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Finding Community Abroad: The Power of Teacher Friendships Overseas

Posted on August 23, 2025August 21, 2025 by tfabs283

Have you ever stood in a foreign country staffroom on your first morning, stuck in limbo? I definitely have. It’s even worse when everyone is chatting in rapid-fire local language. That feeling of being the outsider simply takes over.

I know, and so does every other teacher who’s leapt overseas. The good news is that genuine teaching abroad friendships are possible! Once you understand how these connections work, it becomes practically inevitable. In this guide, we’ll cover:

Why friendships abroad run deeper than regular colleagues
Where these special friendships begin to bloom
Simple ways to connect with fellow teachers
How to keep your teaching tribe close across continents

These methods have helped countless educators build their chosen families abroad. So can you! Let’s start by understanding what makes these friendships so special.

Why Do Teaching Abroad Friendships Run Deeper Than Regular Colleagues?

It’s silly to say, but something magical happens when teachers find themselves in a foreign country together. The experience creates friendships that are different from any workplace relationships you’ve had before (for instance, my foreign teacher friend was passing around her wedding invite to us all, not like I could go, but you get the point).

Teaching abroad connections feel stronger for these reasons:

Everyone’s Learning the System Together

Picture this: you’re all trying to figure out how parent-teacher conferences work when half the parents speak different languages. Then you get a stack of local education policies to read. Nobody understands them either. Since you’re all confused together, everyone gets why you’re struggling.

Professional Wins Feel Personal to Your New Friends

Back home, colleagues might congratulate you on a successful lesson. But when you are abroad teaching and you finally nail that tricky culture lesson you’ve been wrestling with, your expat friends genuinely celebrate. They know the mountain you just climbed because they’ve climbed their own versions.

Building Your New Family Happens Naturally

Keep in mind that your college mates are thousands of miles away and your family can’t pop over anytime soon. So, go ahead and create new traditions with your teacher friends. They become your people for everything from midnight pizza runs to visa renewal stress sessions.

These deeper connections happen because you’re all facing the same life-changing experience side by side. For this reason, the bonds form faster and feel stronger than you usually experience.

I hope this pep talk helped calm your jitters down. Next, I’ll share the best places to give life to these special bonds.

Where These Special Friendships Begin to Bloom

Right, so you’re convinced these friendships are worth pursuing, but where on earth do you meet people in a new country? Hold your hats because the answer will surprise you. Some of the best connections happen in the most ordinary places.

Here are the spots where teacher friendships naturally bloom:

International school staff rooms during lunch breaks: Sharing complaints over lukewarm coffee is the oldest and most successful ice breaker since olden times. These daily interactions become the foundation for deeper connections.
Weekend expat teacher meetups turn into your social lifeline: You’ll find people who genuinely celebrate with you when you finally locate proper cheddar cheese at the local market. Before you know it, those gatherings turn into the highlight of your week.
Local cultural events like festivals and art shows: This is the perfect opportunity to explore your new country alongside other curious educators. Everyone’s learning about local customs simultaneously, which creates natural conversation starters and shared memories that bond you for years.
Language classes: Such an environment puts fellow strugglers alongside each other whilst trying to master basic conversations. The shared embarrassment of mispronouncing simple words creates instant camaraderie and plenty of laughs between lessons.
Living arrangements with other expat educators: Sharing flats or houses means figuring out mysterious appliances as a team. Everyday problems like splitting bills or understanding the heating system become shared victories that create the strongest connections of all.
Co-working spaces and libraries: Informal meeting spots can become the perfect place for lesson planning sessions that naturally evolve into coffee dates. You’ll find yourself discussing weekend adventure plans instead of worksheets, creating friendships beyond just work talk.
Grocery stores in expat-heavy neighbourhoods: These become unexpected networking goldmines where you’ll bond with fellow educators over hunting for familiar foods. Share insider tips about the best local markets and discover hidden gem restaurants together.
Professional development workshops: You’ll find instant conversation topics about teaching methods and classroom management at every session. Colleagues naturally connect whilst figuring out the quirks of local education systems together, creating bonds that extend beyond the workshop room.

Friendships do begin just like in the movies. With you comparing notes, which turns into planning weekend adventures. It’s not cliche, trust me. Before you know it, you’re texting each other photos of funny translation mistakes and celebrating each other’s visa approvals.

Also, Facebook groups for expat teachers in your city or town provide excellent starting points for finding community events and meet-up opportunities. Always remember, friendship opportunities exist in both professional and social settings once you know where to look for them.

Your First Month: Simple Ways to Connect With Fellow Teachers

Now that you know where to find your tribe, how about making those first connections without seeming desperate or awkward? Start with small, sincere gestures that feel natural to both you and your potential new friends.

Here are the most natural ways to start building your teaching community:

Offer to share resources during staff meetings: Everyone appreciates extra worksheets or creative lesson ideas. Sharing your materials shows you’re helpful and friendly, making colleagues more likely to start conversations and build friendships with you.
Join informal coffee meetups after school: Try a quick 10-15-minute chat that can spark lasting friendships. Even when you’re tired, showing up regularly helps people see you as someone who wants to connect with the teaching community.
Ask for local recommendations: There’s no harm in acting like a tourist when you’re learning about your new area. People love being helpful experts about grocery stores, weekend activities, and cool places around town, which starts real conversations.
Attend school social events: You don’t need to be super active, but showing up regularly matters more than being the life of the party. Coming to events shows you’re interested in being part of the community, even if you like quiet chats better.
Share classroom struggles or successes: Being honest creates real connections faster than small talk about the weather. When you share your teaching wins or problems, other teachers relate and tell you about their own experiences.

Even the smallest of gestures can lead to lasting friendships. Moreover, Research from the National Centre for Biotechnology Information shows that expatriate teachers who actively build social connections within their first month report significantly better mental health outcomes and job satisfaction throughout their overseas experience.

Whether you live in a big city or a small town, being open to new people and willing to introduce yourself makes all the difference. Of course, starting friendships is just the beginning of building your global teaching network.

Keeping Your Teaching Tribe Close Across Continents

Here’s the thing nobody warns you about: some of your teaching friends will eventually move, and maintaining those connections becomes a whole new challenge. The reality of international teaching means people are constantly relocating for new opportunities.

Follow these strategies to maintain your long-distance teaching friendships:

Schedule regular virtual coffee dates: Start with finding overlapping time zones and stick to monthly catch-ups that work for everyone’s schedule. Set recurring calendar invites so nobody forgets, and keep these conversations casual rather than formal updates.
Creating shared photo albums becomes the friendship lifeline: We recommend documenting teaching adventures and classroom moments so everyone stays connected to daily life. Various apps help support such arrangements much better (Try Google Photos, where you can make an album specifically for this activity, or Instagram works too).
Send care packages with local treats: Nothing says friendship like sharing unique snacks and small classroom supplies from different countries. How about adding handwritten notes (we used to post letters back in the days) about why each item was chosen and how the new location is treating the sender.
Annual reunion trips: Highlight the end of everyone’s year by choosing exciting destinations for a reunion. Don’t forget to consider budget-friendly locations that work for multiple visa situations. Also, start planning six months ahead to get the best deals.
Start collaborative projects: Another way of staying connected is through professional means while building something useful for careers. You are basically hitting two birds with one stone. So, what we recommend in this case is to work on shared lesson plans, teaching blogs, or resource exchanges, giving a reason to check in with each other regularly.
Celebrating career milestones virtually: Make birthdays, promotions, and new job announcements special with online parties and genuine excitement. Send surprise deliveries or coordinate group video calls that prove their achievements matter to the entire circle.

In the past year, many teachers have discovered that moving overseas doesn’t mean losing touch with their teaching community. Make regular contact feel effortless rather than forced, so relationships remain a source of joy rather than obligation.

This kind of intentional effort keeps global teaching friendships thriving for decades. Strong connections like this often lead to unexpected opportunities down the road.

Start Your Teaching Adventure: Building Connections That Last

Marcus sat alone in his Seoul apartment every weekend, feeling homesick after six months of teaching in South Korea. When he overheard two teachers complaining about bureaucratic nightmares, he jumped in with, “Oh my goodness, you’re dealing with that too?” That single moment led to his closest friendships abroad.

You can do it too! The connections you build today will shape your international career. Your new friends become your professional network, your support system during culture shock moments, and your adventure partners.

At Talesfromabarstool, we know firsthand how these friendships transform your entire experience. Share your story with our community of teachers who understand this adventure.

The friendships that will define your time abroad are waiting for you to make the first move.

Teaching Isn’t Always Glamorous: The Unfiltered Truth About Life Abroad

Posted on August 8, 2025August 8, 2025 by tfabs283

Picture yourself standing in a government office at 3 PM, holding forms you can’t read, while everyone speaks a language you barely understand. Welcome to teaching abroad, the real version.

We’ve all been there. After years of teaching in different countries, we’ve learned that the real story of teaching abroad is messier than anyone wants to admit. Sure, there are amazing moments. But there are also days when you feel completely lost and wonder what you’ve gotten yourself into.

That’s why we want to share the stuff nobody talks about in those shiny recruitment brochures.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

Language struggles nobody warns you about
When homesickness hits hardest
Paperwork that makes no sense
Feeling like an outsider in your new country

Ready to hear the real story? Let’s dig into what teaching abroad looks like.

The Allure vs. The Reality of Teaching Abroad

When we think about real-life teaching abroad, we picture ourselves sipping coffee in a charming café before strolling to our welcoming classroom. The reality? You’re more likely to be scrambling for lesson plans at midnight after a 12-hour workday.

The gap between expectation and reality hits hard, especially during those first few months when everything feels foreign and overwhelming.

Let’s break down what you signed up for versus what the brochures promised:

Beyond the Instagram Filters: Initial Expectations

Ever notice how every teaching abroad post shows perfectly organised classrooms and smiling students? Those photos don’t capture the same teacher who spent three hours trying to photocopy the worksheets for the students.

Also, the fantasy of an overseas job often overshadows the daily grind of marking papers until your eyes hurt. What’s worse is that social media creates this polished version of teaching abroad that doesn’t match with your reality. The truth is, those picture-perfect moments are rare compared to the everyday struggles you’ll face.

Unpacking the “Dream Job” Narrative

Real-life teaching abroad often includes doing admin work, organising school events, and sometimes even cleaning your own classroom. So that dream of just teaching and exploring on weekends? It gets buried under a pile of unexpected responsibilities. That initial excitement of living abroad quickly meets the reality of work demands.

The workload extends far past classroom hours, too. Most schools expect their teachers to wear multiple hats. You might find yourself staying late for mandatory meetings or weekend school festivals.

However, the real challenges start when you step outside the school gates and face the practical side of life in a new country.

Facing the Unexpected: Practical Hurdles

In a foreign setting, you’ll face challenges like visa renewals, confusing contracts, and surprise expenses that nobody warned you about. Language barriers and cultural differences make these already tricky situations feel impossible to handle. When you can’t read the fine print or understand what the bank officer is saying, every simple task becomes a puzzle you have to solve.

Let’s walk through the practical stuff that catches most teachers off guard:

Visa Headaches and Red Tape: Your visa for teaching abroad can be a total headache, as the process is different everywhere you go. For example, in Thailand, you need a criminal background check that’s less than 6 months old, but processing can take longer than that.
Hidden Costs: Think you budgeted enough? Think again. A new place costs a surprising amount to set up, so we suggest you plan your money carefully. You might buy a local phone plan or get internet installed, but every little thing requires cash you didn’t account for. What makes it trickier is that prices can vary wildly from what you researched online.
Understanding Legal and Contractual Complexities: Try reading a contract in a language you barely speak. That visa paperwork can feel never-ending, which means your move to a different country takes weeks longer than you planned. Also, some teaching jobs abroad come with less secure contracts that may leave you wondering about your job security. To avoid that kind of trouble later, you’ve got to do your homework.

Besides the paperwork and official requirements, you’ll face the daily reality of living and working in a completely different culture. Let’s see what awaits once you’ve settled in.

Daily Life and Communication in a New Culture

Culture shock often hits hardest when you’re facing the unfamiliar in daily interactions. Simple tasks like buying groceries or asking for directions become mental marathons. When you can’t speak the new language properly, even ordering coffee feels impossible.

Also, think about emergencies. Picture yourself at a hospital trying to explain your symptoms to a doctor who doesn’t speak English. The stress doubles when you can’t explain how your chest feels tight or describe the sharp pain in your side.

These communication struggles affect both your professional life and personal connections. Here’s how:

Adapting to Classroom Dynamics

Ever tried explaining a math problem when half your students speak a different dialect than you learned? For an expat teacher, handling children in a foreign classroom environment can be super draining because cultural expectations around discipline and respect vary a lot. What works in your home country might be completely inappropriate here.

You’ll need to learn the local rules for lessons, grading, and parents’ expectations. This means figuring out whether homework is sacred or optional, and how strict you should be about uniforms.

Common classroom challenges include:

Students respond differently to praise and criticism than you’re used to
Parent-teacher conferences become awkward without cultural context
Your teaching methods might clash with local educational traditions

Adam, a teacher working in Qatar, shared his experience with us. “At first, I thought my students didn’t care about the lesson,” he said. “They were so quiet and didn’t ask questions.” But a few days later, Adam realised that in their culture, students show respect by staying quiet and listening closely. Once he understood that, everything changed. He stopped worrying and started teaching in a way that worked better for them.

Overcoming Social Connection Barriers

Outside the classroom, daily life presents its own set of challenges. Making new friendships outside of other expats takes a lot of effort because most locals have established friend groups. Despite that, you need to dive into the local culture instead of hiding in expat bubbles.

Your local friends might help you avoid the common cultural mix-ups, such as:

Misinterpreting gestures or body language
Unintentionally being rude when greeting someone
Challenges with local food customs and dining norms

No matter how hard you try, these daily challenges create an emotional weight that builds up over time. So up next, we’ll share how to handle them early.

The Emotional Rollercoaster: Personal Adjustment Abroad

In a foreign country, where everything and everyone feels different from home, you feel lonely even in crowded places. Due to that constant unfamiliarity, your feelings will go up and down like crazy. One minute you’re excited about your new adventure, the next you’re crying over a simple text from your mum. This emotional whirlwind catches most teachers off guard.

Let’s break down the two biggest emotional challenges you’ll face in a new country:

Battling Homesickness and Loneliness

Remember that first week when everything felt like a holiday? After a few days, the initial excitement of living abroad fades away, and you find yourself missing your friends and family. Also, holidays become much harder when you’re celebrating Christmas alone, while everyone back home is together.

It’s normal to feel this way. Lots of expat teachers have a similar experience, especially during their first year. Based on our experience, building a local support system, like making new friends and having good relationships with colleagues, can keep your spirits up. The loneliness doesn’t vanish overnight, but it becomes manageable when you have people to grab coffee with on Sunday mornings.

Dealing with Identity and Belonging

Though it takes time and effort to feel like you truly belong in a foreign society, a new country can change who you are. You might find yourself braver about trying new foods, or surprisingly good at charades (thanks to all those language barrier moments).

When you finally embrace a new culture, you start seeing the world differently. You grow and pick up new skills that make you more confident and adaptable. The person you become abroad often surprises the person you were back home.

And if you return to your home after some years, you’ll find these personal changes stick with you for life. It’s amazing how some challenging experiences abroad can create long-term growth in our character!

Beyond the Chalkboard: Long-Term Growth

Now that you know the hardest parts of teaching abroad, let’s talk about the good stuff. In this section, we’ll show you the benefits you gain from it all. The struggles you face in a foreign country help you grow in ways that stick with you long after you return home.

When you teach abroad for a few years or even just a few months, the experience makes you more flexible and confident. Every day brings something unexpected. Maybe the power goes out during a lesson, or maybe none of your students speak the same language. But over time, you learn how to stay calm and handle it all.

These daily challenges help you become flexible. You’ll get better at adjusting to new schools, new classrooms, and new ways of doing things. Also, you start solving problems faster and coming up with creative ideas on the spot.

And these skills don’t only help in the classroom. Teaching abroad can lead to new job paths you might not have thought about before. Some teachers go on to work in international schools, become education consultants or pursue other jobs that value cross-cultural skills. Many employers love to hire people with global experience.

We even heard from one teacher in our community who started out in a regular classroom in Vietnam. After a few years, she became a curriculum specialist for an international education company. Her experience overseas helped her understand different cultures, and many companies wanted to hire her for that.

All these experiences build patience, flexibility, and communication skills that help you in any career. You might stay in education or try something new, but the confidence you gain from working abroad will stay with you everywhere.

Your Teaching Adventure Starts Here

Teaching abroad isn’t the picture-perfect Instagram story you see online. You’ll face visa headaches, language barriers, and moments when you question everything. But those challenges lead you to become someone stronger, more adaptable, and surprisingly resilient.

The homesickness fades, the cultural confusion becomes second nature, and before you know it, you’re doing things you never thought possible.

Every struggle we’ve shared here teaches you something that sticks with you for life. You develop patience, sharpen your problem-solving skills, and build confidence that becomes part of who you are.

Ready to share your own teaching abroad story? We’d love to hear about your experiences, the messy and real moments from your adventure. Drop us a line at talesfromabarstool.com and let’s add your voice to our community of storytellers.

Tips for Teaching in the UK

Posted on October 7, 2022August 14, 2023 by tfabs283

If you are a teacher and considering moving to the UK to teach, there are a few things you should consider before making the move. The UK education system is different than the USA, so you must understand how it works before making any decisions. In this blog post, we will discuss 10 tips for teaching in the UK that will help make your transition easier!

Be prepared for a more structured school system.

In the UK, the school system is more complex than the Australian system and much more centralized than the American system. There are four main types of schools in the UK: state schools, independent schools, special needs schools, and faith schools. Each type of school has its own admissions process and curriculum.

Consider the climate – it can be colder and wetter than in the USA!

The climate in the UK can be a shock for those coming from warmer climates. Most of the time the climate in the UK can be rainy and misty, and can even be heavily snowed in the wintertime. The average temperature in the UK is 51 degrees Fahrenheit, but it can feel much colder due to the high humidity. It is also important to note that the UK gets a lot of rain – so make sure you pack your raincoat!

Learn about British culture and customs before you arrive.

There are many differences between British and American cultures, so it is important to learn about them before you make the move. For example, in the UK people drive on the left side of the road and the electrical sockets are different. It is also considered impolite to speak loudly in public, and queuing (standing in line) is a national pastime.

Get familiar with the curriculum and expectations of your students.

The UK curriculum is different than the US curriculum, so you will need to familiarize yourself with it before teaching. In addition, the expectations of British students are different of American students. For example, British students are expected to be independent learners and to think critically about what they are taught.

Familiarize yourself with the teacher grading system and how to give marks out of 100%

The teacher grading system in the UK is different from the US system. Teachers typically give marks out of 100%, and these are then converted into letter grades. The A+ to G grade scale is as follows:

A+= 90-100%

A = 80-89%

B = 70-79%

C = 60-69%

D = 50-59%

E = 40-49%

F= 30-39%

G= 20-29%

To give marks out of 100%, you will need to convert the percentage grades that your students earn on assignments into whole number marks. For example, if a student earns 85% on an assignment, they would earn an A, which is worth 80 marks.

When giving marks out of 100%, it is important to consider the level of difficulty of the assignment and whether the student has met the expectations for the assignment. If you are unsure about how to convert percentage grades into marks, there are many resources available online that can help.

Join social media groups or teacher forums to ask questions and get advice from other teachers in the UK.

There are many teacher groups and forums on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, where you can ask questions and get advice from other teachers in the UK. These groups can be a great resource when you are first starting, as they can help you to feel more connected to the teaching community in the UK.

Pay Scale – How much do Teachers in the UK get paid

Teacher salaries in the UK are typically paid on a scale of £22,467 to £38,250 per year, as an Australian teacher you would earn around $37,371 a year. However, salaries will vary depending on your experience, location, understanding, and the type of school you teach in. For example, teachers in London typically earn more than teachers in other parts of the UK. Because of the high cost of living in London, many teachers choose to live outside of the city and commute.

What Age Groups should you Teach?

In the UK, you can teach any age group from early years (ages three to five) up to adults. The age group that you teach will depend on the type of school you work in and your qualifications. For example, if you want to teach in a primary school, you will need to be qualified to teach Early Years or Key Stage One (ages five to seven).

What Area of the Country to Teach in

As said before, the salary will vary depending on which area in the UK you teach in. London is the most expensive area to live in, so the salaries are higher. Whereas in other parts of the UK, the cost of living is lower, so the salaries will be too. It depends on your budget and where you want to live. If you are looking to save money, then you could look for teaching jobs in other parts of the UK.

Plan Weekends – Activities, Travel, Adventures!

Although you will be working during the week, you will have weekends free to explore the UK. There are many activities, travel, and adventures to be had in the UK. For example, you could visit historical sites like Stonehenge or Hadrian’s Wall, go hiking in the Scottish Highlands, or explore one of the many charming towns and villages. There is something for everyone in the UK, so make sure to plan your weekends accordingly!

Teaching in the UK can be different from teaching in the USA. Here are some tips to consider when making the transition: get familiar with the school system, curriculum, and expectations of your students; learn about British culture and customs; join teacher social media groups or forums. Good luck!

My Love Affair With Life In Dorset

Posted on November 25, 2016December 13, 2016 by tfabs283

Living in Dorset for three years has given me an exceptional gift. It’s the gift of life. I am truly blessed that I was given the opportunity to teach at a school there.

I have faced quite a few challenges. One of them is being away from my family and friends. It was so tough. I overcame the challenge through having an affair with my life in Dorset. Being alone made me realize how wonderful life is; the place where I am living is far-fetched from where I was born and lived for the longest time.

This experience has taught me to become at peace with myself and to be able to savor life. Yes, living each day as it passes by. I even became more appreciative of the people whom I always interacted with, and the gift of life that was bestowed upon me.

Living The Life In Cornwall

Posted on October 7, 2016December 13, 2016 by tfabs283

My fascination about life started way back when I was working overseas in Cornwall, UK. I can say that I fell in love with life so to speak. Who would have thought a teaching job can lead to self-awareness? I never did!

Who would not fall in love with Cornwall? The place is filled with sandy beaches, and harbour villages that left me in awe seeing all of them. The lifestyle here was total opposite of what I was used to. Here, I was able to take time; having “me” time was my favorite part. I never thought that a walk on the beach could be breathtaking and mesmerizing at the same time.

The experience has taught me to take time, savor the moment, and to see how my life slowly unfolded right in front of me. I even learned not to worry about the future, and what would happen. It led me to realize I need to accept things as they are. The future will take care of itself.

Plant good seeds. You reap what you sow. If you plant love, compassion, and kindness, you will reap much more in the future. This is what I am reaping years after my life in Cornwall.