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Reach To Teach - Reviews and Teaching Opportunities Abroad
As any ESL Teacher can tell you, finding a good teaching job abroad can be difficult. Similarly, a lot of ESL schools feel that finding a good teacher is equally difficult. This is where we at Reach To Teach come in. Our motto is matching great teachers with great schools.
There are a lot of ESL jobs available abroad, however it can be difficult to find one which matches your wants and needs. Reach To Teach is here to help. We carefully screen all our schools to ensure our teachers know as much as possible about their school and the contract they will be signing. You can feel comfortable and confident moving overseas knowing what your job will be like.
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Country: Georgia
Post date: 04/13/2012
Ratings and Reviews
60 of 118 people found this review helpful
My Taiwan experience
100%Overall
Rating
58 of 120 people found this review helpful
Reach to Teach...in Taiwan
60%Overall
Rating
Reach to Teach did a great job during recruitment, and really made us feel comfortable about picking up and moving to China. They did pick a great location based on the preferences we had communicated. However, we did end up in a very isolated location, at a school that basically left us to our own devices and offered very little support. We didn't rely on Reach to Teach as much as we should have, but it seemed that their presence was really much greater in Taiwan. All the Reach to Teach events happened in Taiwan, which, at least as of '08-'09, wasn't the easiest place to get to from the mainland. Anyway, I think Reach to Teach as an organization was great, but our experience was tainted by our (naive) preconceived notions of what we thought we would like (small town, away from big cities and pollution). And while that would have been great for someone who knew a bit of mandarin and enjoys isolation, we knew no mandorin, and there was really nobody around who spoke English, thus, no social life whatsoever. It was also very difficult to leave our town for the nearest city with any kind of expat presence. I would definitely recommend Reach to Teach, especially if you have interest in Taiwan, but otherwise, stick to the big cities (we loved Hangzhou, and visited as often as possible).
50 of 102 people found this review helpful
Reach to Teach Service Review
100%Overall
Rating
My experience in China has been unforgettable. There were times throughout my time here that I wanted to pack my bags and run back home. Then one of my students would speak a perfect sentence to me in English and the world became right again.
What can I say about China. The food was delicious and sometimes questionable. All in all, every bite was an experience waiting to happen. I remember once a month taking a trip to the bank and how a 20 minute transaction always ran for an hour and a half.
Walking out of my apartment, I can hear my neighbor gasping at the sight of me, hauling in a long breath and letting out a piercing scream...after the second time, it wasn't funny anymore. However, she taught me to be aware that I was different, an as an African-American, whenever I stepped out of my apartment, I was a lesson to be learned for some people.
I enjoyed my time here immensely. I made life-long friends and will leave with the satisfaction that I had somehow touched someone's life clear across this vast world.
88 of 169 people found this review helpful
Reach to Teach Made Getting to Korea Worry-free
90%Overall
Rating
I had only been to Asia once (China) when I applied to teach in South Korea. Reach to Teach made the entire process as simple as possible. From the interview to purchasing my departure ticket (and lots of visa help in between) RTT was there for me anytime I needed help. Its hard to imagine I would have gotten to Korea in one piece without their help. They also had some great social events for teachers in Seoul that made it easier to make new friends.
88 of 171 people found this review helpful
Reach to Teach
70%Overall
Rating
Since Reach to Teach is a recruiter and not a Hogwon itself, it's hard to rate things like social life or facilities since those aspects have more to do with the school than with the recruiter itself. The Reach to Teach staff was incredibly helpful in the application/visa/hiring process. They secured me a decent salary considering I hadn't taught before. I found them professional and available throughout. Once in Seoul, I didn't have a lot of contact with them, but I also didn't really try to. They do hold events around town occasionally.
72 of 154 people found this review helpful
Loving Living and Teaching in South Korea
100%Overall
Rating
Life in Korea is fantastic. It is also similar to my expectations as my recruiter, Reach to Teach gave an honest, open account of what life may be like teaching in Korea. The fact that Reach to Teach prepared you for ups and downs, culture shock and different teaching situations made settling in much easier. Throughout the recruitment process I felt that all my questions were answered and I was kep up to date on the progress of my application. Upon arrival in Korea is was lovely to be met by a smiling Reach to Teach face and have follow up emails to check everything was ok a few weeks down the line. I highly recommend teaching in Korea and using Reach to Teach to get you here.
34 of 75 people found this review helpful
Life in Korea Through Reach to Teach
70%Overall
Rating
I found Reach to Teach to be a very professional and honest company staffed with people who really did care about their teachers and their experiences. At the time, most of their focus was on Taiwan, so their information on their website about Korea was very light, but I'm glad to see that has changed over the last couple of years. Likewise, there weren't as many get-togethers, but I didn't mind. Reach to Teach was able to set things up so nicely that it gave me the confidence to branch out and enjoy my Korean experience on my own. What I really loved was that before I came to Korea, I felt like I could really talk to my recruiter if I needed anything. I had a tragedy in my family shortly before I was to leave the United States, and I requested to delay my departure. My recruiter was so understanding, and let me have a couple of months to settle things. "Your job is waiting for you," he said. "Let us know when you are ready." I knew I was involved with truly good people when I got involved with Reach to Teach, and they seem to be growing, which is always a good thing!
10 of 26 people found this review helpful
Going on 3 months in Korea with no complaints
90%Overall
Rating
While placements and work experiences vary from individual to individual, I can say that I personally could not be happier with how my situation turned out here in Korea. I have a nice apartment, friendly co-teachers and Korean co-workers, and have found a great group of friends here. Reach to Teach does a great job of preparing their recruits for coming to Korea, as well as keeping in contact with them should they need any sort of assistance. I have no complaints about the organization, nor do I have any complaints about the position I obtained through applying with them.
15 of 26 people found this review helpful
Great program!
100%Overall
Rating
The first couple of days in Korea were, admittedly, stressful and confusing, but I imagine that's how it would be for any country a foreigner moved to. It has been a few months now, and I can say with complete honesty that I am happy and having fun. Teaching can be hard, and it does take a significant amount of energy to keep up with the kids, but it is absolutely the most rewarding job I've ever had (this coming from someone who is used to 9-5 salaried jobs). So, while the weeks can be challenging, they fly by.
The hardest part of my experience so far was the Visa process. My recruiter warned me that it might be a "get your Visa one day and get on the plane the next" sort of deal, and I didn't believe him. He was right, though, and actually I had to get my Visa the same day as my flight to Korea! I was confused and frustrated at why the process was so last minute and mysterious, but every teacher who I have met in Korea has had a similar experience. It's not the recruiter, it's just the way the country does things. Regardless, I am happy to be here and wouldn't trade this experience for anything. Plus, my co-teachers (both foreign and Korean) are simply amazing and I love coming to work every day with them.
Also, I am a vegetarian. Being a vegetarian in Korea is like moving to Nashville because you hate country music. There is meat in everything. So, I do a lot of cooking at home. It can be hard at times but being a vegetarian is definitely doable, and I am happy and healthy.
Another note, I am a work-out fanatic, and it was hard for me to find a gym. When I finally did join a gym, I was surprised at the, err, differences in gym quality. Yes, there are treadmills and yes there are bikes and weights, but they are very, very old. A Korean friend told me that working out in gyms is not as big of a deal in Korea as it is in the USA or the UK. I'm grateful to have found a gym at all, even if it isn't the same as back home.
Come to Korea! It will change your life!!
12 of 28 people found this review helpful
safety rating
100%Overall
Rating
The only reason I gave the safety review a six is because of the lack of traffic enforcement laws in South Korea. I honestly feel like I am playing roulette with my life every time I get on a bicycle or attempt to use a crosswalk. Remember the game FROGGER on Atari... probably not; I feel like the frog.
As far as day-to-day life in Korea, it is great. I was blessed with an amazing placement, a great school, awesome co-teachers (7 of them), and a good place to live. I was placed in Sangju; a bit rural, but perfect for me. I am huge into supporting the local economy, so I buy all of my fruits and vegetables at the marvelous farmers market held every five days; only five minutes from my house.
The transit system (train and bus) was fairly easy to figure out, but we did have the help of some other great EPIK veterans.
The most suprising thing so far has been the incredible community of foreigners (waygooks) in Sangju. When I originally started reading reviews and what not while applying through Reach to Teach (amazing recruiting agency. Attention: John Kellenberger ( ; ) I thought maybe there would be 5 to 10 other foreign teachers in the city I would be placed in. I was wrong. Try at least thirty. Great support group. We have set up our own Sangju facebook page which is an amazing resource. It is an invaluable resource for everything from how to understand the washing machine controls to just getting a group dinner together or answering questions about schools or lesson planning.
I have only been in Korea for about two and a half months, but must say it was a great decision. None of this would have been possible without the thorough guidance of Reach to Teach. I have already recommended them to others on blogs who are thinking about teaching English overseas, and will continue to do so.
Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or needs.
Thank you again for your guidance Reach to Teach and Mr. John Kellenberger. Have a great dye.
Jesse cox
2jessecox@gmail.com
I taught in Taiwan for just over a year after I graduated. It was an amazing experience that I would not change for anything! Taiwan is a great country with friendly people and is great to live in. It is so easy to travel around the island and to other countries.
RTT ( Mitch Gordon) was very helpful in accommodating our needs.My husband and I both needed a job and had lots of requests ;-) But RTT made it happen and placed us at a school (Uncle Sam American School) in Sanxia, just outside Taipei. RTT was very efficient and before we knew it we were on a plane. RTT also helps you to meet other people by hosting social events and we have made lifelong friends over there.
We had about 7 foreign teachers at our school.I taught the little ones ( 2-3 year)and just LOVED it. It is great to see them grow and learn. It is not always easy, but you learn how to deal with the issues and our Chinese teachers were very helpful. After kinder garden we taught the elementary school kids. This was a bit more challenging because I did not study to be a teacher and you need to know how to handle some kids, but like I said you learn quickly and there are lots of ways to get nice tips;-) For me it was important to keep it highly energized, the kids love to learn via games. You get training for the first week or two and then you are on your own with lesson plans and the actual teaching, but luckily you always have a Chinese teacher in the class to help you out.
Living in Taiwan is a great experience. You can earn a lot and the living costs are really not high.
I would recommend teaching in Taiwan and using RTT to anyone.
Enjoy
Alida