Saying Hi and Bye
posted by oliver_h2o @ 6:40pm, Monday 10 May 2010.
So, here´s my imput and a hope to a higher mark for the
exam.
I would like to thank all the teaches for making my time at TEFL
Barcelona such a great experience. I´ve had such a great
time.
I´m really pleased that Luke (The directors son) is all
better. I look forward to seeing him and Lisa again when I visit
Sitges and also look forward to seeing the other teachers again
soon (The school just has that feel where you can just keep coming
back to say hi)
Keep up the good work TEFL Barcelona.
Best wishes and hugs
Oliver
Life After TEFL International Barcelona Graduation
posted by michael.thompson @ 11:54pm, Wednesday 14 April 2010.
I arrived like most of you in Barcelona excited, happy and a little scared. Upon completion of the TEFL International Barcelona course I began my job search confident, eager and ready to climb mountains. As most of you are aware searching for a job in a foreign country (especially without papers) is a touch daunting, however through the education I received from some really special people at TEFL International Barcelona I felt fully confident that I would land work and sure enough through a little luck and from the guidance of the staff I did. Within a month of completing the course I landed work teaching both Business English and teaching at Barcelona Plus (a new school that previously only offered Spanish, German and French lessons). Like any new job you are bound to have nerves but they quickly vanished once I realized that I truly knew what I was doing. I am 1 month into working here and I could not be happier. As most of you know moving to a new place can be taxing but if you do what needs to be done the nerves quickly vanish into a quite confidence that if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. I do not know where the future lies, but today I am doing what I should have done a long time ago and thanks to the great folks at TEFL International Barcelona I am actually good at it. If you are thinking about taking the leap and boarding that plane for the unknown, close your eyes and press confirm for a future class at TEFL International Barcelona and sleep well.
Over and Out From Sunny Barcelona
Michael Thompson
What kind of TEFL graduate are you?
posted by Jen @ 3:46pm, Tuesday 6 April 2010.
After graduation from TEFL International, what will you do with your time?
For some of our graduates, it means a time to travel around Europe for the first time and discover that Germany really does have the best beer in the world (except for maybe my hometown, Milwaukee), Amsterdam is much more than the red-light district and Paris is just as romantic as in the movies.
For quite a few, it means the first time to relax in four weeks. They use the days after graduation to really see Barcelona, to discover the madness and genius of Gaudí, to visit the Modern Art or Catalan Art museums or sign up for that Spanish or Catalan course. After 4 weeks of admiring the scenery of the inside of a classroom, it’s time to soak up some culture, not to mention sun.
For a sad few, the answer is going back home to start school or back to the 9-5 grind. While their time in Barcelona was an eye-opening experience, the draw of getting back to the comfort of friends and family is stronger than the pull to stay and tough out the first few months as a TEFL teacher abroad.
For the few, the motivated, it’s not time to rest yet. Some grads know that looking for work can often be more difficult than the work itself will be. While visiting schools and sending emails may sound a lot less enticing than a day at the beach, staying focused and doing at least something small towards employment every day is the best way to ensure many relaxed weekends on the beach during the sunny months to come. Those sangria and bravas are even going to taste better when you know you can afford them because you’ve got your 20 hours of classes sorted out.
The question is: Which type of graduate do you want to be? Perhaps a mix of all four? Balance is the key in Barcelona – enjoying yourself and finding enough work to keep from being stressed about finances are competing forces and it’s up to you to find the right amount of each during your first free weeks as certified TEFL teachers.
So stay motivated, grads. Stay positive and keep in contact with us; if we hear of a job, those who are eager and in constant communication with us usually get called first.
Good luck and I hope to see you at one of the Friday BTTA events, celebrating your new teaching job in Barcelona!
Jen
