At the Halfway Point

So much has happened over the last 2 weeks, it´s almost difficult to take it all in. The journey began with two days of intensive training in Chester, then our early morning flight from Manchester to Alicante, a coach trip through the sort-of desert to Gandia and then settling into an apartment with three lovely ladies who I´d just met the day before. That evening we went on a slightly roundabout (you could even say haphazard or chaotic...) recce of our various schools in Gandia, and I tried to ready myself for whatever Monday morning held.

I was definitely nervous as I walked into Escolapias Gandia - a beautiful old building a few minutes walk from our apartment. I was shown around the school and introduced to Maria, the teacher I´d be working most closely with. Lots of the other teachers were keen to practise their English with me, and they were all extremely welcoming and accomodating. Then, after the weeks of build up and an intense hour of introductions, air-kisses and questions, it was a welcome change of pace to start observing the Spanish teachers and catch my breath.

 It´s been massively interesting observing and teaching here at Escolapias. An institution of this character and size offers a completely different perspective than our CELTA course. There is an emphasis on pastoral care (it being a Catholic school founded by an order of nuns), the teachers see and speak to the parents (or grandparents) daily when the children are ´handed over´ at the school gates. There is a very personal feel, and the teachers and students are warm and friendly with each other. I´ve experienced it myself, walking through the playground to find students running up to me to give me hugs - charming, disarming and as an English person, slightly bewildering at first!

I shan´t go on longer just now, but another post from me about the teaching side of things is coming up shortly.