Here we are at the end of what's been an eventful week. When I was at school and the staff went on 'teacher training' I often wondered what it would entail, and now I know. God I feel old.
I've never felt so removed from civilisation while yet only 20 minutes outside London, which has if anything augmented my concentration skills so good news there. Upon arrival on Monday we were asked to write a letter to ourselves to be opened in a week's time, to compare how we felt then to after a week's teacher training. Mine reads as follows:
Dear future Oli,
I hope this note finds you well, and though Wi-fi may be scant I write to tell you to put your all into this month. You may feel apprehensive, but apprehension is just excitement for pessimists. By the end of training, you'll be relieved and looking forward to a fantastic month. Help others, be sociable and get back on the Spanish horse, or as they say 'Ponte de nuevo en el caballo español' (literal translation).
All the best, your blast from the past.
Hopefully for whoever reads this, their feelings about going to a foreign country or even teaching abroad, will be encapsulated in what I managed to dredge from the vast canal of my internal monologue. It's certainly a lot to take in, a lot of new people and a lot of carbohydrates served in the canteen. But overall I've had a great week. The sheer intensity of work/wine to get through seemed to facilitate our group into bonding quickly, and by breakfast on the second day we were all bonding over the questionable sausages like the Chalfont St. Giles branch of TripAdvisor. It is such a great thing about British people that adverse circumstances foster friendship better than if we'd all been in penthouse suites in a five-star hotel!
With regards to the teaching inputs covered this week (after all, that is kind of what this is for I guess) I think UKLC really pulled out all the stops. At times I found myself exasperated that I'd already done this on my TESOL course, but then I quickly realised that even if I already knew it, I'd forgotten it! Whether it served better as a refresher or a new experience, a lot of effort went into this week from everyone involved and going over old ground has helped to fill me with the same confidence that I felt when I finished my TEFL course, and I can't wait for Valencia now. From a selfish perspective I'm looking forward to getting back on the Spanish language caballo on which I ran the university derby, but I think everyone doing this scheme should be thrilled to be immersed in a new culture and learning environment. I'm just looking forward to getting the induction over with, and spending my Sunday stewing in an outside cafe with tubos and tapas.
Hasta la proxima, besitos a todos!
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