ITP - 60: Beginning of a School Year

Greg: Oh, here we are. Introduce us. Another school year, get us started. Hey, I’ve got the cat guy here with me—Kent—and Greg, the single guy. Matt the family guy is still missing, but we hope he’ll join us again soon. And here we are starting our… what year teaching for you, single guy?

Kent: This is my 23rd, I believe.

Greg: How about you?

Kent: I think this is 20. Yeah, I think this is 2019 or 20. I’ve been saying 25 for three years now.

Greg: This has got to be 2019 or 20 this year because it’s coming up pretty quick.

Kent: Yeah, right.

Greg: But we’re just at school, prepared—sort of. Not working too hard, but preparing for the new school year to come along. It would be a great episode just to talk a little bit about summertime issues. This is our summer catch-up episode and our launch into the new year. We’re going to have a little fun. We’ll talk a little bit about the book that you published.

Kent: Nobody knows about this.

Greg: Nobody knows—something you published. You sold four copies. So we’re going to talk a little bit about the book that you published a couple years ago, a little bit of summer, and a little bit of the new year. What do you think?

Kent: I love it.

Greg: I think that’s about as much format as we’ve ever had in a show.

Kent: Gosh. I feel like this is what happens when we go on vacation. We come back organized.

Greg: We come back way too organized. I mean, that’s a plan for a whole show right there. We’ve never done that before. Let’s start. How was your summer, Greg?

Greg: I had a great summer. International teaching is the best because I split up my year between summer and school year just like they do in the States. Right now, at our current school, we don’t necessarily have as much time off as other schools, but most schools go with that whole Christmas off, summer off type thing.

Kent: What do most international schools do traditionally?

Greg: Ten weeks of summer usually. From mid-June to maybe the first of August. Some schools go later, but they don’t go all the way to September like in the States. Usually the first week of August is when people are returning to their schools across the seas. I’d say that generally, even though I haven’t been to every school.

Kent: We’re talking generalities here.

Greg: But how was my summer? Let’s see—I had a quick 12 days.

Kent: Yeah, it was a real… what do you say?

Greg: A real flash in the pan. Twelve days.

Kent: Tell us about it.

Greg: Oh my God, it was great. I flew back to Florida because my parents live down there now. Shout out to the rents. The first thing I did was fly into Miami and see a friend of mine I hadn’t seen in 10 years, back from my Venezuela days. He’s married now and has a child. When I left, he was single and having a great time. Now he’s settled in Florida. We met in Miami, and it’s hilarious—right around the airport there’s this little Venezuela area. Everywhere you go—Venezuelan flags, Venezuelan food, Venezuelan beer. So we just sat out for a couple of days and did that.

Greg: Then I drove over to the western part of Florida, over by Fort Myers, and picked up my buddy Joe. Shout out to Joe—he’s got the Dignify Podcast. It’s fantastic. If you get a chance, check it out.

Kent: Is that the link you sent me?

Greg: Yeah, that was the link I sent.

Kent: No, I haven’t listened. What is Joe’s podcast?

Greg: It doesn’t do any good if I tell you about it—just listen to it.

Kent: You should know most of your emails I don’t actually read.

Greg: I don’t read yours either. At school the next day I ask you about them.

Kent: Have you read my email?

Greg: Okay, so Joe and I sat down. We do a regular annual thing—we hang out, float down a river, and share ideas. This year his sister was awesome. She lives down in Naples and took us out on a boat around Marco Island. I’d never done that before. That lasted a couple of days, and then I went to stay with my parents. My dad turned 80 years old. We built this little model together for a couple of days, and I taught my mom a bit more technology. Had a fantastic time with them.

Greg: Then I did what I’d call the Cannonball Run—or maybe the Smokey and the Bandit run. I went from Naples, Florida, all the way up the Panhandle, then over to Fort Worth, Texas to see my nephew in a new Broadway musical called Hadestown. My nephew is the understudy for the lead, Orpheus. If you haven’t listened to Hadestown and you like Broadway music, download it. It’s great. It’s on Broadway in New York, but the touring version goes around the U.S. and Canada, doing shows in different cities.

Kent: This is your nephew?

Greg: My nephew Colin Lemoyne—the next best. He dances, sings, acts—he does it all and knows every part. So shout out to Colin. Proud of you. I drove 18 hours straight to get there, just listening to podcasts the whole time. I wasn’t even tired. I don’t drive in this country—I drive a moped. When I go longer distances, I usually have a driver. So driving in the States is kind of a novelty for me now. I saw my nephew in two shows—a matinee and an evening performance. He even stepped in and did the lead role. Fantastic.

Greg: The next morning, I went to Houston and met my tax guy for the first time.

Kent: Have you ever met your tax person?

Greg: No, I never had until now. Shout out to Jim. He did all my back taxes. As far as the government knows, I’ve been paying all along. Now I’m all caught up. That was nice. Then I went to the airport and flew back home—back to Saudi. How about you? How was your summer?

Kent: Well, I took twice as many days as you did. You did your U.S. romp in 12 days—I did it in about 20 to 24 days. My wife and I spent our time in our hometown, Bellingham, Washington. Loyal listeners will know that last year—do we have loyal listeners?

Greg: Your mom. My mom. Your mom?

Kent: And I know your dad now. Our listeners don’t know that I’ve met your dad.

Greg: Yeah, and he was on the ball here too. Really nice guy.

Kent: So if he’s looking to adopt a better-looking son than he’s got now…

Greg: We’ll have to ask him after the episode.

Kent: So we spent our summer in Bellingham. Beautiful weather every single day—70 to 75, nice and sunny. It’s right on Bellingham Bay, part of the Pacific.

Greg: If he adopts you, can I go live in Seattle then?

Kent: You can live in Seattle, and I’ll spend time with your parents.

Greg: Sounds fair, but your cat’s going to drive me crazy with my allergies.

Kent: I try not to take my summers too long. People might wonder why only 24 days, but I have a cat. My wife and I—well, I’m the cat guy. I think the cat gets lonely when we’re gone. Someone comes by every day, cleans the litter box, gives food and water, but that doesn’t mean she’s not lonely.

Greg: So you were happy to get home.

Kent: Yeah. My wife is still in the States, but we had a casual summer. We threw a block party again. We have about 35 or 36 neighbors, and every year for the last two years we’ve tried this.

Greg: And how many showed up?

Kent: Two people.

Greg: Two people showed up.

Kent: We papered the neighborhood with flyers, went door to door. People opened the door like we were the sheriff.

Greg: People are wary of anyone knocking who’s not wearing a UPS uniform.

Kent: Exactly. So I should probably get a UPS outfit.

Greg: When you say flyers, you mean you knocked on doors and handed them out?

Kent: Yes, we handed them out. We gave two days’ notice—Friday for a Sunday party. My wife says that wasn’t enough notice. I think maybe our neighbors just don’t like us.

Greg: I agree with your wife. People are busy.

Kent: But the two who showed up invited us to their house, so that was nice.

Greg: I have an idea. It’s called email.

Kent: I don’t know if I’ve heard of that.

Greg: You send a digital flyer ahead of time—maybe a month in advance—so people can plan.

Kent: I’d really appreciate learning how that works.

Greg: It’s free advice.

Kent: Who’s going to pay for it?

Greg: Which brings us back to the book—but we’ll talk about that later.

Kent: We do have a Facebook group for our neighborhood. About half the units are on it. We got five new people to join from the flyer.

Greg: If you used Facebook first, you’d probably get all 72 people.

Kent: Maybe next year. One of our neighbors is a realtor. He has a podcast and a YouTube channel. I got to see his setup—nice cameras, good lighting. It’s interesting how many people are creating content now. Your buddy Joe, you and I… I don’t know what we create.

Greg: Let’s leave that aside.

Kent: It was a great Bellingham summer. We enjoyed it.

Greg: You’ve told me a lot about Bellingham. The more I hear, the more I want to visit—not just for the coffee.

Kent: We’ve got an extra room. You can stay for two days.

Greg: Two days?

Kent: Then the cat needs her room back.

Greg: Fair enough.

Greg: That’s one thing about international teaching—you get to visit people all over the world, and they actually mean it when they invite you. It’s not like meeting someone in an airport who says, “You should visit sometime.” Overseas, people genuinely mean it. I had a guy in Australia invite me to his farm, and I know he meant it.

Kent: That’s part of the lifestyle—those connections.

Greg: Did anyone visit you this summer?

Kent: Not this summer. Last summer we had a reunion. This year was more low-key.

Greg: We have a coworker heading to Switzerland who told us to come visit—and they meant it.

Kent: That’s the beauty of it.

Greg: So Bellingham is beautiful. You go home every summer, enjoy the sun, walk along the water, have nice meals. Quick question—did you travel to any other countries this summer?

Kent: No. We had just been to the Maldives before the break, so we stayed local. Also, my wife had eye surgery—lens replacement. So we needed to stay near her doctor for follow-ups.

Greg: That’s important.

Kent: It went really well. She doesn’t even need glasses anymore.

Greg: That’s huge.

Kent: So we had more of a health-focused summer.

Greg: Sounds like both of us had quick summers.

Kent: Pretty uneventful, but sometimes that’s exactly what you need.

Greg: And now we’re heading into a new school year. This is my favorite time of the year—that quiet period before everything kicks off. We’ve got about two weeks before the new teachers show up. Well, they’ve already started to roll in. We were just talking with a couple of them today.

Kent: This is the time of year when new teachers are arriving at schools all over the world.

Greg: Do you remember your first orientation? You land, you don’t know anybody, and they group you together, help you find housing, and start training.

Kent: My very first school was small—only five or six of us were new. There wasn’t a big program, mostly just a behavioral system they were introducing. But here, when we arrived, there were 35 or 40 new teachers. We had a solid two weeks of training.

Greg: That’s a big difference. What are you looking forward to this year?

Kent: Every year feels like a reset. This year I want to focus on technology with students. Every year something changes—you don’t always teach in the same room or even the same role. Sometimes you get moved, and that’s a big adjustment.

Greg: Moving classrooms internationally is no joke. It’s not just a room—it’s all your materials, your tech, everything.

Kent: Exactly. So I’m glad I’m not moving this year.

Greg: What kind of preparation have you been doing?

Kent: Honestly, talking to coworkers. Getting to know people. That’s important. We’ve been talking about music, life—just connecting. That matters as much as anything professional.

Greg: That’s something new teachers should hear—don’t just talk about curriculum. Get to know people.

Kent: Exactly. There’s plenty of time to prove yourself. You already got the job.

Greg: Just be human.

Kent: And take a breath.

Greg: I met a couple of new teachers today. They want to get everything set up immediately, but I told them—slow down, sit, talk.

Kent: There’s pressure to perform when you’re new, but you don’t need to prove everything on day one.

Greg: It’s a small world too. You meet new people and quickly realize you know the same people or schools.

Kent: That happens all the time.

Greg: Let’s take a quick moment to remind listeners how to reach us. You can find us on Instagram and Twitter at ITPexpats, or email us at [internationalteacherpodcast@gmail.com](mailto:internationalteacherpodcast@gmail.com). And check out the website at [www.itpexpat.com](http://www.itpexpat.com).

Greg: Back to the show—what are you focusing on this year?

Greg: I’m focusing on literacy—specifically a program around the science of reading. I’ve been doing training over the past few weeks, preparing to try new strategies in language arts. Every year I try to do one or two things differently.

Kent: That’s important. Keep evolving.

Greg: I also need credits to renew my certification, so this helps with that too. But honestly, I’m most excited to meet the students. I’m curious what this year’s group will be like—especially after the pandemic. Some of these kids spent key years learning at home.

Kent: That’s going to impact how they show up.

Greg: Exactly. It’ll be interesting to see their personalities and how they engage.

Kent: That’s why I want to focus on technology too—there’s a gap there that needs to be rebuilt.

Greg: Makes sense. And new teachers always bring energy. They’re excited, motivated—it’s a boost for everyone.

Kent: And sometimes a little overwhelmed.

Greg: Definitely. The look on their faces when they’re trying to figure everything out—that’s part of the process.

Kent: There are so many details to manage when you arrive somewhere new.

Greg: Even after years, it’s easy to forget how much goes into starting fresh. First year at a school is like starting over completely.

Kent: You spend that first year listening, learning, and figuring things out.

Greg: Then you start to settle in. Speaking of new teachers—you wrote a list in your book about reasons not to go into international teaching. Let’s go through that.

Greg: So let me ask you—from this list, number one, you write fleeing from your problems. Is that a thing for you? Are you currently running away from anything in your life?

Kent: Besides the FBI, I’m just starting to remember that list. You’re right, that’s one reason not to be an international teacher. I totally agree with that. Because when people… what I’ve seen is people leaving a marriage or trying to break from something and thinking, “I’m going to start brand new.” That doesn’t work. The problems follow you. For me, the answer is no. I’m not trying to escape anything.

Greg: Good answer. Number two—you wrote you’re just looking for a free European vacation. Would you say that applies?

Kent: I’ve seen that. People say, “I want to go to Europe and teach.” But first and foremost, you’re a teacher.

Greg: Not a traveler.

Kent: Exactly. You’re not on vacation. There’s nothing wrong with trying it for a couple of years, but don’t think you’re signing up for a vacation.

Greg: Especially Western Europe—great experience, but not where you save money.

Kent: Exactly.

Greg: Number three—don’t go into international teaching if you’ll be lonely.

Kent: Yeah, that’s a big one. You have to know yourself. There are going to be times when you’re alone. You have to be okay with that.

Greg: What do you do when that hits?

Kent: I do two things. I learn something new—language, a course, something to stay engaged. And I try to connect with locals, do things I wouldn’t normally do.

Greg: That’s solid advice. Number four—cultural differences.

Kent: You get used to them over time, but they don’t disappear. Some things still hit you.

Greg: Like the airline line situation.

Kent: Exactly. Some days you laugh, some days you’re elbowing people to hold your place.

Greg: Depends on the day.

Kent: But you learn to observe more than react.

Greg: Number five—health concerns.

Kent: That’s a real one. If you have serious health issues, you need to think carefully. Not every country has the same level of care.

Greg: Sometimes you have to travel just to get treatment.

Kent: Exactly. And as we get older, that becomes more of a consideration.

Greg: Number six—job security.

Kent: This one never goes away. You can lose a job quickly overseas, and there’s often no system to fight it.

Greg: No union backing you up.

Kent: Exactly. You have to rely on your network and have a backup plan. And sometimes it’s not even about performance—schools close, situations change. Political situations, school shutdowns—it happens.

Greg: Number seven—missing family.

Kent: That’s huge. Even with technology, it’s hard. You have to be okay being away for long periods.

Greg: We’ve seen people leave for that reason.

Kent: Absolutely.

Greg: Number eight—safety concerns.

Kent: You can’t be overly worried about safety, but you also have to be realistic. You learn how to live in different environments.

Greg: And read information critically.

Kent: Exactly. Not everything you read reflects reality on the ground.

Greg: Number nine—comforts.

Kent: If you can’t live without your specific brand of cereal or toothpaste, this might not be for you.

Greg: Or your peanut butter.

Kent: Or your chocolate chips.

Greg: You adapt—or you bring it with you.

Kent: And sometimes you discover new things you like better.

Greg: Number ten—retirement planning.

Kent: You’re responsible for it. There’s no system doing it for you in many cases.

Greg: You have to be intentional.

Kent: Exactly. Save, invest, plan ahead.

Greg: That was the top ten list—reasons not to teach overseas.

Kent: Written by Greg Lemoyne, available wherever fine books are sold.

Greg: We’ll save the positive list for another episode.

Kent: That’s probably the one people actually want to hear.

Greg: Probably. Alright, I think that’s a wrap.

Kent: That’s a wrap.

Greg: Thanks for listening, everyone. We’ll see you next time on the International Teacher Podcast.