Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Morris.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Erin. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In 2008, the economy crashed. I was in the middle of finishing my MBA at the young age of 23, less than a year after attaining my undergraduate degree in International Studies. When I graduated, I hit the double-edged sword of being overqualified because of the master’s, but underqualified due to my lack of professional experience. After taking a job as an assistant to an oral surgeon for just over a half a year, China called and offered me a job in my field of study – a rare opportunity at that time. Three weeks after the interview, I was in Beijing. I was working for a medical device company doing everything that had to do with English. I cherished my time in China and I know now that it helped shape the person I am today, but I needed to make a change. The cultural differences were wearing on me, and the job was no longer growing me in a way that I felt matched my personal goals/value system. I returned back to San Diego for three weeks and was offered a job as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) through a sister-city program between Chula Vista and Odawara, Japan. Flying back over the Pacific Ocean, I embarked on one of the greatest adventures of my life. What was supposed to be a one-year opportunity to teach English and figure out what I wanted to do with my life, turned out to be an unexpected path to finding my greatest passion. From there, I climbed the ladder from being a co-teacher to having my own classroom and within two years, I was teaching at universities in Tokyo. Fast forward seven and a half years later, and I have just begun a new journey in Bangkok, Thailand, working for an International School teaching Global Perspectives and History.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As we all know, any road to success is paved with great experiences. With that also comes equally great obstacles, setbacks, and more. Although I come home to San Diego at least once a year, I have spent the greater part of my professional and adult life in Asia. I have lived in places that have had cultural practices that have been the complete opposite of everything I had ever known. Food, greetings, the way I clink a glass during a toast, to even the simplest forms of communication. It was all different. Going through that essentially alone was difficult. Of course, Skype, Line, and Whatsapp have allowed me to keep in touch with friends and family easily, but with a 16-17 hour time difference, it was sometimes tough.
Over the years, I experienced bullying and various types of harassment in the workplace. This came from both my Asian co-workers and also foreign men who knew they could get away with it in Japan’s ever thriving glass ceiling culture. There were a lot of times that it was difficult, sometimes even unbearable, but I persevered with the help of a few kind souls.
There will always be bad people, horrible workplaces, difficult/inappropriate coworkers, etc. whether you commute down the street or travel halfway around the world. With that being said, it is fiercely true that most people in this world are kind. I have been extremely lucky to have met wonderful life long friends in each of the places I have visited/lived. Because of them, I was able to find some truly remarkable places to work, make unforgettable memories, and feel supported at all stages of this journey.
My advice to young women starting out their journeys and what I would have told my younger self is: Do as much research as humanly possible on the path/company you are looking into. The better prepared you are, whether it be on learning about a culture, or learning what makes your company tick, the less headache you risk putting yourself through later. That, and always have enough money in the bank to walk out of a job if you need to. There have been a few times in my life that I stayed at a job much longer than I should have because I didn’t plan the financial means to have an out. No one will protect you or have your best interests at heart like you will.
Please tell us about your work.
In the past, I have taught English to students from elementary level to professionals in the workplace. After accepting an amazing job at the Kanda Institute of Foreign Languages, amongst teaching English Speaking, Reading, Writing and Listening, I also taught Public Speaking to college students. During that time, I had the opportunity to create, manage and teach my own course on North American Culture as well. I’ve given multiple presentations on Inspiring Students to Write in the Classroom, Student Motivation, Useful Apps and Technology, and Teaching Culture in the Classroom at education conferences around Japan. I ended my journey in Tokyo by working at one of my dream jobs. New York University – Tokyo Campus. From now, I am learning to conqueror the British curriculum, as I start a new journey at an International School in Thailand.
One thing that sets me apart, is that I have used my off time to travel as much as I possibly can. Over the years, I have traveled to 36, soon to be 37 different countries so far. I have lived on three different continents and I continue to maintain friendships all over the world. I try to channel all of that into my lessons. I want to expose my students to as much as I possibly can in order to expand their knowledge and give them the biggest opportunity possible to be successful in life. My goal as a teacher is to not only cultivate good students but also well-rounded individuals who are ready to take on this world.
Something that has stayed with me over the years, long before I started this journey of living abroad, has always been my passion for photography and writing. I take hundreds to thousands of photos every time I travel, and I’ve maintained a diverse portfolio of photos on Instagram. In the near future, I am planning some collaborations and will continue to develop this craft into a website, blog and perhaps even a book.
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well-positioned for?
There is a tremendous amount of opportunity for women looking to teach abroad. This would be an especially great field to look into if you were considering work that would allow you to travel the world as well. Getting the necessary qualifications, such as a Master’s in TESOL, to work at an international school in Asia can offer a pretty lucrative salary with a very low cost of living in return. This does, of course, depend on the country you choose to live in and the average cost of living in that country. Japan, for example, has an exponentially higher cost of living than Thailand, so research is paramount.
In addition to this, there are usually lower numbers of women teaching abroad for an extended period of time. No matter what level of experience you are at, if you are a woman, you are always in high demand in the education field. This also helps position women to climb to higher positions more easily given you have the educational background and experience.
Contact Info:
- Email: erin.morris5@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinmorris5/
- Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/Erin-Morris-467649306924256/?business_id=395512110957932&ref=bookmarks
Image Credit:
Erin Morris
Suggest a story: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
