The academic year looms again....

Tomorrow is a red letter day for me because it marks the return to school for myself and my colleagues. As always, it has come round very quickly. I feel terrified and unprepared, yet I am also aware of a previously absent level of confidence. Although it can be a very difficult shift - mostly due to reasons of unruly, anti-social student behaviour, lack of effort and professionalism from fellow classroom teachers, and frequent mismanagement from the leadership staff - I feel settled in the school and, rather strangely, I am looking forward to meeting head on the familiar, inevitable challenges that I will face before the now very distant thought of the next summer break becomes a reality. The fact that I am a returning, relatively well-established teacher certainly makes a difference and this experience will determine certain aspects of how things progress for me, whereas new staff will no doubt be hindered and more aggressively challenged, as I was and others before me were, due to their obvious lack of familiarity with the school and it's students. I have come to realise that experience is vital and it cannot be under-estimated. It breeds confidence in the teacher and sometimes fear and respect in the students, it allows me to relax while keeping them on their toes. They know that I know how things work and, vitally, those whom I have taught previously are well aware of both my tolerated limits and my behavioural/academic expectations. Working with returning students will therefore be less complicated; and new students will be easier to deal with because I have now reached a certain level of comfort in terms of my teaching and class management. All of this combined will help me to create the atmosphere of controlled learning necessary to allow me to guide my students, willing and disruptive, through the subject. I have no doubt that this will prove to be another interesting, challenging, exhausting and hopefully thoroughly rewarding year for me in my role as an educator.

Day 26- The Last Day!

One of today's lessons was on the always hotly debated topic of crime and punishment. Although the suggested ideas and resources were reasonable enough to base a decent class on, I quickly abandoned this core criteria when it became apparent that the Arabic students in the class were willing to further their improving English by telling the rest of us about the legal system in their own countries. As I have already mentioned in a relatively recent post, most people, myself included, will have a general idea of Islamic law and how it is applied in those countries. To hear the details first-hand, however, is a different thing. The students, with an average age of approximately 14-16, told us true stories of public beheadings, lashings and of hands being cut off as punishments for crimes ranging from habitual theft and adultery to rape, murder and child abuse. The non-Arabic students in the room - the minority of the class - were as astounded and enthralled as I was, particularly when one of the lads spoke of how he had difficulties getting any sleep for three nights after witnessing for the first time the beheading of a criminal in a public square. Although it may seem unnatural, they so cleverly defended and justified such a system that it was difficult to feel abhorred by it all. In my opinion, it is a fascinating topic for discussion in any language.


At interval, lunch and again at the end of the day, many students asked to have their photographs taken with me. This felt great, as did the warm handshakes and the sentiments of genuine gratitude that I received from those I had taught, as well as from colleauges. It has been an interesting and worthwhile experience, one that I will remember as valuable time spent wisely. I am hopeful that I will now be better prepared when the real stuff starts back, no doubt with a bang, on the first of next month.

Day 25

Lee and Peter are obviously used to living with someone who is happy to pick up after them. I say this because the condition of the house has deteriorated rapidly since their arrival: Both of the bathrooms are wet and disgusting in ways you can imagine, to the point that I dread my shaves and showers; the hall and living-room are littered with random piles of shoes and dirty socks; and the kitchen, the worst of all, is surely a health hazard- the work tops are grimy and the sink is filled with dirty dishes, so many in fact that there were no clean plates for me to eat dinner on last night. This disrespectful, lazy behaviour and general lack of tidiness/cleanliness drives me crazy. I cannot tolerate such bad manners and am very thankful indeed that tomorrow is my final shift. I shall flee to the familiarity of my own home the following day.

Day 23

Having worked from 8.30am - 6.00pm today and yesterday, I now have only three shifts remaining before I can go home.

The past two days have been rather uneventful. The only thing of note is that many of the young male students from the Arabic-speaking countries have been very rude and impolite at times, both towards me as well as towards the female students from mainland Europe and Russia. This has irked me greatly and I admit to having lost my temper, to a certain extent, on one occasion.

Day 21

Rick and I said our goodbyes last night. He left very early this morning to begin his journey back to Poland. I have enjoyed his company and I will miss him being around the place during this final week. Hopefully we will both make a genuine effort to keep in touch.

I am now beginning to seriously question the wisdom of taking on another job during the bulk of my summer break, particularly after a long and challenging year. The prospect of five more days of work fills me with despair rather than enthusiasm. Perhaps three weeks would have been enough? I am missing the comforts and the cleanliness of my own home. I feel bored, restless and irritable. In addition to this, I am now concerned that two weeks will not be a sufficient amount of time for me to properly relax ahead of, and of course appropriately prepare for, the start of the new school year. Hopefully the experience, coupled with the extra money in the bank, will ultimately prove to have been worth it. Only time will tell- and I hope that time really flies this week.

Day 18

Another full day at work seems to have really taken its toll on me. I feel drained of energy at the moment and fully intend to go to bed early with a book tonight.

Having finished Grisham's "The Appeal", I started Yann Martel's "The Life of Pi" earlier this evening, which is my third book of the summer so far. It is wonderful to have the time available to read for pleasure, which is something I sorely miss during the particularly busy periods of the school year.

The idea of finally making a genuine effort to write a book of my own is taking up an increasing amount of my thoughts.

Day 17

My Japanese students are very cool, happy kids and I like them a lot. They have a great sense of unique style. The boys all have a wild mop of jet black hair and love to teach the non-Japanese students to twirl their pens around their hands. The girls are vey trendy and they carry themselves with an envious attitude. However, my lessons with them - at both elementary and pre-intermediate levels - have so far been long and painful. They have very few words in English and they are reluctant to speak in my language, perhaps out of fear of making mistakes. In addition to lapsing constantly in to their mother tongue, it is therefore very difficult for them to make any reasonable progress. This persistent unresponsiveness, coupled with an almost apathetic attitude, is extremely frustrating for me. In spite of my best efforts to provide tasks that are varied, stimulating, engaging, fun and appropriately challenging, most of the lessons have unfortunately been tedious. It is difficult to put so much thought and effort in to the work that I have been attempting with them, only to receive little or no input in return. With four out of tomorrow's six lessons consisting predominantly of students from Japan, it is sure to be a long and arduous day of teaching.

Day 16

My third and final lesson of the day was very interesting and a lot of fun. I had a great time and I am sure that, as well as improving their oral and grammatical English, the students enjoyed themselves also. Recognising that the kids are learning the language, and enjoying how I am teaching it to them at the same time, is a brilliant feeling. It is indescribably rewarding to know that my efforts are worthwhile.

Speaking with the many students from the Arabic nations is always extremely interesting. I had several preconceptions about their countries and cultures - many of which have since proven to be correct - and it is absorbing to hear energetic, detailed descriptions from their own mouths. Directly from the source, if you like. Although it varies from country to country, and indeed from region to region, it is immediately apparent that, in a general sense, their traditions, belief systems and lifestyles differ greatly from my own. Some of the lads can be sexist, rude and overtly chauvinistic at times, particularly towards female students(and sometimes staff) from Europe. Many of them are always polite and respectful. This dichotomy is a constant factor in classes that are dominated in number by male students from the Arab nations. It must be noted that I have found most of them to be charming, intelligent and ambitious young men.


Before leaving for work this afternoon, I bid farewell to Robag. He ought to be touching down in Hungary within the hour. We shared many jokes over the past fortnight and I will miss his company and sense of humour. Of course, I wish him well. His room has already been filled by Peter, the newest arrival, a friend of Lee who is currently doing a placement at a local car rental company.


Having been temporarily unwell, my aches and pains have subsided considerably in recent hours. I hope to wake up feeling further refreshed in the morning, ready to embrace the inevitable challenges ahead.


To add: Italy, Belgium.

Day 15

6 x 75 minute lessons between 8.30am and 6.00pm adds up to a very long day- particularly when you have a headache and are feeling sick, sore, sniffly and sneezy, as I have been today. This has further dampened my spirits.

Lots of Japanese students in my lessons today. More details to follow soon, when hopefully I will be feeling much better and will therefore be more inclined to write. May the person in charge grant me a good sleep tonight!

Day 14

Today was certainly not as relaxing nor as enjoyable as last Sunday, no doubt mostly due to the rubbish weather. The world is wet- and I have wet clothes draped on hangers, radiators and chairs all over the house.

Our new housemate, Lee, arrived this evening. He is English and he works at a local employment recruitment agency.


Surprisingly, and rather worryingly, my enthusiasm for work has dipped dramatically. I am tired, bored, restless and slightly fed-up. I miss the comfort and the familiarity of my own home. At this point, I am desperate for a break away from teaching and a world dominated by classrooms, bells, pieces of paper and prescriptive lessons. Hopefully this is only a temporary slump, otherwise the next two weeks will be very long indeed.

Day 13

I will never ever get used to these Saturday morning shifts. Both times, I have went for a nap afterwards. It is obvious that many of the students also struggle to attend/motivate themselves for these weekend classes.

My housemates are great. I continue to be impressed and humbled by their kindness, generosity and thoughtfulness.


To add: Japan, Portugal, Estonia.

Day 12

Before work today I went to the local barbers for my first ever Turkish shave.

Day 11

Our Spanish housemates - The Pianista and The Shoemaker - are not fellow teachers, but students on the adult course at our school. They are a really wonderful couple and I have very much enjoyed being in their company. I will be genuinely sad when they leave for home tomorrow. As a special treat, they cooked a Spanish meal for all of us. It was a great gesture and the delicious, plentiful food confirmed that they had went to a lot of effort. All seven of us were in tonight- laughing, talking, drinking, listening to music and singing. We had a blast! The Pianista is a very sweet person and The Shoemaker is an hilarious guy with a wicked laugh.

The hour is late and my belly is filled with cold beers and delicious food. Luckily I am not due at work until the afternoon shift. Hasta manana.

Day 10

A relatively easy morning, with one lesson being observed by Tim, who is the summer course co-ordinator. It was well-planned and I felt relaxed. Tim said that he enjoyed the class and described the lesson as "great... overwhelmingly positive." It is of course always nice to receive good feedback and strong support. I march on, confident in the knowledge that I am heading in the right direction.

Day 9 - Part 2

It feels really good to be in a shared house with so many lovely people. After dinner tonight we all sat together in the living room, talking and making jokes, a group of diverse individuals brought together by a common passion for language learning. I had a wonderful time. Laughter is the same in every language.

No problems from yesterday's problem students. No real effort on their part, but at the beginning of the afternoon I made sure that my behavioural expectations were clear.


To add: Korea, Switzerland, Qatar, United Arab Emirates.

Day 9 - Part 1

As I am not working until the second shift, I have decided to write a little this morning while eating my breakfast:

Rick has had a CELTA (Certificate in Enlish Language Teaching To Adults) for three years. He has taught English as a foreign language at schools in Barcelona and Poland.

Marc and Clara - Irish and English respectively - recently obtained their CELTA qualifications after having attended a month long course in Dublin. This is their first taste of teaching, of any kind. When their contract runs out here (at the same time as mine), their intention is to travel directly to Spain and work there for one year as EFL teachers. They are a very nice, genuine couple and I wish them well.

Robag lives and works in Hungary, his homeland. He has been teaching English as a foreign language at a high school for the past eight years. He does not have a CELTA, although his Masters is considered to be more than adequate. This is his second year as a temporary teacher on the summer course. I am greatly impressed by his near perfect spoken English. Our Latvian colleague, Talia, is an equally talented linguist. Neither of them seem to have any difficulties teaching a foreign language as a foreign language to foreign students.

Many of the other teachers working here also have the CELTA qualification; meaning that, unlike me, thay are able to work with both the junior students and the adults on the intensive course. I am permitted to work only with the younger students, aged approximately between fourteen to nineteen years old. In spite of my degree, my PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) and mt many years of teaching to date - all of which are valued highly by other people in other situations - I am feeling slightly underqualified at the moment.


I understand that a reasonable percentage of my current colleagues have travelled substantially in recent years, working as EFL teachers in a wide variety of countries around the world. Although I am very content with my current situation, I am perhaps a little envious and indeed regretful that I had not delved in to the expansive world of TEFL at an earlier age, when my life was different and I had fewer roots and responsibilities. The notion of missed opportunities does not sit well with me and is irking me further as the days pass by. Writing these words in the blog is a concrete acknowledgement of such thoughts and feelings, which pains me slightly. This leads to more questions and inevitable, niggling doubts: Have I missed out? Have I made the wrong choices? Is my life - and therefore have my experiences been - to limited?

Day 8

I experienced the first real signs of negative attitude and indiscipline today. This disappoints and frustrates me greatly because, perhaps naively, I had not contemplated having to deal with such problems from international students on a summer course. I suppose all teenagers can be rude and ignorant at times, regardless of nationality. This new development means that tomorrow will be a slightly different challenge.

Day 7

A slow and relaxing day, at last. Besides the typical nesessities of laundry, ironing, shaving and planning lessons, I spent most of the time sitting outside in the warm sunshine, drinking coffee and reading almost half of Grisham's latest book. His characterisation is arguably second to none.

With forty hours of teaching and standby on my timetable, the week ahead will be long and tiring.

Day 6

My body and system got a shock at having to get up early for work on a Saturday and I am very much looking forward to going to bed in a moment. The workload and pressures of the past year are catching up with me and I am beginning to feel fatigued.


To add: Kuwait, Libya, Dubai, Saudia Arabia.

Day 5

No lessons for me today, only an afternoon shift of photocopying, syllabus organisation and lesson preparation. Knowing myself as well as I do, this means that I will head in to work tomorrow morning with a renewed vigour for being in a class with students.

My American housemate - I will call him Rick - is a very interesting and engaging guy. His easy-going manner and North American drawl belie a wonderful zest for life. His enthusiasm is infectious and I am enjoying being in his company. We talk about literature, music, language and travel; and we share the dream of one day being able to write a decent book. Some of the stories he has told me so far should definitely be made available to the reading public.


The world we live in is surely filled with fantastic people. It is certainly teeming with opportunity- I need to try to expand my interests, add to and improve my skills set, and generally broaden my horizons. Being in close contact with so many different people on a daily basis is reminding me that these possibilities still exist.

Day 4

I must be getting old. After a late night Scrabble match, I had genuine trouble getting my arse out of bed this morning. Luckily I was not working until the afternoon shift. My lessons were with the same students I had taught on Tuesday, with a couple of changes, and it was therefore interesting to see the same faces again. I like that notion of continuity; even when faced with continual difficulties, as is often the case.

A Brazilian student joined my final lesson of the day, adding to my tally of nationalities. I continue to be fascinated by - and I ache to be further engulfed by - this multi-national environment, an environment that is steadily seeping in to my pores.

Day 3

I had loads of fun today and thoroughly enjoyed my role as the teacher of nice, well-mannered, intelligent students. In addition to the mix of people on our shared house, the extent of the different nationalities among the students is mind-blowing. Being in an environment that is filled to bursting with such a wide variety of languages, cultures, habits, values, opinions etc is a fascinating experience. During the past two days I have taught lessons to students from the following countries: Russia, Poland, Iceland, France Germany, Turkey, Spain, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Hungary, Jordan, Serbia and Algeria. In spite of some glaring and frankly avoidable negatives, I am determined that this will be a positive, worthwhile period of time for me. Although things seem to be fairly relaxed, I am maintaining my usual professional standards by putting a lot of effort in to my work.

Day 2

Today was certainly an improvement. Having taught three lessons, my first ever as a teacher of English as a foreign language, I feel much better than I did at this time yesterday. Despite a lack of focus and minimal effort from a small number of the sixteen students, I enjoyed myself and I feel that the lessons went well. Although I was slightly nervous beforehand, I quickly settled in to hard-earned and well-rehearsed good habits. In a strange way, I have realised that the classroom environment is a comfort zone for me. Tomorrow holds minimal fears.

Day 1

Having arrived here yesterday afternoon, Sunday 21st July, I have made myself relatively familiar with the local area and I am now reasonably comfortable in my temporary home. My new digs are a very old, very old-fashioned semi-detached house. Communal living area, kitchen and washing facilities. My room is at the very top. It is clean, tidy and basic- no better or worse than I had expected. The other rooms are taken up by two Spaniards, an Hungarian, an American, a young English woman and an Irishman.

I headed to the school early this morning, keen and eager to get started. This enthusiasm was quickly beaten out of me, however, and as I write these words my most prominent emotions are disappointment and frustration: Based on frequent telephone and e-mail contact prior to arriving here with a signed contract, I got the impression that things would be well regimented and extremely organised- exactly how I like things to be with regards a professional working environment. However, it is already apparent that this is not the case. My timetable for this opening week is an undecipherable shambles, as are the syllabus and the suggested resources. Due to either misinformation or a lack of information, most staff seem to have little or no idea as to who, what, when and how they are supposed to be teaching. There is a general widespread air of panic and confusion. Things are rushed. The school is receiving (considering amounts of) money to enrol students in what is effectively an intensive summer course for foreign teenagers from all over the world, yet there seems to be minimal concern for the quality of the teaching and learning that is taking place. To give you a specific example,, I was told that I would not be teaching today and after observing a mediocre lesson I was asked to complete some filing due to the shambolic state of the (poor quality) materials. This apparent disregard for the education being provided is appalling and I truly hope that it is simply a case of things warming up on a Monday morning and thereafter settling down and falling in to place.

Tomorrow will see me teach three lessons in the afternoon and I am confident that I can do well. My only concern is that the horribly familiar clouds of mismanagement are already looming, even at this very early stage. And my shower was cold this morning.

My TEFL diary

Due to a chronic lack of proper, reliable internet access (please read as "completely non-existent") both in the house and at the school, I have therefore been unable to blog about my first foray in to the world of TEFL. I have, however, kept a written diary of the daily happenings of the past four weeks and my intention is to share this with you over the course of the coming weeks.