Bangkok to get the job in China.

Greg: Was that ISS or Search?

Noah: It was ISS. We were actually registered for both ISS and Search. I told my wife not to worry—if we didn’t get something at ISS, we’d go to the Search fair.

Noah: But those fairs are emotionally exhausting. We got one offer, and I said there’s no way I can do another fair. We just took it.

Greg: It really is crazy. You’re making a decision about a two-year contract in another part of the world in a very short time.

Greg: I’ve done the same thing—signed up for multiple fairs, looked at the list of schools attending, and then decided which one to go to based on where my target schools were.

Greg: You pay the fee, use the database, network, and sometimes don’t even attend one of the fairs.

Noah: Exactly. It’s an investment in your career.

Greg: As you’ve gotten more experienced, have you relied less on fairs and more on networking?

Noah: Definitely. One of the best things that happened to me was going to Lehigh for my principal certification. I met people from all over the world—Saudi Arabia, China, Argentina, Indonesia.

Noah: Those connections helped me, especially for my job in Pakistan. During the interview, I was able to mention people I knew who had worked at the school, and that made a big difference.

Noah: It shows how small the international teaching world really is.

Greg: It really is. You can be in Iowa talking about Cambodia, and someone overhears you and knows someone you know. The connections just keep overlapping.

Noah: Exactly. That’s why it’s so important not to burn bridges and to build relationships wherever you go.

Noah: Even in places where things aren’t perfect, there are always positives. In China, for example, the school situation wasn’t great, but my kids loved it. I made great friends, and I still value that experience.

Noah: You have to keep that perspective.

Greg: That’s a great point.

Greg: So let’s talk about Pakistan. When people hear Pakistan, they probably have a certain image in their mind. What has your actual experience been like?

Noah: Honestly, it’s been incredibly positive. The people here are some of the most hospitable I’ve ever met. They go out of their way to make you feel welcome.

Noah: There’s a strong sense of community, and that extends into the school as well. The students are respectful, engaged, and really value their education.

Greg: That probably surprises a lot of people listening.

Noah: It does. There’s a perception based on the news, but living here day to day is very different from what people imagine.

Noah: Of course, there are challenges. There are security considerations, and you have to be aware of your surroundings. But within that structure, life is very manageable.

Greg: What about daily life outside of school?

Noah: It’s comfortable. We have access to what we need. There are places to go, things to do, and a strong expat community.

Noah: One of the things I appreciate most is how genuine people are. There’s a level of kindness and generosity that stands out.

Greg: That’s something you hear from people who have actually lived there, not just visited.

Greg: What about your kids? How have they adjusted?

Noah: They’ve done really well. Kids are adaptable. They make friends, they find their routines, and they settle in.

Noah: For them, this is normal. They’ve grown up moving between countries, so they’re used to it.

Greg: That’s one of the benefits of this lifestyle. It gives kids a broader perspective.

Noah: Absolutely. They’re exposed to different cultures, languages, and ways of thinking. It shapes how they see the world.

Greg: If someone is considering a place like Pakistan, what would you tell them?

Noah: Keep an open mind. Don’t rely on assumptions. Talk to people who have actually lived there.

Noah: Every country has its pros and cons, but if you focus only on the negatives, you’ll miss out on some incredible experiences.

Greg: That’s good advice.

Greg: After more than 20 years overseas, what keeps you going? What keeps you in this lifestyle?

Noah: I think it’s the relationships and the experiences. Every place has added something to my life.

Noah: I’ve grown as a teacher, as a person, and as part of a family. It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it.

Greg: That’s a great way to put it.

Greg: All right, we’re going to wrap this one up. Noah, thanks for coming on and sharing your story.

Noah: Thanks, Greg. It’s been great.

Greg: This is Greg, the single guy, signing off from the International Teacher Podcast. We’ll see you next time.