It is now June 4th,
5 days after my last day of teaching English at a primary school in
Spain, yet here I am, back at school to see everyone because I have
come to love being here so much. The year has been incredible. For
me, it was not only an experience in teaching, it was a life
experience that gave me so much to learn from and lessons to take
home with me for the rest of my life.
At the beginning, it was all
about getting use to life in Spain, and getting familiar with the
school and what was expected of me here. A lot of effort was put in
by the bilingual team to make me feel welcome, but most of all to
ensure that strong organisation existed between us all. Our weekly
Monday meetings were invaluable during my time here, as they allowed
us all to be clear about in what ways I was to be of use in the
school. Making my life in Spain comfortable was also important during
this phase, and I found that making myself feel comfortable and
useful at the school helped with this enormously. Once I felt useful
and appreciated by students and staff, my mind could begin to relax
into my new Spanish life.
Gradually, as the school year
progressed, I developed my skills in communicating and in teaching.
There was never a point at which I felt I was out of my depth, or
that too much was expected of me. As I became more competent, I was
able to take on more responsibility and contribute my efforts with
more confidence. The teachers around me were fantastic with allowing
me to express my creativity and teaching ideas with the students, and
were always supportive of my work and very accommodating with my
limitations and concerns.
As we spent more and more
time together, in class and in the break time, I got to know the
kids, and this made coming to school so much fun! And all of a
sudden, work was no longer work. School was fun, because I was free
to contribute in ways that I was comfortable with, and I was welcomed
and loved by the kids in each class. For me this really made a
difference in my happiness throughout my experience in Spain, because
without family and friends from home, you need another source of love
and another place to call home. Having positive and enjoyable
relationships with the teachers was also hugely important for me, and
with them I have made life long friends.
As Spring came to Andalucia,
life in Spain became a little bit like paradise. Here I was, going to
´work´ 12 hours a week at a job I loved, living in a beautiful part
of Spain with more beaches on offer than you can imagine, and
watching the sunrise every morning from my high apartment over the
port of Malaga. I had been travelling a lot to other European
countries, but on the weekends I had free in Malaga I would spend
them mostly exploring nearby beach villages, eating ´berenjenas con
miel´ at the absolutely delicious restaurants in El Palo, or running
through the mountains with my fitness buddy.
But May finally arrived, and
I couldn´t believe how fast the year had gone. I really felt like a
part of the school now, like maybe I could actually be a teacher one
day! My last presentation I did for the kids was one on my city
Melbourne, because at the time many of the classes were studying
´Cities and Towns´, so what better way to relate the topic to
reality. It was also a very appropriate way for me to get accustomed
to the reality of going back home, which I was looking forward to. It
was sad to arrive at the end of the school year, but I felt that it
had been the perfect amount of time to gain what I needed from the
experience, and I was ready to begin my next phase of my life. In my
last week at school, I was very happy because I got to spend the last
of each class doing something compeletely of my own chosing: YOGA!
So, in strange poses on the floor, with our shoes off, all groaning
in pain, the students and I stretched and breathed our way to the end
of our time together.
During my experience as an
auxiliar de conversación, I have developed my skills, my
personality, and my knowledge of the world and people in some truly
amazing ways that I will take with me for the rest of my life. Thank
you Spain, and thanks for having me Salvador Allende!
