Resignation January 27, 2008
Posted by Luke in Teaching English.2 comments
I quit my job this week.
I spent half an hour on the net looking for work and within two hours had two interviews.
I am now employed by Hot English.
So why?
My job had some benefits. Mainly, it had a guaranteed salary of 72 hours a month. But said salary was also relatively low. Weighing this against the hours I was working though, it just wasn’t worth it. Up at 6.30 every morning to get to class by 8am. Finishing at 7.30pm with barely a chance to come home – for what 4-6 hours pay?
Plus I had little time to prepare, little time to relax, little time to think, little time to do anything. I was living and breathing English classes.
So I threw it in.
My new job pays better. It also gives cheap Spanish classes. It also has me working less hours. It also has some block classes. All of these are massive advantages. And I don’t have to start every morning or work every evening. Hallelujah! Disadvantages are I get paid by the hours worked, with no guarantee. But I think it’s worth the risk!
*Note – I do have to start every morning… but at least I don’t work every evening.
Job offers and such September 5, 2007
Posted by Luke in Canterbury TEFL, Spain, Teaching English.1 comment so far
A few months ago, I worried that I’d started worrying too early about whether or not I’d get a job in Spain. As it turns out, I was right. In the last few weeks, I’ve received a couple of quite decent offers, even with limited experience in a classroom.
I had a phone interview a few nights ago. They’re quite a strange experience. It was very general and very conversational, but there were some odd questions. Well, one odd question.
”Can you spell?”
I was taken aback by that. I had no idea how to answer it. Maybe I could have said ‘do you want to test me?’ and then fired off correct spelling to supercalifragilistexpialadocious (i think that’s right). Or, if I was a bad speller, I could have lied. ‘yeah, i’m a fantastic speller, real tops, y’know!’ kinda thing. I didn’t do either of those. Just stated that it was an odd question and that I thought spelling would be fairly integral to an English teaching job. Apparently, the new ‘yoof’ can’t spell ‘reel good’. We use too many spell checks and mobile shorthands. It’s a worrying thought.
Anyway, I can’t have said anything too wrong as I got offered the job. I haven’t definitely accepted, and I don’t need to until I arrive in Spain, but I think I will. It means though that I’ll have to cancel Canterbury. It’s kind of relieving, though, because I wasn’t looking forward to a month without incoming pay. I’ll miss not having the camaraderie of other people in the same situation though. (Note: to the guys that commented who are heading to Canterbury for September course on a previous post, I’d still be well keen to meet up, have some drinks etc.) But I’m sure there’ll be quite a few new teachers at the school I’m heading to.
On a side note, I’ve also been offered an apartment in an awesome location (just near the El Retiro Parque) – only catch is it’s a young family with two kids – one and two years old. I’m a little worried I’ll end up babysitting. It would be an awesome way to learn Spanish though.
Two days left of bureaucracy! What a relief!
Jumping the Gun July 10, 2007
Posted by Luke in Music, Spain, Teaching English, Travel, Work.1 comment so far
I have a feeling I may have jumped the gun somewhat in deciding to do another TEFL course. Two months ago, I kept getting knocked back in my applications. I didn’t want to purchase a ticket until I had a definite job, so I went with the training… hey, they guaranteed a job.
But in the last week, I’ve had two schools tell me they’re interested in interviewing me, and a third give me their number to call as soon as I arrive. Maybe if I’d waited, I could have had jobs falling all over for me.
The problem is the car accident left a nasty dent in my finances. And the course will also do that. If I can work without more training, then that solves some finance issues. I mean, I’ll work sixty hours if I have to. I’ll work more. I’ll work less.
What to do? What to do? I think the best option is apply for everything. I can always say no. At least I’ll get practice that way.
Two months today left in this job!
Meanwhile – listen to Daedelus – exquisite corpse. I know I am.
** July 11 – I received an email today that further confirms I jumped the gun. I was offered an interview over the phone by a Polish school in a small town in Central Poland. I must admit I was surprised. I’ve declined their offer – my heart’s set on Espana – but maybe I really should have held off on the Canterbury offer.
Ignore the previous posts… May 1, 2007
Posted by Luke in Adelaide, Anarchism, Canterbury TEFL, History, Politics, Spain, Teaching English.add a comment
First post… what to write? Hmm… if anyone reads this, what would they want to know? okay… i lie… this is the seventh post. I just backdated it. It’s now the first. The details I talk about after this post I did not know at the time of writing those posts but at the time of writing this post I did. Comprehend? I don’t.
Okay…. I don’t read blogs a lot. I mean, I read some regularly, some occasionally, but I wouldn’t say I’m a blog fiend or anything. I like the idea though.
So.
Hmmm…
Me? You ask. Well, I’m 24. I’m male. Currently, my town/city of residence is, as we like to call it in the locale, A-Town or Radelaide. But not for much longer. On the 19th of September, I’m moving to Madrid. That’s right, Madrid, Spain. It’s a little nervewracking. I speak minimal Spanish. Kinda like the Buenas dias…..ummm errr… Como estas? ummm errrr Hablas inglese? type of Spanish. Although I’m trying to learn – fast.
So why Spain? Good question. I’m fascinated with the country for reasons that are now 70 years old. The Spanish Civil War. It’s been in my bones for nigh on five years now. And I can’t shake it. You’d think writing a 15,000 word thesis could kill the interest, but no. It heightened it.
Why? One word – anarchism. The only country in the world where anarchism nearly prevailed. And that could have been amazing. I don’t want to get into a politics lecture here. Not yet anyway. But if there is an ‘ideology’ more misunderstood, I’ve yet to find it. I’d like to call myself an anarchist, indeed I have at times, but I’ve always done so with that sinking feeling that one is lying somewhat. In my mind, to be an anarchist requires passion; it requires dedication; it requires immediacy – and I am lazy. It’s taken me five years to get to Spain. How long will it take me to get politically active?
Plus, as some of my friends succinctly point out, how can you be an anarchist and work in government? Well, that, my dear, is a very good question. It’s difficult. And you hate yourself, your job and your decisions more every moment.
But hence Spain. Hence resignation. Hence, I don’t know, everything. I’m getting out of the G to the T, and I’m not coming back to it.
So, I land in Spain on the 20th September. I start a TEFL course at Canterbury TEFL on the 24th. I know no one there. I barely speak the language. I have an EU Passport (dual citizenship is equivalent to a golden ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, methinks). I’m leaving some person/s here that I’ve grown to love very dearly, who don’t realise quite how much, nor how much I fear that I’ll lose them whilst I’m gone. I have to do this. I have no idea how long I’m going for.
And I have this.
