Fresh out of my CELTA course and with very little idea of what to do next, I was lucky enough to hear about the Spainwise TEFL Jobs Fair, a kind of one-stop shop for TEFL jobs across the country.
The only problem was I had already booked a return ticket home. Attending the fair would involve travelling to and from Spain twice in a month, difficult on an employed teacher´s salary, almost beyond an unemployed one. I was serious about teaching, though, and equally serious about finding a good place to do it. I´d also heard all the scare stories about exploitation, fly-by-night schools and shady operators. The chance to meet dozens of potential employers face-to-face and size them up while they did the same to me seemed too good to pass up.
A month later, as I mulled three job offers, each in a different province of Spain and each from someone I was sure I would enjoy working with, I knew I´d made the right decision.
The school I chose, Academia Blue Door in Cordoba, eased me through all the red tape and helped me with accommodation, as all the schools involved in Spainwise had offered to do.
The job itself involved longer hours than you would ever teach without a break in England, but I appreciated the way that teaching in the evenings left mornings and afternoons free to sleep or enjoy life in a new city. A ten o´clock finish coincides with when most Spaniards finish their dinner and start thinking about which bar to visit afterwards, so you don´t miss much nightlife. It´s worth thinking about when you want to work, though, and checking this is the same as when your employer wants you to.
I´m still teaching and so far the experience has been rewarding and enjoyable. Expect a steep learning curve in the first term but if you´re keen on the job you´ll get through it and find that teaching is a constantly stimulating experience from which you learn as much as your students.
Find out about the Spainwise TEFL Job Fairs here.
