Turns Out Being A Gringo Is A Marketable Skill

Over the last nearly six years I have had several people mention to me: “Why do you not teach English?” I never took it seriously. It was not until recently, sitting at brunch with Max, drinking some of that fire Colombian coffee and staring at the sign for an English academy across the street, that I actually considered it a viable path. I thought to myself: why not? What is the worst that could happen?

Why Now

I used Gemini to research which certifications would be the best to get started with and could be used anywhere in the world. I settled on the TEFL Org and their online certification. Then, a few days later, a neighbor was talking to me while our dogs played and she asked if I teach English because she and her daughter wanted to improve theirs. Life can be pretty funny like that.

I am only a third of the way through the TEFL course and I already have three students.

The Math

The peso has been doing the best it has since I first moved here, which means paying in dollars has gotten more expensive. My rent hovers around $500-550 USD a month, which my VA disability covers. My total expenses hover around $1,400-1,600 USD a month. Do not ask how much of that is Max.

If I could get to where teaching English brought in the same amount monthly as my disability check, I would be more than happy about that.

The Real Talk

The plan right now is not to pivot completely out of tech. The idea is a side gig, supplemental income, something I can do anywhere in the world. If Colombia is no longer home one day, the income stream comes with me. And if this ends up being something I genuinely enjoy and it grows to the point where it could viably replace my developer income, then yeah, I would make that jump.

With the state of the tech industry and my own burnout, this has been a welcomed shift in mental energy. I have also rediscovered just how stupid the English language is. My Spanish is a hot mess and it is still an easier language to learn.

Wrap Up

I am a third of the way through the cert, already have three students, and more interest than I expected. Somewhere back in the States my high school English teacher Ms. Scoffield is reading this and laughing hysterically that this class clown is teaching English. Being a gringo, as it turns out, has its uses.