Oftentimes new teachers come from nearby schools, but new math teacher Adam Riddell jumped continents.
Riddell initially pursued a career in business logistics but eventually realized he wanted to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives, so he instead decided to become a teacher.
”I heard a motivational speaker,” Riddell said. “He said the secret to happiness in life: find something you love to do and do it well enough to have someone pay you to do it.”
After teaching in the US for years, Riddell’s wife was presented with the opportunity to work overseas. Riddell was hesitant at first but accepted the change.
For their first two years of living in London, Riddell was a stay at home dad. Then he took a teaching job at an international school in London.
“The international school taught a different curriculum but luckily math is math,” Riddell said.
The curriculum was not the only aspect of his teaching that was different, the students came from different backgrounds and cultures than students Riddell had taught before. They also had to learn how to understand each other in the classroom.
“We all got to work with each other, and learn to coexist, which is how the bigger world is” Riddell said.
Riddell’s highlight of teaching overseas was International Night. Students contributed by sharing their culture with the rest of the school.
“All these families cooked food from their own country that they wanted to share with everybody,” Riddell said. “It was amazing.”
Not only did Riddell get the chance to teach overseas, he was also given the opportunity to explore new and exciting places. During his time in Europe, Riddell visited twenty different countries, each offering its own unique culture and experiences.
In addition to differing cultures, language sometimes presented to be a barrier while traveling.
“It was frustrating at times but you realize that English is not everyone’s first language,” Riddell said. ” You have to adapt to other cultures.”
