A Day in The Life of a TEFL Teacher

There were buskers on the metro yesterday.  There often are, moreso since the crisis, and recently I've felt bad as I have't had any spare money for them although I do enjoy the music. In the morning there's no space or attitude for buskers.  The people are half asleep and grumpy.  When you change trains they literally push you out of the way and run to the next platform, all manners forgotten through fear of...

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I think it's worth saying that it's a good idea to figure out your tax responsibilities before you leave as I am useless at that kind of thing and have just got all stressed out because of my tax return. Because I'm normally the sort of person who just ignores the whole issue I got home to lots of demands and letters last June.  I didn't even live at or use that address but I'm...

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I was so optomistic starting the new year.. I was going to get a better job, I was going to stop being skint all the time, really make an effort to overcome the crippling insomnia and so have the energy for more privates, I was on a roll... had loads of interviews, got on loads of lists at different academies, yeah great but then, for a day or two it all went horribly wrong. My...

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So tomorrow my friends and I will have the closest we can to a British christmas... we've got most of the things but christmas is pretty different here. There's no particular traditional food - although I know in the UK people don't always have turkey, I'm sure it's what most people would consider the 'norm'.  Here people often eat with the in-laws on one side or the other on Christmas Eve, then with the immediate...

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Well, today is the last day for me until January the 16th.  I've got 1 private student and I'm hoping to get some more temporary ones to tide me over the holiday period. I'll be really skint if I don't!  I've been in Madrid for 6 months now, so... looking back, what have I learned myself? On the personal front I've learned that TEFL here isn't that much different from TEFL in South America -...

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Hi,  people are regularly messaging me with questions about Ecuador, so I'm going to write here everything I can remember about my time there that might be relevant.  However, before you use this blog to help you make a big decision, there are some things you should know - Ecuador is a country of 3 parts - La Costa, La Sierra and El Oriente.  These parts are as divided in culture as they are in...

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I've just been accepted to do a Pueblo Inglés course at La Alberca in the last week of August.  I'm ever so excited as I've been skint and stuck in Madrid for 2 months now.  Don't get me wrong, I totally love Madrid, but it's getting depressing with no money! I worked for just under a month, but August is hols, so gotta pay two months rent out of that money.  I've got a couple...

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It's been awhile since posting or even writing for that matter on here. For those who don't know me, my name is Paul - I embarked on my tefl experience almost 2 years ago. After completing my university degree back in May of 2009 I found myself asking the question "Now what?" It's a very scary though, and feeling, when you've been in education all the way until the age of 23 and you suddenly...

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Well, I've been on holiday for the last week, which I didn't really want due to money woes, but it's given me the chance to catch up with the Spanish revolution... which is really something beautiful to behold.  I went out on July 23rd when "las indignadas" arrived in Madrid from destinations all over Spain.  Some had walked for weeks, and on their way they stopped in towns and villages to gather the views of...

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short post: one question - what is a ludic game and how do you use them to tech kids?  

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