Meddeas

Language Assistant

October 2017 - June 2018 • El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz

What I liked

The opportunity to live and work overseas. Being able to adapt to different work cultures is an important skill and this was a great way to develop it. Living in a different country in general is a great way to grow as a person. I really enjoyed Colegio Guadalete (the school I taught at) and their staff as well. All around, the entire experience teaching in El Puerto was a positive one that I believe helped make me a better version of myself.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have spent some time teaching older students as well as the younger ones. While I really enjoyed teaching grades 1-6, I think it would have been nice to have been able to get some experience teaching students grades 7-12 as well.

Advice

Be adaptive. Pay attention to the culture of the school that you teach at and adapt your teaching style so as to have a "cohesive" teaching experience. The school will appreciate it, you will challenge yourself and grow through these efforts, and "fitting in" at the school will make your life easier.

2 people found this helpful

Language Assistant

September 2017 - May 2018 • Málaga, Málaga

What I liked

Meddeas does an incredible job to ensure Language Assistants are comfortable with their teaching experience through the application process. Meddeas reviewed my preferences and placed me in Malaga, a large city on the Mediterranean Sea. This was a perfect placement based on my application!

What I wish was different

Advice

As a first year-teacher, my experience in the classroom was reciprocal: I taught my students English and my students taught how to teach better. Although a teaching course can provide a framework for classroom management and lesson planning, the best way to improve as a teacher is through actual teaching. As I read and studied techniques and experiences through the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya TEFL course, nothing compared to my hands-on experience gained with my students.

2 people found this helpful

English Language Assistant

October 2020 • Palma, Balearic Islands

What I liked

The Meddeas staff are very responsive and helpful in navigating the visa process and anything else you may need during your time as a Language Assistant. I loved my time at my school and decided to stay a second year. Because you work for Meddeas and not directly for the school, they can help you with any issues you may have at school. Apart from work, living in Mallorca has been an incredible experience and is a fantastic way to improve or start learning Spanish.

What I wish was different

The TEFL assignments I found helpful for teaching but I did not get much out of the tutorials. It depends on your tutor what you do in that time, but I found it to be more of a waste of time than something that benefitted me in my teaching. Giving more concrete advice and activities would help it be more productive.

Advice

You have to be open to anything and go with the flow, both in school and out. You might not know your schedule until a few days before you start, you might have a lesson planned and when you get to class the computer isn't working and you have to improve- you truly never know what the day will bring. Go into it with an open mind and take advantage of all the opportunities living in Spain offers.

4 people found this helpful

Language Assistant

September 2019 - March 2020 • Almería, Almería

What I liked

I loved being fully immersed in the culture and language. I lived with a host family and am still in contact with them today, hoping to visit soon.

What I wish was different

The school that I taught at was transitioning into a new curriculum, so it was very disorganized when I arrived, but I navigated and adapted.

Advice

You spend a lot of time speaking English, due to the job, so speak Spanish as much as you can when you are outside of work and join sports clubs and language exchanges to meet people and learn the language.

3 people found this helpful