1: Journey from Teaching Assistant to Teacher

Published on 24 August 2024 at 14:40

Where to begin?

It´s definitely not been a straight path to reach where I am today. So, let´s go back to 2020...

 

I spent a total of three academic years at three quite different schools. The first school I was placed at was a secondary school, and the following year was spent at the primary school attached to it. Through working at both the primary and secondary sides, I gained some incredible experience working with a range of ages and abilities, as well as getting to assist teachers with diverse teaching styles. I was particularly fascinated by the primary, as there were no textbooks in sight! The students learnt through year-long projects, in which the topic was chosen by the kids themselves. The teachers were so inspiring in how they then taught art, music, geography, maths, and so on, in a way that was connected to the class projects. As for English, I enjoyed a very creative, innovative way of assisting with teaching the content that was relevant to their projects. 

 

My third year was spent at a smaller school, but one that had a range of ages from infants up to bachillerato (the college/A-Level equivalent).  Looking back, I can see that those first two schools prepared me nicely for school number 3, as I had developed a good sense of what activities worked well for each age group. Aside from being a Language Assistant, I have also worked as a private English tutor and for TUI as a Kids Club Host. Working with TUI was so rewarding, a highlight for me was leading the Parent & Baby Wellbeing sessions - what a location for it too! If you know me, you´ll know I love yoga, meditation and all things zen so it was naturally very fulfilling to be able to share these passions with parents and their little ones. I also completed a Level 2 certificate in Childcare alongside my role as Kids Club Host, which enables me to feel confident in my current role as a teacher, as I gained a deeper understanding of child development.

Wednesday, 16th September 2020. A day I´d been waiting for ever since I´d been accepted onto the British Council Language Assistant Programme. I remember the countless job applications that I´d made upon finishing my university degree in the spring, and how each position I´d applied for was cancelled due to the pandemic. I was delighted when I found out I´d been placed in a school just outside of San Antonio here in Ibiza. I spent the summer studying for my TEFL certificate, and watching and listening to every documentary and podcast about Ibiza that I could find! Although I´d never visited the island before, I´d always wanted to and soon enough it was time to embark on my Ibizan adventure. 

 

Stepping off the plane, meeting my mentor teacher, Magda, and driving with her from the airport over to San Antonio was such a surreal experience. So much uncertainty unfolding around the world, but here I was - so incredibly lucky to be moving to Spain, a country I always knew I´d end up living in (just a lot sooner than I´d expected!) 

 

I spent the first few weeks finding a place to live, reading through my TEFL course notes and exploring the island. When it came to starting at the school, it was pretty nerve wracking. But the high spirits of the students and staff soon helped me to settle in. Lockdowns had been pretty intense in Spain, but schools remained open in Ibiza and you could just feel how grateful both the staff and the kids were to be out of the house and able to interact with friends and colleagues. There were still restrictions though and the use of face masks remained in schools until spring of 2022!

 

 

 

January 2023 was when I was able to put all my experience of teaching and working with children to the test when I started part-time at the English academy Can Cooper. Fast forward to August 2024 and I´ll soon be preparing for my second academic year at Can Cooper as a full-time English teacher. I couldn´t be happier to be getting ready for another year of teaching on this magical island. Winter is such a special time in Ibiza and I´m just beyond grateful to be able to experience it and grow my career here.

 

Special thanks to my mentor teachers throughout my time on the British Council programme - Magda, Azahara and Maria... ¡mujeres increíbles e inspiradoras!

 

Ciao for now... 

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