AnnaAdventuring's Guestbook

I miss Sahuayo! I had such a wonderful time in Mexico. It'd be great to go back!

Actually walking along random back streets in the middle of January isn't the place one is likely to come across queues of tourists. When I did meet the odd soul I just waited for them to pass.

I would like to add before I put anyone off teaching that I think this school is the exception. I had a 40 hour schedule in the week (not including meetings, planning, marking etc) I had fairly large classes - one with 14 students which is impossible for effective language teaching. I had the most bizarre circumstance in that sick days were not permitted. I also had A LOT of students. Most language schools will give a teacher a class and that class will come a few times in the week. I had some classes I saw for as little as an hour and a quarter in the week and just remembering names was a challenge - It felt like I had over 100 students! As for Spain in general, children do seem to be under a lot of pressure and I know the majority of children and teenagers I had were enrolled by their parents. I met many students who did English lessons, music school and sports clubs, in addition to ordinary school and homework - some of them had incredibly long working days. If you are looking for work in Spain I would recommed looking for a job with around 25 contracted hours, no more. Also ask for a reference from a previous teacher. I only learned after starting that the school had gone through as many as 5 teachers in a single year and all previous teachers had had similiar complaints. Students can be challenging - but it is only when the school fails to support you that it becomes really difficult. That said - I love teaching. I have previously taught in India and enjoyed it. Prior to Spain I was in Mexico and had a fantastic experience, and I am now in Peru and again enjoying it. My advice is to do a careful job search and ask to speak to previous teachers before going, it really makes a difference. If the school refuses, that will tell you something. Every other language school I have worked in has put me in touch with other teachers first, often before I asked! If you decide to teach, good luck with it. It can be the best job in the world!!

Thanks guys! Apologies for my major blogging delay... it will become apparent why once the spanish blogs are up. :S