Cedar Key School`s very own Sherie Johns is about to make an extreme career change! She`s traveling all the way to Malaysia to broaden her teaching horizons. Mrs. Sherie has been teaching in Levy County for over 20 years, she was my fourth grade teacher, and now she teaches Read 180.
The country she will be traveling to lies between Thailand and Singapore. Mrs. Sherie will be residing in Kuala-Lumpur, Malaysia. The area is described as "a warm peninsular region with tropical temperatures year round." Mrs. Sherie will be leaving American soil on June 28, 2012 and will be an Expat for one year.
Mrs. Sherie will be teaching first grade students at Mont`Kiara International School. Mrs. Sherie says, "The school follows a North American curriculum and is also a university preparatory school." When asked how she felt about this extraordinary career move, Mrs. Sherie states, "I am very excited about this opportunity. We`ve all read the articles about how the United States educational system compares with other countries. What better way to gain global teaching experiences than to spend a year overseas learning from others."
Being such a dedicated employee of Cedar Key School for such a significant amount of time, I assumed there would be many things she would miss about CKS. When I asked her about what she would miss, this is how she replied: "Teaching at Cedar Key School is not a job. It`s a lifestyle. Teachers at this school spend many personal hours planning and sponsoring student activities. I`ve learned so many life-lessons from colleagues, parents and students. I`ll miss them."
You may wonder how does such a magnificent opportunity become available to a small town teacher? I wondered the same thing! Mrs. Sherie explains, "It`s a long interesting story. I went on a mission trip to Mongolia a few years back. That`s when I knew that I wanted to see more of our world. So, a friend of a friend had applied to teach at an International School. I contacted the agency and submitted a Dossier. That day I received a reply that I was qualified. The next three months were a whirlwind. I ended up in Boston to interview with school directors that were hiring from all over the world. I was offered a few positions but I knew that MKIS was for me. It reminded me a lot of CKS."
Mrs. Sherie claims that she knew immediately that she wanted to take this job. "An opportunity like this is rare. The Director of the school made me feel very qualified for such an opportunity." Mrs. Sherie is most looking forward to learning! She says, "Learning is what I do best. I can`t wait to learn about new cultures!"
Mrs. Sherie will be returning to the states over her Christmas break for a visit and is looking forward to sharing her adventure with others!