For those with the urge to travel and explore new cultures on a deeper level, few experiences can match teaching English in foreign countries. Accountant Suzanne Paquette was looking for a little educational adventure and found the jumping off point with the Selkirk College TESOL Program.
In early-January, Suzanne Paquette found herself standing nervously in front of a Grade 9 class of Spanish speaking students in Central Mexico. An alumna of Selkirk College's Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program, the 54-year-old Christina Lake resident had to muster the courage to teach the first class at her new school.
"It was frightening as anything I've done, but it was incredible," says Paquette. "The first few days I questioned my sanity, like why am I doing this at my age? My husband hadn't joined me yet, so I was in a strange city, in a foreign country where I speak very little Spanish. This was a new field for me, so everything was anxiety-producing. But I knew it was the challenge that I wanted."
The first day of her three-month practicum at Colegio Aranzazu in the city of San Luis Potosi was the product of what many people grapple with when they eclipse the magical age of 50. With 30 years worth of experience in the finance industry and both her kids old enough to fully spread their wings, it was time for a change.
"I love what I do and I still love it because I do contract work," says Paquette, a chartered professional accountant. "But it was time to make a change and we wanted to do it while we still have our health. You have to do it while you still can and while you still have options."
Careful Planning, Perfect Execution
Exploring a new career in teaching English in other countries wasn't a snap decision. When discussions of their future started ten years ago, Paquette's husband Mark decided to leave his career in the automotive industry and return to Selkirk College's Professional Cook Training Program on Nelson's Tenth Street Campus to build portable skills that would enable the couple to have options for travel and work.
Two years ago, Paquette was working at Kootenay Savings when a colleague who taught English in China for nine years started telling her about his experiences. With a degree in Psychology from the University of Calgary earned right after high school and her certification in accounting acquired while working and raising children, Paquette's thirst for learning is deeply embedded. Inspired by her colleague's stories, Paquette turned to Selkirk College for the next chapter of her learning.
"We've had a very good life, we are fortunate to have been born in Canada and have had the opportunities we've had," Paquette explains. "We've been lucky and worked hard to get to this point in our lives. We felt like we were at point where we want to give back and because we love to travel, it fit."
In 2016, the couple sold their Castlegar house and moved to their Christina Lake property full time. Paquette enrolled in the four-month TESOL Program on the Castlegar Campus and started her journey into teaching English.
The Selkirk College TESOL Advanced Diploma Program is for those interested in teaching English as a second or foreign language either domestically or internationally. Classes are offered in one intense semester of study, during which time learners gain both theoretical and practical knowledge in teaching language. Upon completion, students are eligible for TESL Canada Professional Certification.
"It's just an excellent program, I can't say enough good about it," says Paquette. "The instructors are amazing and the fact that Selkirk College itself has such a vibrant and strong international student population is hugely beneficial. You get to do your practicums and observation right in those classrooms."
Paquette admits that it wasn't easy returning to the classroom as a mature student in such an intense program. The supports for all students at Selkirk College combined with an eclectic cohort model in the TESOL Program made it possible to combat all challenges she faced.
"I had to remind myself that even though I was coming in as a mature student and I have had more life experience, the 20-year-old in my class still had things that they could teach me," says Paquette. "That helped because you learn a lot from your classmates."
Mexico Provides Fuel for Passion
Paquette's practicum in San Luis Potosi was arranged through her program advisors. The school she taught at is a private school run by a family whose two daughters attended Selkirk College 15 years ago. During her three months, she taught more than 170 students in Grade 7 to 9.
"I saw improvement in students over the three months, both in the stronger students and the ones who were having a harder time," she says. "By the end of my time, students came up to me to thank me because their understanding and pronunciation had improved so much. For the selfish part of me, that was the experience and results that I wanted."
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