Iman (/ɪmʌn/) Vahdatidovom (He/His), Teacher at Australian Centre for Education (ACE), IDP, Cambodia shares his experience of moving countries, embracing a new culture, settling in, and finding calm.
“I was a teacher for about 10 years in my home country, Iran. I needed a new challenge and started looking at opportunities in other countries. My friend was working in Cambodia at ACE and told me about some development opportunities there. I knew nothing about Cambodia, but I read up on ACE, applied, got the job, and the rest is history!
You might think I got a culture shock moving from Iran to Cambodia, but I didn’t. The differences are in religion, food, and culture, but people are the same everywhere – there is kindness, respect, and love; we all speak the same language. People in Cambodia are helpful, kind, and always calm. It is fascinating, and I had never experienced this before. Their calmness and coolness surprised me at first, but now, it has impacted me in good ways; I have learned a lot from them. The food was difficult at first, but now I love Amok, and Khmer traditional food is great!
There are though, differences in the classroom. Iranian students ask a lot of questions, but in Cambodia, they are usually quiet. I know that as a teacher, it is my responsibility to engage, interest, and motivate them, but it takes time to get used to their style. At first, it was more difficult because I was getting used to their accents; I couldn’t even read and pronounce their names correctly. We communicate in second languages, which makes it more difficult at times. However, it only took a couple of weeks to get used to the accents and to learn how to avoid communication breakdowns. This unique experience has made me grow.
I feel brave for experiencing a new culture. It is illuminating when you work out how to deal with new problems and contexts; it gives me the courage to go for more! I’m proud that I was able to handle the change in classrooms, students, and accents. I'm planning to learn Khmer when I finish my current studies to communicate even more effectively with my students and people.
During my job interview, the development opportunities stood out for me. IDP supports me with my schedule to allow me to study and work; however, I hope that teacher development plans get back on track after the pandemic. I have been here for 3 years, and I love it! Working and communicating with teachers from different countries, including Iran, Sweden, Japan, Canada, the UK, the US, and Cambodia, is a great pleasure. I love learning, and I am keen to learn more about my colleagues' cultures and expertise. Everyone has a story and something to teach. Now that we can do more, as we come out of the pandemic, I will be sharing and learning more with the other teachers.”
Thank you, Iman, for your love of learning, your calmness, and the way you have embraced a new culture. We look forward to the stories you will be sharing!