Inés Oliver (A, 2016)

For most of my teen years, I hated school. Every day felt monotonous and uninspiring, and as my motivation waned, so did my grades. I needed a fresh start, and so with the support of my family, I made the difficult decision to move down a year and change schools. Cheltenham College stood out among the rest. I had never been to a school that was so active in finding out what sparked students’ interests and gave them the opportunities to follow them. I distinctly remember that on the way to select my A Level subjects, I met the Classics teacher. Feeling his enthusiasm for the subject, I was immediately inspired. I just had to learn about the subject that could make somebody so passionate, and so I did. My motivation and grades skyrocketed, and I soon found myself applying for universities that had never been in the realm of possibility.

My dream was to write a novel but, as I considered my career options, I pursued a diploma in Experimental Psychology at the University of Bristol. Then, to satisfy my writing itch, I achieved a BA in Creative Writing and Publishing at Bath Spa University. When I graduated, it was at the tail-end of Covid and jobs were scarce, so I floated between freelance jobs for six months. It led to some incredible online experiences, such as subtitling for films in California and writing scripts for an interactive story app in Singapore. But these jobs were only temporary, and I wanted a more stable solution.

Using the experience from my College-facilitated gap year teaching in Switzerland, I took part in a TEFL course and applied for the EPIK programme in South Korea. I was offered a job at a public high school in Daegu. I was a little nervous, as I’d hoped I’d be teaching in an elementary school in the capital, but a College friend had family there and reassured me that I’d love it.

Watching the South Korean National Football team play in the Seoul World Cup stadium.

Everyone always talks about Seoul, but tucked in the heart of the country, in a bowl surrounded by mountains, is a green, bustling city the size of Manchester. Many Koreans seem to shy away from Daegu during the warmer months, nicknaming it ‘Dae-Africa’ for its scorching 40-degree humidity.

At first, I only taught writing (16 regular classes a week and two after-school clubs). However, I am proud to say that my school became one of the first public schools in Korea to implement the IB program, and now I’m also a teacher of IB English B and the International Universities advisor. I was also recently awarded an iPGCE (International Postgraduate Certificate in Education) from the University of Sheffield, which has helped me succeed in these new roles.

Although I enjoy my job, there have also been challenges. I was very confused on my first day when students walked into my classroom with blankets, pillows and plush toys – due to the intense workload, many teachers allow them to take naps in class, which took a long time getting used to.

Inés (far right in the white fleece) with a class in mid-winter, when it was -25 degrees!

As a result, I have had to unleash my creativity to secure the attention of students. My students adore the Premier League, so I designed an interactive football quiz, which earned me the nickname ‘Sonny Teacher’ (after the football star, Son HeungMin) and resulted in students doing his celebration pose to me in the corridors for months. I even saw Sonny play in Seoul and joined a local club myself! As the only girl, I have to channel my inner Lioness and make sure I am top goal scorer!

My life in South Korea has been extraordinary and I can’t wait for what exciting experiences I’ll have next.

After a match with friends at the local football club.