Everyone, meet Lola

IMPRESSIONS OF A SPANISH LANGUAGE ASSISTANT IN SCOTLAND

Well, it’s been almost a month since I arrived in Scotland but I still perfectly remember my very previous thoughts before leaving. I was really delighted to discover this place and have the chance to experience teaching with pupils of a different culture; However, I was a bit scared as I didn’t know what it was going to be like, if I was going to be a good teacher, if it was going to be hard to settle down, etc. but what really worried me was not being able to be happy down here. I knew from the start that this wasn’t going to be like my time at uni and I also knew that I wasn’t going to be surrounded by people all the time, though , I didn’t know whether I was going to manage to cope with that. I was certainly right , things are different here and for the time being I’ve realized that I’ve got to a point in which I see life in a different way; maybe it’s because I’m beginning to outgrow my student years or maybe it’s just because I’m getting more mature but the thing is that since I arrived here I sort of feel that I’m getting older and becoming a real adult cos’ I’m starting to appreciate and enjoy life in a way I’ve never done before. There are certainly things in my life that I didn’t consider before now such as tranquillity and silence which allow me time to think and to find myself, nature and even the kindness and sweetness of the people here (so it’s true what they say in Spain about the good nature of Scottish people!). I might as well say that my stay here is somehow making me stronger and bolder in the sense that I’m learning to overcome feelings like loneliness and even live with them without they disturbing my composure which is very important in life. I’m pretty sure everybody manages to get that at some point in their lives, as for me, I’ve already learnt to do so since I arrived here and I’m very proud for I’m a stronger person now.
On the other hand my time here has made me discover that working with pupils is a really enriching experience that makes me feel great by the time I’m with them. I hardly had any experience in teaching teenagers so up to now I didn’t have the chance to see how interesting and fun sharing your time and knowledge with pupils can be, and honestly, I’m very happy to prove it myself this year in Scotland. I really think working with these youngsters greatly contributes to finding my way to be happy here far away from home.

Comments

[Alex Blagona]

Hi there! This is the MFL department from Northgate High School in Ipswich, Suffolk. We have just started blogging ourselves (we're finding it quite addictive) and would like to add you to our links. We're searching for other schools who have MFL depts that blog regularly, but we are struggling to find many...feel free to have a look at our site, and let us know what you think!!

[Adam Sutcliffe]

Thanks for that Alex. Will check you out.