Work

I do apologize for the lack of updates. Although I planned on working in Spain, I failed to factor in how much of my time I would have to dedicate to the task!

I like my job very much. Craig and I are both employed by the British House, a private English language academy here in Alcalá de Henares, which offers classes to every age and every level of learner. Ours is the leading English school in the area and we teachers are subsequently contracted to a number of jobs. So, we may work at more than one location if requested. For example, I hold a certain amount of hours at the institution itself, but I also travel to a nearby pharmaceutical manufacturer to teach private lessons to its big-wig employees that require business English education and conversation practice. So, I teach advanced adults at the academy and intermediate to advanced adults at Bayer. Additionally, I work as a private tutor. Craig is currently balancing academy hours with travel to the Spanish branch of Johnson and Johnson!

The downside to this sort of schedule is that the day grows long very quickly. Some days, one might have a single class. The next day, the work day can extend from 10 am to 9:30 in the evening. We must be very flexible for our students, especially when so many people wish to study after work or on the weekend. We are currently working 6 days a week and it is exhausting.

On the other hand, it is a stimulating job; if I was not working as an English teacher I would know nothing about Spain. I teach directors of a large business, teenagers, university students, a pilot, business administrators, accountants, biologists, chemists, pharmacists, translators, fathers, manual laborers, school teachers…the variety makes teaching extraordinary work, as my most important daily task is to encourage my students to speak in foreign tongue. This means I learn their opinions on political issues; I learn their cultural and familial traditions; I learn expressions and social habits. I learn about Spanish laws and history and geography. I learn about people, which is the very mission I undertook when deciding to travel in the first place.