He Sold Everything and Moved Overseas to Teach. He’d Do It Again.
Published: | by Hannah Sparling
Four years ago, Jacob Egelhoff was a wildland firefighter, battling blazes in Montana and California.
Before that, he worked at a wilderness survival school in Idaho, leading at-risk youth on trips into the desert.
By this time next year, Egelhoff hopes to be teaching at an international school in Asia. The through-line on his resume? Contributing to a better life for future generations.
“That’s the idea. That’s what you want,” he said. “When I’m nearing the end of my life and I look back, I hope that I had a positive impact on other people.”
Jacob Egelhoff worked for several wilderness survival schools and then spent seven years as a wildland firefighter/EMT.
English and the Great Outdoors
Egelhoff grew up in a small farm town in southern Illinois, where his interests split in two directions: He loved being outside, and he loved storytelling, writing, and creativity. Those passions led him to a bachelor’s degree in English literature, a master’s in English teaching, and then wilderness schools and firefighting, jobs that gave him “any excuse to be outside.”
As a firefighter, Egelhoff started traveling overseas during the offseason. He went to Asia for a month, and he loved it.
“It was a broadening experience,” he said. “I felt like I was exposed to a different way of living, more collectively versus individually.”
Egelhoff went back to Asia and stayed for two months. Then he took a four-month trip. Finally, he decided to make it permanent. He found a job teaching English at a language center in Vietnam, then he sold or gave away nearly all of his possessions and moved across the ocean.
The more time he spent in Asia, the more Egelhoff was drawn to the culture and lifestyle.
Next Goal: An International School
About a year into his overseas teaching career, Egelhoff decided he was ready for the next step. He was teaching students anywhere from 6 to 16 years old at the language center, mostly on weekends and weekdays after school. He liked the work (he still does!), but he wanted to find a position with more standard hours and a better work-life balance.
He knew he would find that balance in an international school, but he also knew that to get an international-school job, he would need to earn his teaching license. His master’s degree was in teaching English, but it didn’t come with a license.
A coworker told Egelhoff about Moreland University’s TEACH-NOW Teacher Preparation Certificate Program, where he could earn his license online in as little as 9 months. After doing some research, Egelhoff decided to apply. He finished the program in May and is just waiting on the official result from his last Praxis exam.
Egelhoff’s teaching style centers on interactive lessons that help students build confidence and use English in their day-to-day lives.
In the TEACH-NOW program, Egelhoff learned with a “collage of people” of different ages, backgrounds, perspectives, and teaching specialties. It gave him a taste of other teaching avenues he might one day like to explore himself.
He learned a lot about classroom management and differentiation, he said, and he especially liked the student-teaching module, where he recorded videos of himself in the classroom.
“To be able to see your mannerisms, how you’re delivering your lessons in real time and how students are responding,” he said. “Having that mirror along with the feedback of your mentors was really useful.”
Egelhoff finds joy in investing in his students, even if he doesn’t always get to see the end results.
Finding His School
Egelhoff is already in touch with recruiters and is applying for international school jobs at major cities in Asia. He joined Search Associates and is hoping to use their network to land his next role.
He doesn’t know exactly what to expect — the adventure is part of the fun, anyway — but he’s looking forward to being part of a school community and working with the same students over a longer period of time.
Eventually, he might like to move into an administrative or leadership role. For now, his focus is on becoming a better teacher so he can better support his students. He wants to hone his teaching style: interactive lessons that help students build confidence and actually use English in their day-to-day lives.
“On a spiritual level, I feel like it’s more fulfilling to feel like you’re giving something, that you are contributing to the betterment of humanity in some way,” he said. “Teaching is this cool thing where you have to be able to give without seeing the results. Giving for the sake of giving. And I think that creates a fulfilling life.”
Ready to take the next step in your teaching career? Earn your U.S. license in as little as 9 months with Moreland University. Our TEACH-NOW program is 100% online, with rolling admissions and monthly start dates.
Apply for free (the application only takes about 15 minutes), and you’ll hear back within 2 business days.
