Life in NC - Teacher from Scotland! (Charlotte, Raleigh: employment, primary school)

[JRodgers13]

Hi there,

I'm a male twenty two year old Primary School Teacher (Elementary) from Scotland. I've been looking at international job opportunities and I've seen one in North Carolina that I'm beginning to become interested in applying for. I'd be leaving Scotland on my own and moving out there. Just wanted to know what life maybe like and what to expect. It sounds childish but I'm worried about all the usual stuff as we'll i.e making friends etc

Any stories you'd like to share or any insights into life in NC would be very much appreciated folks!

Thanks

James

[theoldnorthstate]

They will think you are so charming and love your accent.

Thing is, NC has a strong history of Scots living here starting with the Scots who came here in the 1700s from Ireland; those who came after multiple attempts to put James back on the throne; those from the highland clearances, and even Flora MacDonald herself.


That being said, it all depends upon where you are going as to what you can encounter. But folks will be friendly and welcoming. If you are in a small town you may encounter the same small town new person woes as anyone. But with time, you will learn your way around.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy your time here.

[roadpony]

I agree with the above post, but I'd also add that North Carolina is a large, diverse state. Life in a small eastern NC town is vastly different from a city in the Piedmont (central part of NC). In order for us to be helpful, we'd need to know where the job opening is located.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by JRodgers13

Just wanted to know what life maybe like and what to expect. It sounds childish but I'm worried about all the usual stuff as we'll i.e making friends etc

Any stories you'd like to share or any insights into life in NC would be very much appreciated folks!

One generalization about life in NC small towns is that people will take religion and church-going more seriously than you are probably used to. Many stores and business are closed on Sunday, but you can usually find a place to get a drink!

[Sue at the Rock]

Where is the job?

[RaleighLass]

If you are looking at the city of Charlotte or cities of Raleigh and Durham, you will have nothing to worry about as they have residents from all over the world. We have loads of folks here from the UK as well. These areas are very welcoming of folks from all over.
The big challenge for you is getting a work visa. Hopefully it will be not so difficult for a teacher. You will need to get sponsored by your employer.

Life for you here would all depend on where you live. But I will say the weather is amazing compared to the UK. Beaches here are beautiful, and the mountains are covered in trees and beautiful, with skiing available. If not in one of the above areas, then it could be quite different in a small town. You first need to share with us where you are thinking of moving.

[BullGoodBearBad]

Where's the job at? I don't think you'll have a problem. Many people here love those from the UK. An English kid pledged my fraternity in college and everyone loved him. Growing up we even had a Scottish guy him over for Thanksgiving (work friend of parents)one year because he liked the holiday but didn't have any family over here. Very cool dude.

[LLN]

NC is a great place. Especially the places outside, well outside, Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro. We have 100 counties, most people think of NC as the big cities. Most North Carolinians think of them as Mars, or Pluto.

I would NOT COME TO NC TO TEACH. Education in NC is a disaster. The good ol boys that run things know nothing about education, other than, back in the day, we worked on paper and turned in our homework. They are totally out of touch, I would argue criminally out of touch with the modern classroom, the makeup of the modern classroom, modern teaching technology, the impact of test after test after test, and finally, no sense of the economic concepts or marginal utility or opportunity costs. In other words, they see education as it was back in the day. Very homogenous classes, no need for discipline, and very rote learning. No one had disabilities, they were in the special ed classroom, and anyone that did not toe the line, was dealt with.

As a result, we do lots of things, but do them poorly. Teachers and "only teachers" and don't get paid very much, the Legislature adopts the most pathetic things, Our teacher eval is like 28 pages, and the instruction book is over 50, as one teeny tiny example.

So, if you are coming here to teach, Don't, if you are coming here to experience NC, then do, but go to the smaller areas. We are not so backward that we have not heard the foreign accent, but you would be a big deal in a small berg.

To sum it up, a guy I know, who is in the know education wise, stated recently that from what he has seen, now that he is "big time", that "public education is going the way of public housing." That is not a compliment!

I lived in Hampstead (London, NW3) while in US Navy about four years, and spent a couple of weeks at the Tweed Valley Inn near Walkerburn, catching your wonderful salmon on the fly. The name is something different, now.

Hope you make it, just hope you don't plan on teaching.

[Dan_in_DC]

LLN has made some quite valid criticisms of North Carolina's educational system in general:

Originally Posted by LLN

... I would NOT COME TO NC TO TEACH. Education in NC is a disaster. The good ol boys that run things know nothing about education, other than, back in the day, we worked on paper and turned in our homework. They are totally out of touch, I would argue criminally out of touch with the modern classroom, the makeup of the modern classroom, modern teaching technology, the impact of test after test after test, and finally, no sense of the economic concepts or marginal utility or opportunity costs. In other words, they see education as it was back in the day. Very homogenous classes, no need for discipline, and very rote learning. No one had disabilities, they were in the special ed classroom, and anyone that did not toe the line, was dealt with. ...

However, despite all those negatives statements (and yes, unfortunately most of LLN's comments are really true), IF you're still contemplating coming to NC to teach, and IF you have already been offered a position, then maybe teaching in NC would be an excellent career path for you.

Here are some of the reasons:

A. Good teachers are seriously needed in many areas of NC today;

B. Adjusting to a new community would most likely be a valuable educational experience for you;

C. If it should turn out that you really hate teaching in the community you've chosen, at least you will have acquired valuable teaching experience in your chosen field that could lead you into a "better" teaching opportunity in another school system that might be more appealing to you.

But please DON'T ever jump into any new, unknown environment without checking it out carefully.

Keep checking back on this Forum, and try to make your questions as specific as possible. Many of us here will be happy to provide whatever guidance you may need, to the best of our abilities.

Additionally, you will want to contact the local government in any area where you may be offered employment (it's as easy as making a few phone call). Ask a lot of questions, take good notes, and make your decisions accordingly.

If you don't already have a VOIP phone system that will let you make unlimited calls to most of the world for a flat monthly rate via your high speed Internet connection, I would suggest getting one. The modem travels with you and plugs into any Internet connection, thereby connecting you in 3 minutes to the same phone number you always use, regardless of wherever you may actually happen to be physically at that given moment.

We have been using Lingo for 8 or 9 years now <www [dot] lingo [dot] com> and love it. CAUTION: While VOIP systems work very well with cable or DSL systems, they do NOT work well with satellite dish systems.

Best of luck as you prepare to enter your chosen profession,
Dan