Hola todas!
It's nearly a week now since we left Spain and it is rather strange that I'm now an Xmas temp at Marks and Spencer. Such a different world from teaching in Gandia, Spain!
The whole experience has been an exciting and fast-moving adventure. For me, this has mostly been all about stepping outside of my comfort zone and challenging myself to do something radical to deepen my experience of language and to maximise my chances of future employment.
I found it amazing (and daunting at times) being suddenly immersed in a different culture with a language I hardly spoke. I realised how much I rely on the English language in my everyday life and, of course, there/s nothing wrong with that. However, I had to learn some Spanish to get by and that proved really interesting to me. I used to joke with the children/young people that the deal was 'you teach me some Spanish and I will teach you some English' and they laughed at my poor pronunciation, but never in a horrible way.
I liked the school I was placed in because it felt like one big family which I was allowed to be part of for a while! My mentor and the other 2 teachers I worked with were warm and friendly and did their best to support me. The young people made a fuss of me a lot of the time and I got a pile of wonderful 'cards' and wishes on my departure which really touched me with their sincerity.
I learnt so much from this experience and I'm still learning from it now. I'm very grateful for the opportunity so thank you to all who made it possible and to my fellow teachers.
Today, I came home from my Xmas job to find messages from agencies about International teaching positions. I believe part of the reason for this is because I have now added this experience to my CV.
For me, one of the most important aspects of the learning on this placement was realising how it feels to live among people who don't speak your language! I cannot take language for granted anymore!
It was a privelege to teach these young people and to be part of their lives for this short time. I will never forget them.
It's nearly a week now since we left Spain and it is rather strange that I'm now an Xmas temp at Marks and Spencer. Such a different world from teaching in Gandia, Spain!
The whole experience has been an exciting and fast-moving adventure. For me, this has mostly been all about stepping outside of my comfort zone and challenging myself to do something radical to deepen my experience of language and to maximise my chances of future employment.
I found it amazing (and daunting at times) being suddenly immersed in a different culture with a language I hardly spoke. I realised how much I rely on the English language in my everyday life and, of course, there/s nothing wrong with that. However, I had to learn some Spanish to get by and that proved really interesting to me. I used to joke with the children/young people that the deal was 'you teach me some Spanish and I will teach you some English' and they laughed at my poor pronunciation, but never in a horrible way.
I liked the school I was placed in because it felt like one big family which I was allowed to be part of for a while! My mentor and the other 2 teachers I worked with were warm and friendly and did their best to support me. The young people made a fuss of me a lot of the time and I got a pile of wonderful 'cards' and wishes on my departure which really touched me with their sincerity.
I learnt so much from this experience and I'm still learning from it now. I'm very grateful for the opportunity so thank you to all who made it possible and to my fellow teachers.
Today, I came home from my Xmas job to find messages from agencies about International teaching positions. I believe part of the reason for this is because I have now added this experience to my CV.
For me, one of the most important aspects of the learning on this placement was realising how it feels to live among people who don't speak your language! I cannot take language for granted anymore!
It was a privelege to teach these young people and to be part of their lives for this short time. I will never forget them.
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