91°µÍø

¡Hola! My name is Richie and I just finished my second year as an auxiliar de conversación in Madrid, Spain. After I graduated college, I moved home without a clue of what I wanted to do next. I knew I wanted to live abroad, but I wasn’t sure how this would be feasible. One day I decided to check 91°µÍø’s website as I had studied abroad with them in college. I was looking for an internship, job, or anything that would take me to another country. That’s when I came across CIEE’s Teach in Spain program! Two years later I’ve just finished my second year, and I’ve had a blast every step of the way. 

Getting TEFL certified for teaching in Spain

Because I didn’t major in education, I decided to enroll in the CIEE 150-Hour TEFL course. This course was a perfect choice for me as it gave me a much more concrete idea of what I would be doing in class, as well as many skills that could be applied in a variety of contexts. Having studied language acquisition a bit before, I recognized some of the concepts, but I also learned a lot of new valuable skills and lessons. An extremely valuable skill I learned was lesson planning, and how it relates to the context of the class. Is an English lesson for teenagers also going to work for 8 year olds? Will it work as well for adult learners? How will their interests vary? These questions were things I wouldn’t think to ask without the TEFL course, and I think they are critical things to consider when creating a lesson plan. 

My initial experience arriving and settling into Spain through 91°µÍø

My visa and arrival process were generally pretty easy thanks to 91°µÍø. Getting a visa for another country is always stressful and as it was my first time applying by myself, having 91°µÍø there to support me was extremely helpful. I was able to ask questions, was given reminders when I was running late with something, and I was given a very straightforward checklist that helped me a lot. My orientation was also amazing; I was adequately supported with all the paperwork I needed to do upon arrival and made a few amazing friends that I still have to this day!

Reflections on my teaching experience

One of the most rewarding experiences for me was getting to know more about my coworkers and students! I worked with different middle/high school classes throughout my 2 years there, so I got to know a lot of the classes very well! Getting to know what my students were interested in helped a lot with lesson planning. I could add memes, TV shows, or other cultural references that might make them more interested in the lesson. One challenge for me was adjusting to the class culture of Spain. In my opinion, my school’s culture seemed more relaxed in regards to certain aspects of class culture (punctuality, hierarchy of teachers) and that sometimes led to a more rambunctious class. The TEFL course helped prepare me for this by teaching about how different cultures can have differences in their societies, and how this could affect the classroom culture. Although it isn’t required for auxiliares in Spain to discipline students, the TEFL course helped me prepare for this as well and it did come in handy when classes got rambunctious. I think I did learn a lot from the experiences in my classes, and having a good relationship with my head teachers also helped me greatly. 

My advice and things to know before teaching in Spain with 91°µÍø

One piece of advice would be to suspend judgement when having new experiences. This was a very important lesson I learned through 91°µÍø. I think it can apply to any experience in life, but especially when interacting with a new culture. I think we can be very quick to judge unfamiliar traditions, ideas, or even foods, but just because something is new and different doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. I think that going into this experience with an open mind is really important. It’s also okay to recognize when you’re at your limit and need to take a break: talking to your family, having food from home, or watching your favorite TV show is a great way to feel more at home when you’re abroad. 

Since I studied abroad in Spain before, I had an idea of how schools worked. The main difference I’ve noticed is that schools here generally seem more relaxed than in the US. With fewer daily worksheets and a bit less discipline, it feels like how I imagine school to be in the 80s. My school has no passing periods, so classes usually start a bit later than what’s on the schedule. I think the pressure to succeed also falls more on the students in Spain than the teachers. In my experience, it seemed like teachers weren’t as worried about every student succeeding, and it seems more common that students in Spain might fail and retake a year over again, which is not common in the US. 

My plans post-teaching abroad

Next year I will be staying in Spain to get my masters degree in International Education! Since I’ve completed 2 years at my school, I knew I’d need to find another program or job if I wanted to stay in Madrid longer. I applied to a graduate program that is offered for English speakers, and will be taking classes as well as teaching English through their program starting in the fall! I’m so grateful for the connections I’ve made through 91°µÍø and my school, and the opportunities this program has given me.