When entering a teacher education program, most students envision a career in the classroom within their home community or locale they wish to reside in the future. But for a small proportion of Bachelor of Education students, they take their teaching ambitions abroad.

“I have had a passion for travel and adventure since I was a teenager. Having had the opportunity to engage and discuss with my peers and associate teachers that teaching internationally was a viable option for young ambitious educators, I was in,” said Asa Reynolds ’14 (Champlain College). 

Eager to teach after completing his Bachelor of Education degree a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Asa traveled to teach at the Singapore International School of Bangkok (SISB), an experience that shaped him personally and professionally.

Asa worked with over 500 students during his two years at SISB, helping build the speech and performing confidence of students learning English as a second or third language.

“SISB was a great environment to commence my teaching journey, as it provided me the freedom, and autonomy to chart my own path, and solidify my belief in myself as an educator. I observed and adopted a wide repertoire of classroom management strategies from senior teachers at the school that helped shape my teaching identity,” said Asa.  

Putting theory into practice

As a History and Drama major, Asa notes that his time at Trent and placement experiences in Ontario classrooms were invaluable to his success in Singapore.  

“I had the opportunity to develop my own drama curriculum based on the established Ontario, UK and Singapore curriculums. This opportunity provided me a chance to directly apply the core elements and strategies I had learned in Dr. Luigi Iannacci’s Drama pedagogy class, and test-run what practices worked best with my teaching style. I now have a comprehensive primary drama program for grades 1-6 that I can use to inform my methods in future schools and positions.”

For Asa, the experience was so much more than just a job. It immersed him in a completely new culture, with new people, and new opportunities to explore the world, travel and make life-long memories. 

So, where to next?

“South America,” says Asa.