A gorgeous view for an afternoon lunch at Coral Beach, Paget, Bermuda.
Teaching Traveling: Welcome, Lindsey Lehman! Tell us what led to your remarkable teaching position in Bermuda.
Lindsey: I was born and raised in Southern New Jersey and had a very typical upbringing with my two sisters. My parents, who were amateur history buffs, raised me. Every summer we would pile in the car and drive all across the U.S. to visit every battlefield, national monument and famous person from history’s childhood home. There are countless pictures of my sisters and me standing in a field in some state where an important event/battle/signing of a document took place. As much as I’m sure I complained about the heat/bugs/dirt/siblings I was grateful that my parents took me on those trips. I spent important, significant time with my family and saw most of the U.S., which was more than I could say for a lot of my classmates.
I graduated with honors and a double degree from Holy Family University in Philadelphia, PA in 2007, and went straight into teaching. I taught for a year with younger children and then taught special education, which is my passion, for 3 years in a small non-profit school that specialized in educating children with multiple disabilities. I loved my students there; they made me laugh every day… but I knew I needed a change. I felt that I had outgrown that placement so I accepted a position as a Para-educator in Bermuda in the spring of 2011.
Lindsey and her mother at Fort Saint Catherine in St. George, Bermuda.
Instead of a classroom full of students as well as a full staff surrounding me, I am a private special education teacher for a family who resides on the island. It was an adjustment for me but one that I am grateful for. It sometimes is challenging to only have one student but I feel that I am making a big difference in her achievements, being able to focus just on her.
TT: How did you find this travel opportunity?
L: It was the first morning of my Easter break from school and I was on Craigslist. I spent about 2 hours looking through every listing in the Philadelphia area except Education. I was just looking for something different. I knew I needed a change but I honestly didn’t know how to go about finding it. I eventually, I clicked on Education and there was an ad for a “Para-Educator – Bermuda”. Wanting to see if it was a joke I clicked on it and found it to be, surprisingly, not a joke. I contacted the ad and sent a resume. Sure enough, I received an email back from my now employer. I remember running into my sister’s room (we were roommates) and excitedly telling her I applied for a job in Bermuda! The idea still seemed crazy at the time.
The view from where Lindsey lives. She writes: "I never get tired of the colors here!"
TT: How did you find the money to fund this travel?
L: I was very fortunate that my employer covered my moving expenses. They paid for my plane ticket, my luggage, and when I leave the island they will cover those moving expenses as well. This is pretty common practice in Bermuda for companies to pay moving expenses. In terms of moving my apartment and settling loose ends back in the States, that part I paid myself. There was a lot to purchase leading up to moving, including a passport! I had left the country to travel to Canada several times in my childhood and since a government issued I.D. was all you needed, never a passport, I had to purchase that in preparation as well.
TT: Tell us one moment from your travels that was particularly powerful.
L: One Sunday morning, 5 weeks after I moved to Bermuda, I was feeling particularly homesick. With all of the technology we have available today I hadn’t been hit with homesickness at all, practically. I Skyped my parents, friends and my sister Torey who is literally my better half, so I hadn’t felt very far from them. But this one particular day it really hit me that I was living in a foreign place, 800 miles from home with not one single friend. I jokingly refer to this day as “Lindsey’s Dark Day”.
View from the top of Gibb's Hill Lighthouse, Southampton, Bermuda.
After video chatting with my sister, Torey, I confessed to this awful feeling and she basically told me to get out. Literally, get out of my apartment. She told me to go to the beach, put on my swimsuit and go. Even if I didn’t know anyone just go! So I did, I got on my scooter and went. And it turns out, that was the day I met my friend Kelsey, at the beach, who was in a very similar situation as myself. Moving away from every single person you know is extremely challenging and there are new challenges you never even think to prepare yourself for. Days like that happen when you move, but luckily for me I had my sister to motivate me.
TT: How have your travels impacted you as a teacher?
L: Traveling has impacted my teaching style in a very strange way. It had made me more resourceful. Living in Bermuda sometimes it is very difficult to obtain common teaching items that we take for granted having at our disposal or they are sold at an extremely high premium. I miss having places like Becker’s, Lakeshore and the dollar store. You could just run in and grab whatever you needed but living here has taught me to forage for items in an unconventional manner.
TT: How have your travels impacted you as a person?
Lindsey at the beach with sun hat on. She writes: "You can get sunburned very easily here so wearing sunscreen and a sunhat is important. Learned this the hard way!"
L: Moving here was such a mental break in a way for me. Before I moved here I was over-scheduled and was overextending myself and it became too much. I also was contending with the fact that I wasn’t 100% content with where I was in my life and needed a change. When I moved here I became aware for the first time how much I needed a break. Because of this newfound feeling I also became more relaxed. It’s very true that Bermuda is another world.
TT: What advice do you have for other teachers who are dreaming of travel?
L: One of my favorite quotes (and favorite women) is Heller Keller who said, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Moving to Bermuda was a huge step for me both personally and professionally. I quit my job, packed my apartment and got on a plane with 3 suitcases. I moved 800 miles from the only life I had ever known to live on a 21 square mile island where I knew not one person outside of my employers. It was the biggest step I have ever taken, but 100% worth it. I was so grateful for the support of my family and friends. My mom likes to say she was “born with a suitcase packed” and raised my sisters and me the same way. So just say yes, pack your suitcase, and go.
TT: Thanks so much, Lindsey! Readers, what questions or comments do you have for this traveling teacher?
Hi! So, I was never a traveler before September. However, I had the opportunity to take a free cruise to Bermuda and I ended up absolutely loving it. I had talked to a few locals about teaching there and he gave me a little information about it. I decided to look into it, but I haven’t done too much research. I just googled it and your website popped up. Ironically, I am too from South Jersey! I wanted to see if you had any information or steps that I could have a similar opportunity. What you have done is absolutely amazing and I hope you are enjoying it!! I anticipate the day that I can do something similar!
Hi Brittany,
I’m glad you enjoyed your visit here. I can’t believe you got a free cruise! That’s amazing!
If you would like, I can e-mail you some links to informational websites and who knows, maybe one day see you here!
Thank you for your comments
It’s seems surreal when I look back at what I did, but I never once regretted it..even years later.
Hi Lindsey,
I’m not sure if you’re still in Bermuda, some of the posts are from 2013, so I am hoping so!
What you are doing sounds truly amazing, changing a young child’s life in such a beautiful place.
I am a teacher in Ontario, Canada…..my husband has been offered a job in Bermuda, and so I would like to find work before I go as well. Could you please email me some details/links that can help me? I am having trouble finding anything online.
Thanks so much!
Agnes
gondeks@hotmail.com
Sorry..typo……..gondeka@hotmail.com
Hi Agnes,
I am still here, enjoying it! I would love to send you some links and hopefully it will give you a better idea of what day-to-day life is like here.
Thanks for your lovely comment and interest!
Lindsey, would you send the info to me as well? Teacherstacy@gmail.com
I had considered looking into international schools, but was told there aren’t many opportunities there in moderate/severe.
Hi Stacy,
Of course I will email you too! The Special Education World outside the US and Canada is very very different but there are opportunities. They might have different titles such as “Learning Support Coordinator” instead of “Special Education Teacher” but it is the same. I’ll try and outline as much as I can in my email to you. Look for it soon!
Lindsey this sounds amazing! Do you just work for the family or is it a company. I want to do this so badly when I graduate. Thats crazy you are from south jersey. Im from Mt Laurel.
Also you must know the name Mary Littlewood. My dad has worked with her for years, they are very good friends. She was telling my dad about her daughters friend, which has got to be you, about her job in Bermuda. I thought it sounded awesome so I did some research which led me to this article.
Hi Michael – I’m always in amazement at the small world we live in. Yes, I know her. She is the mother of my best friend and a wonderful woman!
To answer your question I work for a private family, not a school but there are opportunities to work for schools here in Bermuda. If you want I can email you some links about working here just to give you a good sense of what you’re looking at. In addition to that, reading through the articles Lillie has written here about other teachers and their opportunities is also a good idea as well. It may seem daunting at first at the sheer amount of information but it seems as if you have gotten a good head start.
Where do you go to university?
Hey thanks I would appreciate that. My email address is michaelrehn@hotmail.com. I am working as a para-professional in the mt laurel district right now. I have been doing that for two years and I am getting my masters through Grand Canyon University online.
Hey Lindsey, I was just wondering if you could email me the information about teaching there whenever you get a chance. I really appreciate your help! Thanks!
Hi Michael, I sent an email on Saturday (Feb 9th) at 1:25pm. I sent it to michaelrehn@hotmail.com – It says it went through. If not, not to worry I can always re-send or try a different email. Let me know.
So awesome, Lindsey! I have always believed moving abroad changed my life for the better, both professionally and personally. The questions I continue to toy with are “What next?” and “Where next?”
Thanks Whitney! I wholeheartedly agree with you. I’m curious to see what comes next. I’m met some pretty interesting people in my travels and you never know what sort of influence those people will have on you later on in life.
Thanks Lillie! Heather, I’ll send those links right on over to you.
Hi,
What school do you work at? Could you recommend a school or website for me to contact about future employment opportunities? I am a certified elementary and special education teacher. Thanks!
Hi Heather- what is your email address? I’ll send you a few links to helpful websites.
Hi Lindsey! As admin I can see it for you: Hawright at roadrunner dot com .
I’m from Burlington County too! Small world, huh? I grew up in Mount Holly. What part of Burlington County did you grow up in?
Love it! I will make an email introduction between you two.
Lindsey, where in South Jersey are you from? I’m from Burlington Country (Actually, I was profiled on this site a couple of months ago).
What a coincidence! Here is Rashaad’s great article: http://www.teachingtraveling.com/2012/07/25/ways-to-teach-abroad-in-japan-and-france-schools/
Oh my goodness, that sounds like such an awesome job. After teaching special ed for 8 years, I keep thinking how much more I could teach my kids if I could work with them 1:1!
Interesting point!
Thanks Stacy! It’s the type of job where I can tackle not only the big issues but the smaller minute ones as well. As classroom teachers, we often always have those smaller issues we would love to be able to do things for if only we had the extra time. With this job I can, I love that about it.
Love this interview – and brava, Lindsey, for picking up and bravely moving to a new place – I KNOW it is rewarding!
Thank you!!! It was the bravest thing I’ve ever done but I’m so glad I did it.