Angry Auxiliares in Spain

In my previous posts I've written about strikes, the crisis and how we have yet to be paid.  Well in the last couple of weeks the Auxiliares of Extremadura have completely lost all patience with the Spanish government.  We have a facebook group consisting of 100+ where we discuss things, ask questions, share funny experiences, etc.  Recently our facebook group has turned chaotic due to the fact that we haven't been paid. 

Auxiliares de Conversacion- 144 members in Extremadura


Several Americans have contacted the US embassy to get them involved, others have mentioned going on strike, most have called the program director only to get a response of (I don't know) and everyone has complained over and over again only to get no where.
Up until last week, the government was ignoring the Auxiliares in Extremadura but not now! Today on the front page of the local newspaper, our story finally being heard.

The board of Education hasn't paid 112 foreign teachers since the beginning of the school year

 Crazy huh?  I never imagined something like this happening during my time here in Spain but I guess I should start expecting the unexpected.  Honestly, yeah it's a little unfortunate that things had to come this far but how can you expect us not to be upset?  Not all of us are Americans but those that are have traveled across the world to come live here in Spain.  We left the comfort and convenience of our own lives to help teach English to Spanish children.  We sacrificed a lot, spent a lot of money, went through hell and back with paperwork to become legal workers and this is how they welcome us.  We are putting our own money back into Spain whether its groceries, public transportation, tourism, etc.  Although we still get the opportunity to travel around such a beautiful country, this situation has left a very negative image of how things work around here. 

Some Spaniards laugh and say "No pasa nada, this is Spain", whereas others are truly embarrassed to have this image portrayed of their country.  Those who do work often and work hard are left fighting against this negative portrayal. 

A current update of our situation:  As of two days ago, the Secretary of Education sent an e-mail stating that "the problems with the transmission have been resolved, you should be receiving 3 months pay within the next few days".  Weird how two weeks ago, they didn't know anything.  Now that the US embassy and the local news are involved, "the issues have been resolved".  Either way, I've been checking my bank account religiously!  When the paychecks finally do arrive, I can promise you that there will be 112 very happy foreigners celebrating :)

Life as an English teacher

I love English, yes. Teaching it....welllll

I come from a family of teachers; my mother and my aunt (now principal), even two of my grandparents were teachers.  Even though I enjoyed school as a kid, I knew that I would never have the patience to be a teacher.  I knew that this program meant teaching English but it also meant living in Spain and traveling Europe! So worth the trade off, plus I even get a salary..pretty nice deal.  I would think to myself, "maybe this program will change my mind and I will fall in love with teaching"...aah nope.  I'm still pretty certain that I'm not meant to be a teacher. Oh well, it's a great experience.

I work in two elementary schools; one in the city and one in a village.  Which one do you think I prefer?  Well going to the village is like visiting a zoo, the children are loud and misbehaved.  In fact, I barely teach.  The level of English is so low that I sit on the side and get stared at while the teachers ramble off in Spanish.  However, in the city, it is much better.  The teachers are organized, they know what they want me to do or say every week.  I usually prepare powerpoint presentations; Halloween, Thanksgiving, All about Samantha, American food, etc.  It's an easy job no matter what anyone says.  You get paid to go speak your native language and talk about yourself.  I am supposed to be in the classroom for 12 hours a week but in order to carpool with teachers, I'm really at school from 9-2 every day except Mondays. 

The students: Kids are kids..loud, silly, obnoxious, funny, blunt..we all know this. Kids who don't speak English can be even more hilarious.  Imagine 50 little kids running up to you every day and all they can come up with is "SAMAAANTTTAAAA!!!" Yes, I left out the H on purpose, they don't pronounce it.  I've even been called "Hamantha" before.  I'm the celebrity in school, they love me. 

Halloween crafts

 

...haha

 

cute, right?

My reasons for coming to Spain were to travel and improve my Spanish.  Although I spend my entire day speaking English, I'm still learning Spanish.  I try to carry around a notebook with me to write down new vocabulary words or phrases that the teachers say to the kids.  I also translate the worksheets that I teach to the students.  I teach Science, English and Art.  My first week in my school they threw me into teaching the reproductive system in English.  WHY!? It went suprisingly well but it was still awkward. Things have become more comfortable ever since those first few lessons and I'm adjusted to my new routine. I feel as if I did a good job explaining Halloween and Thanksgiving, next up...Christmas!

 



Shout out to my mother; I am proud of how hard you work every day as a teacher in the United States, especially in the city of New Orleans. Not only do you put your time into teaching, but also your heart and soul. The education system that I have seen so far in Spain is a cake walk compared to what you go through. The hours of the day are shorter and the preparation seems to be more basic here..also, there are double the amount of vacations!

 

You're a what? An Auxiliar?

colegioinmaculada.org

 Auxiliares de conversación ; who we are and what we do

 

"Oh you're moving to SPAIN? To teach 12 hours a week!?" What! ...sounds pretty nice, it IS pretty nice..but there is much more to it.  Much, much..mucho mas, more.  So if you are interested in being an Auxiliar for next year (you should've already started planning, if not then please start A.S.A.P) I started thinking about applying for this program in August of 2011, I applied for it in November 2011 and have been preparing for it ever since.  If anyone has heard me talk about everything this program puts you through then you have an idea of how much work is involved. The following is a timeline of how this works;

 

August: Start thinking and researching

November: Apply! As soon as possible because it is first come first serve

August- April/May: Wait until you receive your acceptance

Late May: You get your placement, accept or decline

June- September: Save money, plan, buy plane tickets, pack! Say goodbye to loved ones and start meeting new auxiliares on Facebook
September-October: Find an apartment, become a legal resident, open bank account, start school

 

I left the USA on September 24, 2012 and arrived the following day in Madrid.  Luckily, I had 4 other Auxiliares on the plane with me.  There were a lot of us en route to Spain.  I believe a little over 1,000 of us were accepted into the program this year.  I'm going to break down the application process later on a separate page on my blog entitled; Auxiliares.  If you are interested in listening to me go in depth about this topic then by all means check it out.  For the rest of you, I'll give you the overall idea. 

 

An auxiliar is a "helper" in Spanish.  We are "Helpers in the class room to facilitate conversation in English".  We are also given the title of Language Assistants, Cultural Ambassadors, etc.  They all sound pretty cool. In fact, we are employed by the Spanish Government.  I don't see why this wouldn't be an impressive entry on my resume considering I work for a foreign ministry, I got a FBI background check and everything. 

 

Now, we come from all over.  There are lots of Americans, but also French, English, Irish, Canadian, Italians, etc.  I have met so many other people from all around the world which is pretty neat.  We are provided with free health insurance, a salary of 700 euros/month (we'll chat later about this) and can work in one or more schools.  For example, I work in two schools.  I have Mondays off.  I am physically at the school from 9am until 2pm but I only am to work 12 hours.  My second school (which is in a tiny village) has me working 3 hours more than they are suppose to be working me so turns out I get to have several Fridays off to balance this out. 

 

What I mean by "I work 12 hours".  By work, I mean I am physically in a Spanish classroom.  My work varies from school to school and teacher to teacher.  Each teacher uses my native English speaking skills in a different way.  Some teachers have me actually plan lessons and make powerpoints (food, holidays, etc).  Others just have me show up and read the lesson they have already planned for the day.  Some teachers hardly use me at all.  Sometimes, I literally just sit in the classroom and the kids stare at my like I'm an alien.  A very tall, blue eyed alien. 

 

My classes range from; English, Art and Science.  For example, this week I explained Halloween and we did arts and crafts. The kids don't really understand everything we do in the United States (some of us don't even really know why...it's just the norm) but I try my best to explain vocabulary and songs.

Trick or Treat!

It has only been a month so far but I can say that this experience has solidified the fact that I know now FOR SURE that I don't want to be a teacher :) If you think children misbehave in American schools, ooooooooh boy. I have heard of 2 teachers getting vocal cord surgery here because they scream so much.  Now, I can say that this is mainly true for my school located in the tiny village.  My other school is in the bigger city where I live and they behave better than the village children.  The hours of school are also more laid back, 9-2pm? Nice! They typically don't eat lunch at school though.  The kids pack a sandwich or fruit and eat it during recess then they go home to eat their big lunch with the family. 

 

On the Auxiliar page, you will soon find more information about...Living in Spain, working here, meeting people, becoming legal residents, acquiring a bank account, getting paid and many more topics, tips, warnings, etc! I hope it helps you understand a little better, if not..please don't hesitate to comment or email me.