Ah January! The grey skies, looming exam season and ever-present Ofsted dread can start to hit hard. 

And that means many of us will be dreaming of packing it all in and moving to sunnier climes.  

With the increasing demand for “British-style” education in places promising sunshine, beaches, paid accommodation and a tax-free salary, who can blame more and more teachers for making this dream a reality?

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But what happens to those teachers once the novelty wears off and the day-to-day reality of teaching in another country starts to kick in? 

It’s usually around the three- to six-month mark that the culture shock hits.  But rather than simply giving up and coming back home, tanned but chastised, there are ways to mitigate this. 

How to handle teaching abroad

Expect the shock 

We call it culture shock, but it doesn’t have to take us by surprise. It is a normal process to go through. Think of it like a honeymoon period that essentially feels like an extended holiday, which eventually wears off, and can make you feel disillusioned and negative in the process. After a while, this feeling will pass, and your new country will feel more like “home”.

Do your research 

Before you board the plane, it is helpful to try to understand some background about your adopted home. A little of the local language can go a long way even if it is a country where English is widely spoken.

Make your accommodation feel like home

The chances are you have moved into either a school-provided or rented property. If you have shipped your belongings, you may still be waiting for them to arrive. Take the time to personalise your surroundings and add your own touches.  

Plan ahead when packing. Depending where you are moving to, you may find it hard to source basics such as tea, over-the-counter prescription medicines and shoes in your size.  

Ask returning colleagues for help

They’ve already been through the settling in process and will surely have tips for you, from simple things like helping you to sort a local sim card, shopping advice and knowing the best places to go for food.

Find the positives

What are the unique and interesting aspects of your host culture? When I moved to Romania, I found one easy way to experience the culture was via the food. 

By enjoying local delicacies such as sarmale (pork stuffed cabbaged rolls), zacusca (an aubergine and pepper dip) and horinca (a very strong home-brewed plum brandy), I was able to begin to adjust to a complex and fascinating culture.

Connect with home

Whether this means booking flights back for a holiday or video-calling your nearest and dearest, it is comforting to remind yourself that “home” is still there and has probably changed very little since you left.  After our first term abroad, my husband and I went back to the UK for the Christmas holidays.  

It was lovely to go back and enjoy the things we missed (real ale! Pasties! Salt and vinegar crisps!) but on returning to Bucharest we found that we had missed our new home and were glad to get back to life there.

Explore your new country 

There will be so many hidden gems that you will have the time to discover. You’ll get to know the country in much more depth than you could on a short holiday. 

One year we decided to keep our travel within Romania and experienced beautiful beaches, stunning mountains and excellent cultural sights.

Natasha Skinner is a teacher of social sciences at the British School of Bucharest, Romania