A Global Perspective: Rainier Lee’s International Teaching Journey 


| by Alex Skov

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Many educators know from an early age they want to become teachers. But Rainier Lee’s journey into education was more of a personal evolution — a pathway shaped by his background in cultural anthropology, a love for travel, and a strong desire to experience life abroad.

Today, Rainier — a Moreland University graduate — teaches at an international school in the Netherlands while also serving as the head of the social studies department and director for the Model United Nations, guiding students from diverse backgrounds through the complexities of global diplomacy.

“I really wanted to go abroad and grasp what it’s like to live in another country, to learn another language and so forth,” Rainier said. “I feel like [teaching abroad] is the most perfect example of that and gives me the most opportunity because each day I learn something new.”

Discovering a Passion for Teaching 

Rainier knows that his path to teaching wasn’t conventional.

“I was never that person that said I have a calling to become a teacher,” he noted.

It took a trip halfway around the world for Rainier to realize that he wanted to pursue a career in education, and to fully embrace the idea.

“Starting out as a hagwon English teacher in South Korea, that’s where I really fell in love with teaching,” he said.

Hagwons are private education institutions that often allow native English speakers to teach the language without a formal certification. This low barrier of entry can provide a small taste of teaching for those who might be interested in pursuing it full-time, while also providing the experience of living abroad and being able to travel easily. For Rainier, it was in the hagwon classroom where he discovered his true passion.

“I realized, wow, I don’t want to just live abroad as an international teacher; I want to enjoy the profession,” Rainier recalled, “and I want to get better at it.”

With a newfound desire to explore international teaching as a full-time career, Rainier knew he would also need the right credentials — specifically, a U.S. teaching certification.

That’s when he found Moreland University.

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A U.S. Teaching Certification for a Global Classroom 

“What drove me to become an International School teacher in the Netherlands was actually the Moreland program,” Rainier said.

A U.S. teaching certification can be a differentiator for international educators, and many top-tier schools in other countries prioritize hiring teachers who are certified in the U.S. After completing Moreland’s program and earning his teaching license, Rainier found opportunities beyond the hagwons of South Korea.

“If I could choose one word to describe the Moreland program, it would be a door,” he said. “It was a door to working in Honduras, a door to working in the Netherlands, and really, a door to teaching anywhere in the world.”

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Rainier notes that the program also provided him with relevant information on how to teach students during and after a pandemic, a skill that can be applied in any learning environment and with any group of learners whether they’re in physical classrooms or remote locations.

For Rainier, the decision to teach in the Netherlands after gaining more additional experience in Honduran classrooms wasn’t just about career advancement. As someone with Dutch heritage, he has always felt drawn to the country. Teaching there offered a unique opportunity to blend his professional and personal interests.

“I always felt a cultural connection to the Netherlands and wanted to try teaching here,” Rainier said. “There’s a teacher shortage in the Netherlands, which gave me the opportunity to advance my career with my Moreland teaching background and my master’s degrees [in cultural anthropology].”

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The option to build his teaching credentials through Moreland stood out to Rainier not only for TEACH-NOW’s affordability but also for its practical approach to education.

“All of the assignments were applicable to what I was doing [in the classroom],” he noted.

This practicality extended to the program’s globally collaborative environment, which Rainier mentioned as one of the program’s greatest strengths.

“My cohort had around 12 people, almost all of them teaching in different countries,” he said. “We were able to collaborate [and share], ‘In China, we’re doing this,’ ‘In Indonesia, we’re doing this.’”

This cross-cultural collaboration wasn’t limited to his Moreland cohort, though; the international school where Rainier teaches in the Netherlands has a diverse student population with up to 13 different nationalities represented in each class.

“It’s like full circle,” Rainier said with a smile.

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Looking Ahead: The Impact of Moreland on Rainier’s Career 

As Rainier continues to evolve in his teaching practice and career, he’s reflected on how his Moreland experience helped shape him as an educator. Currently an International Baccalaureate (IB) teacher, Rainier emphasized how Moreland’s focus on collaboration prepared him for this role.

“One of the key tenets of IB is collaboration,” he says. “Moreland didn’t say they were an IB program, but they really taught collaboration. Moreland really set the precedent for me as a teacher to communicate with my students but have that kind of open door of communication and freedom to talk and be personalized.”

Even three years after completing the TEACH-NOW program, Rainier remains connected to the Moreland community.

“I’m still following the process with everything because it’s really shaped me as a collaborator, as a communicator and as a teacher abroad,” he said.

Rainier’s journey from teaching in South Korea to leading classrooms in the Netherlands is a testament to the power of education — both for students and teachers alike. With help and support from Moreland, Rainier unlocked new opportunities and found a fulfilling career that allows him to make a global impact, one classroom at a time.


Earn your professional teaching certification in as little as 9 months with Moreland University’s TEACH-NOW Teacher Preparation Certificate Program.

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