ITP - 93: 30 Years Overseas — Lessons from a Teaching Couple

Jacqueline: This time, I think you know who’s going to bring us in.

Greg: Rich is going to bring us in.

Kent: No, it’s going to be JP. Bring us in.

Jacqueline: Why?

Greg: I don’t know.

Jacqueline: Okay, I can try.

Greg: If it’s that painful, we’ll give it to somebody else.

Jacqueline: Hey everybody, welcome to the International Teacher Podcast. I’m here with Greg the Single Guy. Good morning, Greg.

Greg: Good morning.

Jacqueline: And I’m also here with Kent the Cat Guy. Hi, Kent.

Kent: Hey, hey.

Jacqueline: And I’m also joined by a very special guest all the way from South Korea, Rich Walwarth. Good morning and good evening, I think.

Rich: It’s morning somewhere, so that’s my usual address. Good morning.

Jacqueline: Good morning, Rich. Did you say South Korea or South Carolina?

Greg: JP.

Jacqueline: I said South Korea. That’s why I’m wearing my hanbok. You can’t tell because the buttons are down here.

Greg: Hey now, it’s a family show.

Jacqueline: It’s a traditional hanbok that I bought in 1996, so this is coming on to 30 years. It’s Korean silk, so you can see why it has lasted so long.

Greg: It’s gorgeous.

Jacqueline: And if you want to see what it looks like, head over to Facebook and join our ITP Facebook group, because that’s where I share the behind-the-scenes photo of each episode.

Greg: I’ve got a handbook from school already, but I don’t know what she’s talking about.

Kent: A handbook is not really that important to me.

Jacqueline: Hanbok means Korean clothing.

Greg: So Rich, did you go running out to buy your own traditional hanbok outfit when you landed?

Rich: No, I don’t have a hanbok, and I actually haven’t worn one, although I’m being threatened with wearing one during our next visit to Seoul.

This is actually my third time in Korea. The first two times I was here with the Department of Defense schools.

Jacqueline: Wow, I can’t wait to hear about that. If you’re not in Seoul right now, where are you phoning in from?

Rich: I’m down in Sashon, which is in the south, about a 90-minute bus ride from Busan, to the west of Busan.

Jacqueline: Are you in one of the major cities there in Korea?

Rich: It’s not a major city. The population is about 100,000, but it is a big aerospace city. Recently, we heard that the Korean Space Agency is going to move its headquarters down here, so it’s likely to grow in importance.

Jacqueline: So tell our listeners, what are you doing there now?

Rich: I’m a teacher. I teach middle school language and literature at Yongham International Foreign School. I also teach middle school design and DP physics.

Jacqueline: That is a mixed bag—MYP to DP.

Rich: I enjoy a mix. I also teach some PYP content—library skills for the grade four and five students. I like having lots of preps. It keeps me on my toes and keeps me from being bored.

In my first teaching job back in the States more than 30 years ago, I was teaching one subject, and it got old really quickly—six classes a day, five days a week.

Since then, I’ve always had multiple preps and taught multiple levels.

Jacqueline: Rich, tell us how you got to where you are. Did you train as a teacher? Have you been a teacher a long time? What was your original subject?

Rich: Well, I am a second career teacher, actually close to a third career. I served active duty for 15 years in the Air Force. After that, I worked in commercial radio for a while and also worked for the U.S. Department of Education as a public affairs officer before moving into teaching.

Up until that point, I had completed about half of a Master’s of Education with Virginia Tech, but I had to leave the program when I moved to Kansas with family. I didn’t finish that degree until much later.

I was licensed through the Department of Defense Education Activity while teaching in DoDDS schools. They act as a licensing agency. Now I’m in the process of getting a state license through Wisconsin.

Jacqueline: You mentioned DoDDS. For listeners who might not know, that stands for Department of Defense Dependent Schools. Can you explain what that system is?

Rich: Sure. There are two systems within DoDEA. There used to be DDESS, which handled stateside schools, and DoDDS, which handled overseas schools. Now they’re all under DoDEA.

It’s basically like a state department of education, with its own curriculum standards and systems. When I was there, there were around 10,000 teachers, but that number has dropped significantly as the military has drawn down and schools have closed.

Greg: Every time I’ve been to a job fair, there’s a huge line of people trying to get into DoDDS.

Rich: Yes, it has a strong reputation. It pays very well compared to most international schools, and teachers are federal employees. Overseas, there’s also a housing allowance, which is market-driven.

But things have changed a lot over the past 15 years, and not all of those changes have been positive from the perspective of longtime teachers.

That’s one of the reasons I eventually left DoDDS and moved into international schools. The system was changing in ways that didn’t align with my values.

Jacqueline: Do you think the military is trying to move away from running schools altogether?

Rich: There have been rumors about that for years. In some places, like Puerto Rico, DoDDS pulled out and local international schools took over.

There are also newer bases, especially in Eastern Europe, where families are stationed but no DoDDS school will be built. Instead, students attend local international schools.

DoDEA also offers virtual schooling now, so students can complete their education online.

Greg: I always thought DoDDS worked like the military—you get placed somewhere, and over time you get more say in where you go. Is that accurate?

Rich: That’s how it used to be. There hasn’t been a formal transfer system in about a decade. People can get stuck in locations, even hardship locations, with very limited options to move.

That was a major factor for me. I wanted to transfer back to Europe and was told it wasn’t possible, so I chose to retire from the system.

Jacqueline: Where were you at that point?

Rich: Pyeongtaek, in Korea.

Jacqueline: Rich, going back a little bit, did you train as a teacher through the military, or is that where you built your subject knowledge?

Rich: When I was growing up, I was lucky. My parents encouraged a lot of hands-on learning. I had a chemistry set, built electronics, had a telescope when I was 12, and went to nature camps every summer.

So I came into the military with a strong science background. While I was serving, I continued taking evening classes. I’ve always been a lifelong learner. I completed my Master’s of Education a few years ago, and I’m considering another degree, maybe even a PhD.

Greg: That tracks.

Jacqueline: With that background, what led you to the Air Force instead of going straight into science or engineering?

Rich: I started in aerospace engineering at university, but after one term I realized the math wasn’t going to work for me. I switched to pre-veterinary medicine because I’ve always liked working with animals.

But finances became an issue, and I needed something stable. So I enlisted in 1976 as security forces. After injuring my knees, I retrained into broadcasting and public affairs.

I spent a lot of time doing radio and television in places like Greenland, Iceland, and Sicily.

Greg: That’s incredible.

Rich: Back then, Armed Forces Radio and Television Service had live studios on most bases. We were broadcasting live during morning, midday, afternoon, and sometimes overnight slots.

Now most of that is automated.

Jacqueline: How long were you in that system overall?

Rich: Seventeen years teaching, plus 15 years active duty before that.

Greg: And you still don’t sound ready to slow down.

Rich: I’m not. I love teaching. I’m not burned out, and a big reason is that I don’t teach the same thing all the time.

For example, in my design class, students recently built robotic arms. They struggled for weeks, and then suddenly one group got it working and started cheering. Then another group, and another.

Those moments make everything worth it.

Jacqueline: So are you trying to tell me that Canadarm is going to have some competition with Korea Arm in the future with all your students building these robotic arms?

Rich: Very possibly.

Greg: For all the listeners, JP Mint just made some kind of Godzilla motion over there.

Jacqueline: I thought Canadians had robotic loons and moose, not robotic arms.

Greg: So Rich, what’s next for you? If you’re getting your stateside license, are you thinking of moving back to the States at some point?

Rich: No, no. The Philippines is my home. There are just too many things going on in the States that don’t fit for me. The Philippines isn’t perfect, but it’s comfortable and reasonably easy to live there expense-wise.

Jacqueline: Have you taught there before, or did it come from travel?

Rich: I discovered it through a diving vacation, then moved there two years later and taught at the German School in Manila for four years. That’s also where I met my wife.

Greg: You got one like that too, huh?

Rich: What I see next for me is moving into a position where there’s potential for mid-level to upper-level administration, but I don’t want to give up my classroom.

Anytime I interview for a role with administrative responsibilities, I make it clear that I need some teaching as well.

That’s what keeps me going—working with students, helping them discover the world and themselves.

Jacqueline: That’s powerful.

Greg: You mentioned Europe earlier. Is that still something you’re aiming for?

Rich: I would love to get back to Europe, but realistically, I know it’s difficult without an EU passport. Sometimes the issue isn’t visas—it’s insurance. Once you’re over 60, insurance premiums can triple.

That’s where I have an advantage. I have lifetime Blue Cross Blue Shield coverage, so it doesn’t cost the school anything. The challenge is getting past initial screening so I can explain that.

Jacqueline: That’s a huge advantage.

Greg: Let’s talk about logistics a bit. With all your moving—diving equipment, ham radio equipment—what does your shipping footprint look like?

Rich: When I was in DoDDS, I shipped the maximum—18,000 pounds—from duty station to duty station.

When I retired, I shipped about 600 kilos back to the Philippines in balikbayan boxes, and another 200 kilos through government shipping.

The rest went into storage in the States.

When I left to teach in Sudan, I went with two suitcases and about 150 kilos of shipped items—mostly books, some electronics, and my piano.

Jacqueline: Your piano?

Rich: It was an 88-key Yamaha. Unfortunately, it didn’t make it out of Sudan.

Greg: So what are the must-bring items now?

Rich: My coffee pot and coffee, because I’m a bit of a coffee snob.

I usually bring a beer mug as well.

Beyond that, it depends. I try to bring some electronics, but sometimes there just isn’t room.

Jacqueline: Final question—do you have a police or customs story for us?

Rich: Yes. This goes back to Fiji.

I needed a police clearance to get my Korean visa. I paid the fee and also paid for express service, which was supposed to be done in two days.

A few hours later, I got a call from the police saying they couldn’t give me the clearance and asking me to come down to the station.

I realized they were expecting a bribe to release the document.

I refused. Eventually, after about three months and intervention from my school and the Korean embassy, the clearance was finally issued properly.

Greg: That’s a good lesson.

Jacqueline: Any final words of wisdom for listeners?

Rich: Be upfront with schools. Be clear about what you want to give and what you want to get.

Also, be honest with yourself—especially about your health and your ability to live in different environments.

Don’t take a job out of desperation. Do your research, ask questions, and understand the risks.

Greg: That’s solid advice.

Kent: Rich, thank you so much for joining us.

Rich: Thank you.

Greg: And thank you to our listeners. We’ll see you next time.

All: Thank you.