Kuwait is classroom, career for Hendricken High grad

By Andrew Dooley
Posted 7/7/16

Burke Reed was looking to continue his teaching career and for adventure. He has found it in Kuwait, and he isn’t looking back.

“I took a bit of a risk,” he said, “but I have no …

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Kuwait is classroom, career for Hendricken High grad

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Burke Reed was looking to continue his teaching career and for adventure. He has found it in Kuwait, and he isn’t looking back.

“I took a bit of a risk,” he said, “but I have no regrets.”

Reed was in Warwick for the Fourth of July celebrations and stopped at the Warwick Beacon, where he completed an internship in 2008 as a high school senior.

“It was good,” he said about the internship. “It really helped me with my writing abilities, which allows me to help my students.”

After graduating from Bishop Hendricken, Reed attended Guilford College in Greensborough, North Carolina and earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education in English. He taught in North Carolina for two years, but he said, “It was never my intention to stay.”

After mulling over his options and finding a few job opportunities in other countries, he settled on Kuwait for his destination, saying, “They bit first.” He also had a couple of friends from college who were students studying abroad from Kuwait, and he felt that connection helped his decision.

Kuwait is a country in western Asia, located on the tip of the Persian Gulf.

He began teaching journalism to 10th grade students for his first two years there. Although the students speak Arabic as their native language, they are brought up for their 12 years of school learning English as a second language. “Their writing is not as solid as their speech, so I’m teaching them to use those tools,” he said.

Now, Reed is teaching seniors in an international baccalaureate program, which he says is “similar to a college English class; more discussion-based, more responsibility on the student. I’m more of a guide on the side versus a sage on the stage.”

Reed is teaching in Kuwait with his girlfriend, Haley Osbourne, who is from Nova Scotia, Canada. Osbourne earned a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia before moving on to the University of Ottawa for a teaching degree in primary junior education. After teaching English as a second language in South Korea for a couple of years, she took a job in Kuwait, where she taught third grade homeroom for three years. She is now a second grade homeroom teacher.

“It’s great, learning new cultures, having new experiences we wouldn’t have received here,” she said.

“People tend to homogenize a lot of different people and cultures into one group,” said Reed, when asked what it’s like to live and teach outside of the United States. “I’ve met some of the friendliest, most courteous and charitable people in Kuwait. The first week I was there they took me out, showed me many different places, and I met some of their families.”

Osbourne went on to talk about her students. She teaches at an all-girls school. “They play with dolls, they watch TV shows,” she said. “Most of the people are very welcoming of American culture, and a lot of students have even been to North America. Many of them keep me up to date with Disney and Pixar.”

They’re even involved in the politics; when asked about the upcoming presidential election, Reed said, “It’s heavily talked about. American politics have a huge impact on the decisions made over here, so people pay attention. I always get asked about stuff, like what it was Trump said about something, or if Sanders stands a chance.”

Kuwait also adds a lot of fun to Reed and Osbourne’s personal lives. When not working, Reed plays with a band. He says, “It’s made up of a bunch of other ex-pats, and we play at military bases and other private events.”

He also sets aside one day a week to do a Skype call with his mom. This way, she gets to see him and Haley on video and talk about the past week. “Skype has made it really easy,” said his mother, Jayne Reed. “We have a standing time once a week, and we have about an hour and a half together. It gives us a chance to get caught up.”

“I miss him terribly when he’s gone,” she said. “I look forward to summer vacation when he comes home [for about a month].”

Osbourne and Reed like to travel in their down time. Just this year alone, they’ve been able to go to Germany, Austria, Hungary, Lebanon, Thailand, the Philippines, Oman, India, and Egypt. It’s not always for pleasure, either; Osbourne took a trip to Dubai this year for a professional development course in the STEM education program (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

“We go somewhere every few months,” said Reed. “Kuwait is kind of in the center of everything, so flights are cheaper.”

“Sometimes we have to finish unpacking a bag from one trip just so we can pack it for another one,” said Osbourne.

In the end, they just want to share how positive of an experience it has been to live and teach in Kuwait.

“It’s very much like a metropolis. There’s a restaurant every five feet, and it’s great for shopping. They have really big shopping malls over there,” said Osbourne.

“Like I said, people lump entire millions of people into one group,” said Reed. “Kuwait is incredibly safe. You get an entirely different perspective from being over there.”

Their experience in Kuwait has been a good one, but they do have plans to move on.

“We’re looking for another job after this year,” said Reed, “preferably in Southeast Asia. A lot of schools are opening up over there.”

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