Becoming Canadian, again.
This year, I will have been away from my passport nation for almost half my life. Only 25 when I left Canada, I was a baby really. Fresh out of ACAD art school, and recently returned from living on a beach in Mexico, I headed to Seoul, South Korea, with just a backpack and a book. I ended up staying for 8 years.
Then it was off to Shanghai, China for two years, where I joined WISS. A new school it was not yet built when I arrived— but I made the most of it, because my students were my everything. During my time in China, I finished my MEd and became a dual citizen of the UK so it seemed logical to venture onward (with my fancy EU visa) to Europe.
I landed in the sleepy city of Bonn, Germany and stayed four happy years at Bonn International School. Where I took on the role of leadership, co-founded ED-ucation Publishing, and started my TEDx journey with TEDxYouth@BIS.
Four years made me itchy for Asia, and I was off to Bangkok, Thailand for three wonderful years at NIST. I took on the new role of a Digital Learning Coach, and Makerspace/Design Thinking Co-ordinator and continued on with my TEDx journey founding TEDxYouth@NIST.
Then it was back to China, but this time I was lucky to live in the warmer climate of Shekou for two years. Being the Director of LEVEL5 has been a gift. A place to flex my creativity and innovation muscles with leadership who are truly pushing the boundaries of contemporary practice in education. I had the support to finish my Education Doctorate and develop my leadership capacity, and of course, start TEDxYouth@Jingshan.
And just like that 19 years have flown by. I have been lucky to visit over 50 countries. From Mongolia to Mexico, India to Croatia, Japan to Belize — I can’t believe how incredible my life as an expat international teacher has been. I’ve taken millions of photos, experienced the richness of the world, and altered fundamentally who I am as a person and how I see the globe.
Is now the time to go home? What is home when you’ve spent more time outside of your birth nation than in it? Indeed, it is less scary for me to think I would take a position in Madagascar with a 10 hour drive on dodgy jungle roads to the nearest city- then to think of coming ‘home’. But still.. when you consider it, Canada is now a foreign country to me and I suppose returning will be like any other adventure.
As such, I am happy to announce that I will be repatriating and joining UNISUS International school in Canada next year as the Senior School MYP/DP Principal. UNISUS is an innovative new school that seeks to push the boundaries of teaching and learning, whilst drawing learners into the uniqueness of the Canadian outdoors. For me, this position is the culmination of two decades of pedagogical learning and practice, higher education, and the unique insight that comes with international teaching.
Of course, there is one more thing that draws me back to Canada. They say home is where the heart is, and I think that is true. The job is amazing, the place is a dream, but after four years in a really, really (across the planet) long distance relationship my partner and his child will only be an hour flight away. #happyteacher
Still, does this mean I am really going to be ‘home’? Honestly, it took a week for me to reflect deeply how this move would change me, and the image I have constructed of myself. It took the realization that my years overseas have made the entire world my home because I have people all over it who I love, and who love me. What an incredible and humbling gift I have been given. I like to think I am not so much returning home but rather becoming Canadian again.
Learn more about me and my various projects at ToscaKilloran.com.
