A Day in the Life of an Auxiliar de Conversación

While being an expat in Spain may sometimes seem glamorous from the outside, my day to day life is far from the extraordinary. So what am I actually  doing over here? Drinking sangria and watching bullfights all day? (Not quite.) Much like most of the people I know back home, I also have a job that involves waking up early, commuting, and subsequently battling a serious caffeine addiction. Here's a peek into my daily routine as an Auxiliar de Conversación in Madrid:

It may still be pitch black outside, but it's time to get up and start guzzling coffee!

It takes me an hour to get from my apartment in the city center to my school in Galapagar, which is located in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains. Although it's far, it gets me out of Madrid's pollution and into the fresh country air. I also get to watch the sun rise over the city skyline during my bus ride, so I really can't complain.

Time to brace myself for countless hugs and greetings such as, "Good morning, Teacher!", "Teeeacher, you look bery pretty today!", and "Hello, Corni!" (It's seemingly impossible for most Spaniards to pronounce my name. But at this point, it's endearing.) I spend the next five hours teaching English, Science, and Arts & Crafts to my darling third and fourth graders. I'm just a language assistant, so I'm always working alongside another teacher and I (almost) never run the classroom by myself.  

Sometimes it's exhausting, but that doesn't stop me from loving every single minute of it. I would have never thought that I'd want to pursue a career in teaching, but this job has convinced me otherwise. My name is Courtney and I want to be a teacher when I grow up.

And thus commences my lengthy return back to Madrid! At this point my stomach is audibly growling, and I'm more than likely complaining about it. 

By the time I get home, I'm absolutely famished. Quick and easy salads, pasta dishes and leftovers are usually my lunches of choice. The Spanish meal schedule is unique in which meals are eaten much later in the day than we're used to back in the States. Believe it or not, 3:30 is actually a normal time to be eating lunch around here.

Time to relax at home sweet home

Once or twice a week I use this time to actually nap, but most days I take advantage of this designated resting time to catch up on blogging and writing, work on the social media for Madrid Food Tour, organize occasional activities for school, catch up on emails and plan upcoming trips.

By this time, I'm ready to do fun things with my friends and explore the city. I'm always up for discovering new hangouts, but more often than not you can find me close to home in Conde Duque or Malasaña. Late afternoons can be spent enjoying glasses of wine or tinto de verano in sunny plazas, having picnics at Templo de Debod, Tinder practicing my Spanish, or bumming around Federal.

...or any other tasty Spanish treat that I'm craving! I also occasionally try my hand at cooking, which  thus far has been pretty successful considering I've only  started one almost-kitchen fire. I love going out to eat and discovering new restaurants, but my English teacher budget can only support so much of that.

There's nothing quite as satisfying as ending the day with a savory tortilla española

Time to finally catch some zzz's. See ya tomorrow, kiddos!

Have you ever taught English abroad? How did your schedule differ?

Teaching English in Spain

Over the past year, I've had many friends, acquaintances and strangers ask me about how to teach English in Spain and what they need to do once they arrive. Instead of copying and pasting the same email I send to everyone, I figured it would be more efficient to answer all of these questions in one comprehensive post. Teaching abroad is an experience I'd recommend to just about anyone, so why not spread the word?

Truth be told, teaching English in Spain was never in my "plan". It wasn't until about 4 months after graduation that I realized I wasn't ready to go to grad school, thus inciting the "what in the world am I doing with my life" panic that commonly afflicts recent post-grads. 

That month, I traveled to South America and had a life-changing conversation with a stranger on an airplane. I was sitting next to a man who worked for National Geographic, and as we got to talking, I admitted to him that I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do career-wise, but I knew that I wanted to travel, speak Spanish, and live a life of adventure. He then suggested that I move to Spain and teach English as a second language. At first I shrugged the idea off, mostly because the idea of teaching terrified me, but not long afterwards I had a change of heart. From there, it all just kind of fell into place. 

If you're a fellow victim of wanderlust with an inherent distain for 9-5 office jobs and a desire to experience the Spanish culture, then maybe teaching English in Spain is the right decision for you.

Here's what you should know about teaching English in Spain and what to do once you get there:

Teaching Programs:

I teach English in Madrid through the Spanish Ministry of Education's Auxiliares de Conversación program, also known as the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program. In Madrid, I work 16 hours per week and earn a monthly grant of 1000€/month. In other regions of Spain, you work 12 hours per week and earn 700€/month. (This is mostly due to the higher cost of living in Madrid.)

While I highly recommend the Auxiliares program, some other options include BEDA, CIEE, MEDDEAS, UCETAM and TEFL. A while back I did a collaboration with a few other bloggers about different ways to teach English in Spain, and you can read about our experiences with our respective programs here:

AUXILIARES | BEDA | CIEE

The application for Auxiliares de Conversación opens in early January. Assignments are placed on a first come first serve basis, so if you want your first pick of locations, be sure to apply as soon as the application opens.

Requirements:

Before packing my bags to teach English in Spain, I had zero experience or qualifications. All the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program requires is that:

- You're a citizen of the US or Canada
- English is your first language
- You're a university graduate by the time you arrive in Spain
- You're in good physical and psychological condition
- You have a clean background check

You aren't required to know Spanish, but it's certainly recommended. There is no age limit, except in Madrid where you must be between the ages of 21 and 35. Learn more about how to apply here.

These requirements may be different if you're applying from the UK, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand.

Responsibilities:

Through the Auxiliares program, Americans and other native English speakers are placed in public schools to work as language assistants. ("Language assistant" is a fancy way of saying "teaching assistant", with an emphasis on facilitating English conversation). We're not supposed to run the classrooms persay, but responsibilities can differ from school to school.

This past year I worked in a public elementary school about an hour outside the center of Madrid, where I taught an adorable group of third and fourth graders. I loved my students (and my fantastic coworkers) so much that I'm coming back to the same colegio for a second year. I really, really lucked out with my school, but sometimes other Auxiliares aren't as fortunate.

In my third grade class, I co-taught science and English. With my fourth graders, I mostly took small groups of students outside the classroom to help them prepare for their end-of-the-year oral exam. I also helped out during arts & crafts time, taught my students several Beatles songs, and made a lot of PowerPoint presentations about Halloween, Thanksgiving and other American traditions. I was not required to write any lesson plans, but I spent about 1-2 hours a week preparing various activities for class.

Arts & crafts is both the most stressful and most entertaining part of my day

Getting Your Visa:

One of the best parts about teaching English in Spain is that it gives you a legal means to live there. The Spanish Ministry of Education grants me a student visa, which I obtained through the process detailed here. Make sure you allow plenty of time for this process!

Once you arrive in Spain, you have 90 days until your visa expires. During this time, you must apply for your NIE and TIE (your temporary resident ID number and card). At your Auxiliares de Conversación orientation, they'll give you some more details on how to do this, but try to jump on it as soon as you can. Expect this process to go slowly, because Spanish bureaucracy is a real pain in the ass dependably inefficient. Your temporary resident ID card will expire at the end of the school year.

Finding Housing: 

Housing is not provided by the program, so it's your responsibility to find an apartment. Finding a good apartment in Spain isn't impossible, but it can at times feel daunting (especially with a language barrier). Don't let that discourage you!

I found my apartment on easypiso.com, but most people have good luck on idealista.com and the Auxiliares de Conversación Facebook pages. It's important to look for a place that's furnished, has WIFI and heating. I also wanted a piso that had an oven, a hot water heater and a balcony. When planning your budget, remember to factor in gastos (utilities), which often aren't included in the rent.

Have realistic expectations. You won't find your dream apartment in Spain. I absolutely love my piso, but there were several things that I had to sacrifice. I don't have a living room, a dryer or a double bed, the kitchen is painfully tiny, and my rent is rather high. But on the flipside, I live in a trendy neighborhood that's centrally located, I have a view from my balcony that's been featured on postcards, my landlord is kind and helpful, a housekeeper comes once a week to clean the common areas, and my apartment was recently renovated.

Do not put money down for an apartment before seeing it in person, because more often than not, the pictures online look nothing like the apartment does in reality.

Consider what sacrifices you're willing to make. I was happy to pay a little extra rent for this view!

Opening a Bank Account: 

To get paid, you must have a Spanish bank account. My school deposits my grant on the first of every month, but be forewarned: other regions in Spain have had issues paying their Auxiliares on time. (Thankfully, this isn't a problem in Madrid.)

When it comes to Spanish banks, I've had really good luck with La Caixa, but my friends have had great experiences with BBVA and Sabadell. I've only heard terrible things about Santander, so I'd recommend staying away from them. I only needed my passport to open an account at La Caixa, while other banks may require your NIE/TIE.

Finding La Caixa branches in Madrid is like finding Starbucks back home in Seattle (in other words, they're everywhere), which makes life pretty easy. Don't choose a small regional bank, because they have fewer branches in other parts of Spain/Europe (which can be rather inconvenient if you plan on traveling extensively).

More Tips:

Using your phone in Spain: 

The easiest thing to do is bring a smartphone from home, unlock it, and buy a new SIM card in Spain. Movistar, Vodafone and Orange are all good places to do this. You can pay as you go, or you can sign a contract for a year. Most people use WhatsApp instead of texting in Spain, so make sure to have internet access on your phone.

Teaching private classes: 

Teaching private classes on the side is the easiest way to earn some extra cash for traveling, or maybe just for your weekly tapas + tinto de verano  fund. In Madrid, most Auxiliares charge 15-20 euros per hour for private lessons, depending on what age you're teaching and how qualified you are. You can find private classes through the Auxiliares de Conversación en Madrid Facebook page or through tusclasesparticulares.com. 

Moving to Spain with a food allergy: 

Spain is surprisingly accommodating to various food allergies. I have Celiac Disease, but avoiding gluten in Spain hasn't been a problem thanks to their general knowledge of what "celiaca" means and the abundance of eggs and potatoes in Spanish cuisine. It's also relatively easy to avoid dairy, seeing as olive oil is almost always used instead of butter. However, vegetarians, vegans and those who keep Kosher may find avoiding meat to be a bit more difficult.

Learning Spanish: 

Knowing the local language is invaluable, not only for your job but also for your life as an expat. If your Spanish skills need some brushing up, sign up for a Spanish class or attend weekly intercambios. Intercambios are gatherings where you practice speaking Spanish and English with a native Spanish speaker. It's a great way to improve your Spanish, meet new friends, and get connected with your new community. You can find countless intercambio opportunities at conversationexchange.com or through the Facebook group New in Madrid - Intercambio de Idiomas.

Travel flexibility:

Auxiliares only work four days a week. I work Monday through Thursday, which means I have three day weekends every week. This makes it incredibly convenient to travel on the weekends, especially with the availability of cheap RyanAir flights! This past year I took weekend trips to Sevilla, Amsterdam, Budapest, northern France, Munich and northern Spain. I saved my bigger trips (Prague + Vienna and Greece) for spring break and summer vacation.

But of course, the best part about teaching English in Spain is experiencing Spain. The Spanish culture is inviting and delightful, and being able to live abroad and experience the heart and soul of this country has changed who I am & what I value. Living and working abroad is an invaluable experience, and I can say without a doubt that this past year has been the most fun year of my life.

If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to contact me! Or, check out the other helpful resources listed below. Buena suerte!

Other helpful resources & blogs:

North American Language and Culture Assistants

Auxiliares de Conversación Application Guidelines for New Candidates

Moving to Spain: A Comprehensive Guide to Your First Weeks on the Iberian Peninsula

Young Adventuress | A Texan in Spain | Venga, Vale, Vamos

Update as of Autumn 2015:

I spent two years teaching English in Madrid through the Spanish Ministry of Education's Auxiliar de Conversación program. The ministry has a rule that you can only stay in the same region for two years, so you must switch regions after your second year if you wish to continue with the program. Because I had my heart set on staying in Madrid, I am currently spending my third year in Spain teaching English through the BEDA program.

3 Things I've Learned From My Students in Spain

"Draw me a pink heart", Ana demanded with a charming toothless grin that I simply couldn't say no to. I drew her name in bubble letters just to provoke another goofy seven year old smile. We were killing time after standardized testing, and I was in charge of babysitting the 2nd graders while the other students finished their exams.

"Now draw me a blue heart and write Adrián's name next to it", she mandated in Spanish. "Why Adrián's name?" I asked. "Porque es mi novio." Because he's my boyfriend. Like, duuuhhh. For the rest of the afternoon, Ana pranced around the room proclaiming her love for Adrián. While I personally prefer not to shout my romantic interests from a mountaintop, I couldn't help but admire how shamelessly honest she was.

Meanwhile after about 40 minutes of play time, many of the 2nd graders began to tearfully lament to one another, "I'm mad at you, because you won't share your crayons with me", "Leave me alone, you're bothering me", and "I'm sad, why don't you want to build a castle with me?" Although mollifying the madness was thoroughly exhausting, the whole scene made me think: When was the last time I personally confronted someone who I was upset with?

Though the tears and tantrums get old fast, kids feel every emotion to the fullest and have no reservations about expressing how they truly feel. They're unabashedly honest. They're not like the repressed adults I know who are trained to say, "I'm fine" even when they're going through the most difficult of personal traumas. Kids don't lie or hide from their emotions, and I've come to realize that we could all learn something from their refreshing, no-bullshit approach to expressing feelings.

Watching my students make heartfelt drawings for each other always makes me smile.

I get up at 6:40 am every single day. If you know me at all, you probably know that I am not a morning person. This usually means that I come to school with no makeup and my hair messy from a slept-in braid. Yet even on those days when I could pass as a homeless person, I'm constantly showered with compliments: "Teacher, you are beautiful!", "Teacher, you look very pretty today!", "¡Qué guapa eres, Teacher!" Children, are you blind?

And when they're not complimenting me, they're giving me drawings, hugs, crafts, rubber band bracelets... you name it. I don't deserve these tokens of their affection; I'm not even their real teacher, I'm just an assistant! Regardless, they spoil me with love, gifts and odds-and-ends that I'll never bring myself to throw away. It melts my heart.

I suppose they go out of their way to make me these things because it's their way of saying, "I love and appreciate you." It reminds me that I don't do this enough for the people that I love and appreciate. Even though I think about my friends back home all the time, I hardly ever remember to send them letters, postcards, long emails or birthday cards. I could blame it on being busy, or I could blame it on the ease of Facebook. But the truth is, us grown-ups don't make thoughtfulness a norm like kids do.

My friend Meghan always remembers to send birthday cards, Christmas cards, thank you cards, and even Valentine's Day cards. (And she has great taste in stationary, so her cards are always really pretty and stay on my shelves for years.) Every time I receive one in the mail, I get all excited and giddy - much like how I feel when my students randomly give me drawings, cards and bracelets. I want to be like Meghan and my students, who spread joy by simply being thoughtful.

Just a few of the trinkets that my students have gifted me this year.

It's kind of ironic that I'm writing about this, because as an assistant teacher it's partially my responsibility to discipline my students. I have to reprimand them when they're eating paste or drawing on their faces with permanent markers, and I often spend an average of 10 minutes per class (or more) trying to get them to stop screaming, taking off their shirts, and rolling around on the floor. (Did I mention that I'm specifically talking about my 8 and 9 year olds...?)

Nevertheless, while my 3rd graders can be wild animals when they want to be, they can also be pretty freaking brilliant. They call me out when I'm not consistent. They ask me, "But Teacher, why are we doing this?" when it's a filler (aka "time-waster") activity that's completely irrelevant to what they're learning. They catch on. And they're bold.

The other week in art class, we were crafting a sheep out of paper and cotton swabs. I showed them the Pinterest example on the white board, instructed them on how to construct the sheep, and started tying little red bows for their sheep heads. Art class was almost over when one of my favorite students - a shy kid in the back of the class who's always well behaved - comes up to me and presents me his sheep. Except it wasn't a sheep, it was a tiger.

Who does that? What third grader is assigned an art project to make a sheep and thinks instead, "Screw that, I'm going to make a tiger!" I could hardly contain the grin on my face. I would have never seen it coming from this darling little underdog, but I admired the hell out of him. I think there's something to be valued in those who think out-of-the-box, even when it means bucking the system. Why not make a tiger?

Dare to be different, folks.

While being an assistant English teacher isn't the most glamorous job, it's certainly been one of the most rewarding. I can't wait to teach at my same school next year and continue learning from these adorable kiddos.

Have you learned any life lessons from teaching or being around kids?

How I've Changed Since Moving to Spain

1. I can actually stay out late

In Seattle, I was pretty much an abuela, or "grandma". I was lucky if I could stay out until closing time, which in Washington is between 1:45 and 2:00 am. It was a real struggle to stay awake past midnight. As many of you already know, here in Spain people don't even start heading to the clubs until about 3 am, and eventually they head home around 6 or 7 am. Needless to say, I've had to adapt. Now, when I go out on the weekends I'll usually stay out past 3 am, and about every other weekend I'll have one big night where I stay out until 6 am. I'm sure many of my friends back home won't believe this, but I've actually changed my ways. Thank goodness for siestas, am I right?

Spaniards are notorious night owls, so I must caffeinate accordingly.

2. The way I speak English has changed

Despite being hired as a native American English speaker, at my elementary school I'm required to teach British English. Between teaching British English at work and always hanging out with my posh British roommate outside of work, this different way of speaking has proved to be subconsciously contagious.

My Pacific Northwest accent has stayed the same (I'm desperately clinging to my Washingtonian habit of pronouncing my "t"s like "d"s - "I'm from Seaddle, where there's lots of wader"...), but the way I structure sentences has changed. For instance, instead of saying "Do you have any tomatoes?", I inadvertently copy the Brits and say, "Have you got any tomatoes?" I've also started to say things like, "I can't be bothered to go proper grocery shopping right now." The Spice Girls and the Royal Baby would be so proud.

But I suppose I must admit that the language I speak most often here is Spanglish. I find myself saying the following phrases to my fellow expat friends on a daily basis: "I just don't have the ganas today", "I'm going to echar the &%$@ outta this siesta", and, "I'm so tired of his tonterías." 

3. Fashion has taken a backseat

Being a foreigner in Spain, I already get a lot of intense stares that make me feel as if I'm an animal in a zoo. Sure, it could be a lot worse; like many Spaniards, I'm short, tan and brunette - so I get a lot less attention than say, my two gorgeous German roommates who are tall and blonde. Nevertheless, I stick out... and I get stared down a lot. Any you know what? People gape even more when I dress like a total foreigner.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've temporarily traded in my preppy, all-American J.Crew and Kate Spade ensembles for a more convenient Zara-inspired look, simply because I'm sick of being gawked at. I miss my pearls, gingham button ups and Sperry's, but they'll be waiting for me back home at my country club where people don't look at me like I'm some sort of rabid wildebeest.

I miss you, preppy stripe collection.

4. I'm not a healthy eater anymore

RIP long lost Paleo baking supplies

Last year when I was living at home, I became a really healthy eater. I was even Paleo for four months, for crying out loud. I only ate organic fruits and vegetables, I only bought hormone & antibiotic free/free range/organic meat, and I would exclusively shop at Whole Foods, PCC & Trader Joe's. (Okay, so I got kind of obsessive about it when I moved back in with my parents. But there are worse compulsions to have.)

Anyways, all of the good habits that I accumulated back home all went to hell when I moved to Spain, because everything here is fried, artery-clogging and addictive. Fried potatoes have become a weekly staple. Finding decently priced organic food is a headache. I can't even remember the last time I drank a green smoothie. Who am I? I mean, it's not my fault that I can't find kale because it isn't grown here, nor can I take the blame for the fact that a tiny box of quinoa costs a whopping 9 Euros. I guess I could work harder to find more creative solutions, but see point number 5...

I've traded in kale chips for these bad boys. And I mean "bad" in the literal sense, as in someday they'll probably kill me.

5. I'm less conscientious

This is probably the laziest I have ever been, for better or for worse. Spaniards get a bad rep for being lazy, and while I can't speak for the population of an entire country, I can definitely speak for myself. I'm still generally a productive person, but considering how gruesome of an overachiever I used to be, this is the worst that my work ethic has ever been. In turn, I'm a lot less stressed out and I've found a much healthier balance in my life. But still, my American conscious is constantly plagued with guilt by my intermittent unproductiveness.

I used to define conscientiousness. Now, I'm always running 10 minutes late, efficient time management is a capricious mood rather than an abiding skill, I don't make my bed everyday, and if I really need to get something done, chances are I'll take a very long nap first. If you knew me back home, this is a really big deal.

6. I'm more flexible and patient

Having to adapt to living in a new culture takes a lot of patience as it is, and then when you add in a job that involves working with children all day... well, it just skyrockets from there. Even the littlest things like going to the grocery store, mailing something at the post office, or setting up a bank account require a ridiculous amount of patience compared to doing those same mundane tasks back home.

This doesn't mean that I'm chill and Zen all the time (spoiler: I'm not), but living in Spain and dealing with many frustrating circumstances has taught me to take things as they come and accept the things I can't control. It's truly been a challenge at times, (okay... at most times, especially when it involves dealing with painfully inefficient Spanish bureaucracy...) but overall it's made me a stronger individual, so I really can't complain now, can I?

Patience is: teaching 50 screaming kids how to make Thanksgiving turkey crafts, and then coming home to find art supplies in your hair.

Have you ever lived abroad? 
How did it change or impact you?

Interview with Jessica: Teaching English in Spain through the BEDA Program

If you have the urge to pack your bags, get paid a decent salary and have the time of your life living in Spain, there are plenty of different ways to become an English teacher Spain. That said, researching all of the options out there can feel a bit overwhelming, which is why a few of us bloggers here in Madrid have collaborated to talk about various opportunities to teach English in Spain and share our personal experiences with these programs.

Make sure to check out Curiosity Travels to read about my experience with the Auxiliares de Conversación program, Route Words to learn about Candice and the CIEE program, and The Gilded Nomad to discover more about Kelsey's TEFL experience.

Today I'm thrilled to introduce one of my favorite expat bloggers, Jessica from Curiosity Travels. After teaching in Korea for a couple of years, Jessica made the move to Madrid and now teaches English through the BEDA program. I'm always quite envious of her extensive travels and beautiful photos, so be sure to check out her blog which is sure to inspire you to pack your bags and travel the world!

Jessica, what made you decide to teach in Spain?
After college, I decided to teach in South Korea. The benefits of teaching there are great, and the money and vacation time kept me there for two years. After that, I took my savings and went to travel for about 5 months. Although I overall enjoyed the experience in Korea, and of course all my travels around Asia, I didn't always connect with Korean culture and lifestyle. I still wanted to teach abroad, so I decided to pick a location based on the lifestyle rather than the salary and benefits. I knew some Spanish already, so Spain just seemed to be a perfect fit!

From cold Korea to sunny Spain!

What is your program, and why did you choose it? 

I am in the BEDA program which places successful applicants in Catholic schools around Spain, but mostly in Madrid. I knew that I wanted to be in Madrid, so this seemed like a good choice. I also don't like programs which can randomly place you anywhere, so I was hesitant to do the ministry program. I had also heard about how unorganized the ministry program is, so that was another deterrent. BEDA also offers a lot of support in terms of visas, setting up banks accounts and school placements so I went with it! 

How did you apply, and how difficult was the process? 

Overall, it's pretty simple. You must be a native English speaker from an English speaking country, have a clean criminal record and either a college degree or be in the process of getting one. I applied in November for the upcoming fall term. Sending over the documents was very straight forward and I was soon given a Skype interview time. I had that in January and it was very basic, more like a Q&A session for the program rather than an interview. By April, I had heard that I had been accepted and was sent my school placement. To accept, I had to send over €175 to hold my placement and be enrolled in the university classes which are also part of the program. 

How much do you get paid and is it enough to live off of? 

In the BEDA program you are able to choose how many hours you teach, and your salary is based off of that. I teach 18 hours (which comes out to about 21 classes) and receive €823 a month after taxes and medical. It is enough to live a basic lifestyle with, but doesn't allow for travel. I teach private classes on the side to supplement the rest of my income. 

Let private classes pay for your churro addiction

How many hours in total are you working?

I am at work (or teaching private classes) for a total of about 28 hours a week. This includes 21 classes at my school and 5 private classes. I don't have to lesson plan at my school, and I probably spend less than an hour or two in total lesson planning for my private classes. Most of my private classes are with small children, so during my breaks I just print off worksheets and crafts. During the classes I also use a lot of online games and flashcards. With my schedule, I am kept pretty busy three days a week. The other day is a half day and I have every Friday off unless I am scheduled to attend one of the three hour BEDA classes. It's great compared to most jobs in the U.S.A., that's for sure! With the BEDA program, if you want to have Fridays off, you should probably choose less than 20 hours. Although it is not guaranteed, your school can bunch your classes together to make that possible. If you want more money without having to find private classes, I'd recommend that you choose to work 20+ hours. 

What has been your experience teaching private classes on the side? 

My private classes were very easy to find. A lot of the parents at my school wanted them, so right after school at 4:45 I either walk the students home or get driven to their houses which are all a short distance away. This is nice because I don't waste time commuting to classes. I also teach one 4-year-old twice a week, during lunch. I walk about 15 minutes to his house, stay with him for an hour and then walk back all in time to make it to my next class. These classes keep me busy, and sometimes I really don't want to do them, but they pay the bills and allow me to save a little each month! 

 

Some of the students are just so cute!

How did your program prepare you? 

The BEDA program was pretty good with answering all questions we had about the job before arrival. The coordinators are very responsive and helpful. They gave good advice and instructions for getting the visa and upon arrival we had an orientation to complete our visa paperwork. A bank account was also set up for us and taken care of. In terms of meeting other people in the program or informing us about life in Spain, I think the program could have done better. The orientation was very centered around formalities, information about the Catholic school system and paperwork and didn't allow for socializing or preparing for our time in Spain. They offered a little assistance for finding an apartment, but we were mostly on our own. 

What are the pros and cons of your program?
The definite pro of this program is the support they offer in terms of visa and banking paperwork. My residency card happened to have a misprint, and although it's now a huge headache, they are helping me though every complicated step. It is also a smaller program, so any question or problem I have I know one of the coordinators will respond quickly. There are no problems in terms of late payments, and if you happen to have a problem with your school they are happy to fix the situation or help you switch. For me, the cons are both the pay and the extra classes. I wish this program paid as much as the ministry so I didn't have to fit in private classes. I also do some social media work and spend a lot of time on my blog, so working 28 hours a week keeps me very busy. I also personally don't enjoy all the required classes even though they are only once or twice a month. Some of them have not been helpful to me at all. On the other hand, some of the classes are for Spanish, and those are nice to have. This has been helpful for me since I don't pay for any Spanish lessons at the moment and I can use the extra study time. 

Did your program live up to its expectations? 

Yes, this program did live up to my expectations. I am so thankful for the assistance and organization, but at the same I wish it paid the same as the ministry program. With the BEDA program you are sacrificing a bit more free time and money to be able to be in a program that tries its best to take care of you. 

Teaching English to primary students involves a lot of coloring!

Who would you recommend this program to? 

I would recommend this program to people who aren't concerned about being able to save money while in Madrid. If you just want to break even, then this program will be fine. I would also recommend this program to people who aren't comfortable having to navigate all the paperwork on their own. Also, if you are new to teaching this would be a good program for you. The first few university classes were about teaching methods and activities to use in the classroom. Also, if you are comfortable in smaller, more reliable programs, this might be best for you. 

What level of Spanish do you need to have to participate in this program? 

It is not a requirement to speak much Spanish at all to participate in this program, although it helps in general. Some of the orientation was held in Spanish and some of the Spanish teachers in the Catholic schools don't have the strongest level of English. There are many people who have a very basic level of Spanish and still do just fine. Overall, I would recommend learning as much as you can before arrival just for your own personal benefit. 

What's your favorite part about living in Spain? 

My favorite part of living in Spain is getting to know Spanish culture and lifestyle. It is such an enjoyable and fun country to live in! I also really enjoy being in such a convenient spot for travel. There are so many places to explore not only in Spain, but Europe itself! 

If you want to apply to the BEDA program, you can do so here: http://www.ecmadrid.org/en/language-assistant

  When Jessica isn't teaching or taking advantage of cheap RyanAir flights, you will probably find her in the Asian supermarkets scouring the aisles for the best ingredients for pad thai or Korean kimbap. She also tweets and Instagrams for Madrid Food Tour where she shares food porn with the rest of the world. You can follow her journey from Asia to Europe, and everywhere in between, all on her blog CuriosityTravels.org.

What are your thoughts on teaching abroad? 

Do you have any experiences you'd like to share? 

Happy Halloween!

In third grade I dressed up as a black cat for Halloween, so as a third grade teacher, I thought it was only appropriate to dress up as a black cat again. (Also, cat ears and a black tail were the cheapest costume I could find. I'm on a teacher's budget, people.)

With my students at school, I'm a lot more open about being a crazy cat lady than I am here on this blog. Nevertheless, my students were less than surprised when I showed up to school channelling my inner Kitty Purry. Although Spain has only recently adopted a diluted version of Halloween, most Spaniards think that all Halloween costumes must be scary and overtly terrifying. Imagine their disappointment when I showed up to school as a precious little kitten while everyone else was dressed as vampires, witches, zombies and pirate ghosts. (It was just like in Mean Girls when Lindsay Lohan shows up to a Halloween party wearing a horrific zombie bride costume, but everyone else is wearing animal ears... except today was the exact opposite.)

That said, I had so much fun celebrating Halloween like a kid again. It made me want to go trick-or-treating and stuff my face with candy (specifically Reese's Peanut Butter Cups), but sadly nobody does that here. Maybe one day trick-or-treating (and peanut butter) will catch on in Spain, but for now I'm just glad I had the opportunity to celebrate Halloween abroad. 

Have a happy Halloween, everybody!

Confessions Of An English Teacher

Today I celebrate having survived my first two weeks as an English teaching assistant in Spain.

Almost exactly one year ago today I sat next to a man who worked for National Geographic on my flight home from Buenos Aires. As we got to talking, I admitted to him that I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew that I wanted to travel and speak Spanish. He then suggested that I move back to Spain and teach English abroad. At first I shrugged the idea off, but here I am - one year later - working as a language assistant and helping adorable Spanish kids learn English. I would have never thought that life would take me in this direction, but I'm so glad it did.

My primary school in Galapagar

Here are some of the things that I've learned within my first 2 weeks as an Auxiliar de Conversación in Spain:

- There will always be questions kids ask you that you simply don't know how to answer. Some of my personal favorites these past two weeks have included: "What color is your motorbike?" (Such a European thing to say.) "What is your favorite sea dinosaur?" (Ummm... what's your favorite sea dinosaur?! Mine too! What a coincidence...) And best of all, "Why aren't you married???" (Good question, Juan. Gooooood question.)

- Improvisation is one of the foundations of teaching here in Spain. This is especially hard for Type A people like me who are obsessed with excessive planning and organization. Although going with the flow has at times been a challenge for me, it's also taught me to think on my feet more freely - and most importantly - have fun.

- The more teeth a kid has recently lost, the cuter they inevitably are. I'm serious. They're so stinkin' adorable.

- Pretending that I don't speak Spanish is one of the hardest parts of my job. The other day, one of my students told his classmates in Spanish that I looked like a grandma with my glasses on - and I totally called him out. Needless to say, I think some of them are catching on to the fact that I actually understand what they're saying en español.

- Something tells me that I will be making a lot of PowerPoint presentations this year.

- Teaching British English as a native American speaker is beyond frustrating. My jaw dropped the first time a student asked me for a "rubber", because apparently "rubber" means "eraser". Also, I have to teach certain grammatical phrases like "Have you got...?" instead of "Do you have...?", and vocabulary words like "chemist" instead of "pharmacy". Even telling time is harder in British English. (What in the world does "half 11" mean?)

- For every two little monsters, there are four angles that make your heart explode.

My Teaching Survival Essentials:

1. I kid you not, this is the most caffeinated I've ever been in my entire life. In the past month I've quadrupled my coffee intake, and quite frankly this is the only way I get through my mornings. (Despite the fact that school starts at 9 am, the school I teach at is quite far away. Hence, I have to wake up at 6:20 am everyday to get ready, scarf down some breakfast and make my commute.)

2. Kids will do anything for a sticker (or any other "prize" for that matter). They'll even behave! GENIUS.

3. I think it goes without saying that I need a large glass of tinto de verano everyday to quiet my mind from the persistent echoes of screaming children. I mean, when in Spain...

With all that said, I come home from work everyday exhausted but fulfilled. I'm already growing so attached to my little niños, and I love them even when they drive me crazy. Although there can be some challenging moments, at the end of the day I feel incredibly satisfied.