From the Archives: A Day in My Life Teaching in Hanoi
By: Nat Bigelow
Tags: Teachers, Hanoi, Expat, Vietnam

“Wait, 20 hours a week is full time there?!” This is the standard reaction I get when I tell people from home that I work 19 hours a week, slightly below “full time” status for foreign teachers in Vietnam. Most people cannot fathom that I’m able to work half of the typical work week in the US, live comfortably, and even save money if I budget correctly (lol hi dad, I’m getting better at this I promise!!).

On top of being confused about how it’s possible for me to survive working 20 hours per week, people are also curious about what I do during the free time that I have when I’m not working. As I just recently hit my four month anniversary of living in Hanoi, I can finally say that I’ve established a schedule and I feel like I’m living a relatively normal life here. Of course there are random occurrences and mishaps that likely wouldn’t happen back in the U.S. that are often sprinkled into my days, but here’s a look into a typical day in my life as a teacher in Vietnam!

8:00- Wake up and get ready

Hanoi is a city for early birds (literally and figuratively). Roosters serve as the city’s alarm clocks, and the people respond accordingly. Around 6 A.M., construction begins, street vendors call out to potential customers, and the honking resumes. Despite the commotion ensuing outside my window, I block it all out and savor every moment of shut eye that I can get.

In an ideal world, I’d do as the Hanoians do and utilize my late start to wake up and go on a run or journal or do something else productive. But realistically, I press snooze until the last possible second, freak out when I realize I didn’t turn on my hot water heater and I still need to shower, and rush around to prepare for my day. All the while, I try to FaceTime family and friends because it’s evening at home which is the most convenient time to catch up with everyone. With minutes to spare, I scarf down a bowl of cereal (still not eating pho for breakfast like the locals), run out the door, and enter the madness.

9:20- Drive my motorbike to my morning job

The commute to my morning school is fairly tame so I’m comfortable driving myself there. If it’s raining outside, I leave a bit earlier due to the increased insanity on the streets (picture flooded roads and hundreds of motorbike drivers wearing rain ponchos that completely block any peripheral vision). On days when the weather is nice, I find myself actually enjoying the drive (which is major progress seeing that I was initially terrified by the idea of ever driving in Hanoi)!!

9:45- Teach at my morning school

My morning job is at a bilingual school which means that the students are fluent in both Vietnamese and English, and they learn all of their subjects in both languages. I teach math and science to a 2nd grade class (25 students) from 10:00–11:30 daily.

I try to get to school 15 minutes early to set up my PowerPoint, gather material, and to prepare myself for the impending insanity. Then, for the next hour and a half, I run around taking away Pokémon cards from distracted students, reminding antsy kids to sit nicely and stop talking, and figuring out how to appropriately react to questions like, “What the hell happened to our Christmas tree?” (Yes, one of my 2nd graders really did ask that, and that’s not even the worst of what I’ve heard). With the remaining few minutes left of class, I try my best to ensure that the students are actually learning a little math and science.

11:30- Free time

After a whole hour and a half of teaching, I have a five hour break. On a typical, lazy day, this break serves as time for me to go out to lunch, work on lesson plans, and take a nap. On more productive days, I use this time to explore Hanoi, run errands, or continue my spa tour of Hanoi. I am also beginning to take Vietnamese lessons so I’ll be using a portion of this time to learn a new language! It’s unfortunate that just knowing how to say hello, thank you, and you’re handsome can only get you so far, but I am really excited to be learning more!

4:45- Take a Grab to my evening job

Since my other job is a bit further away from my house and I’m not yet comfortable driving at night time, I take a Grab to work in the evening. Grab is Vietnam’s version of Uber, and they have options for motorbike drivers, taxis, and even food delivery. Unless the weather outside is miserable, I get a Grab motorbike. Grab can be really hit or miss; drivers often get lost, drive as though they’re starring in Fast & Furious, and try to have full-fledged conversations with me in Vietnamese, but as long as I make it to work safely, I’m content.

6:00- Teach at my evening school

My second job is at a language center. Students attend language centers after school for additional English classes and tutoring. At this school, I teach phonics and reading. Depending on the day, I either work 6:00–7:30 or 6:00–9:00, hitting a total of 12 per week. The class sizes are smaller here (12 students maximum) and most of my students are 4–7 years old. It can be a little bit tricky to keep up with these kiddos’ energy levels, but I love how eager they are to learn English. It is overall a very rewarding job and a great work environment!

8:00/9:30- Relax

After work, I get another Grab and usually head home. Some weeknights, I’ll grab dinner with friends or go to events throughout the city. But more often than not, I head home, make a PB&J (or some other childish meal), turn on Netflix, and laugh about all the ridiculous things that happened throughout the day while preparing to do it all over again tomorrow.

Although teaching abroad can seem like it’s always weekend getaways to exotic places, daily adventures, and constant excitement, it is also maintaining a job, lesson planning, and making a life in a new place. As much as I love the more exciting aspects of teaching abroad, I am also really content with my job, the students I work with, the routine I’ve created, and my new home. Even on the boring days, there are lessons to be learned, challenges to overcome, and rich experiences to enjoy!