From meeting, getting to know, and working with over 200 students at my school to navigating life abroad, a new country, culture, and language, my first semester with Meddeas has been full of challenges, both inside and outside of the classroom. Reflecting on the last four months, there is one essential life skill I have learnt during my time in Spain that stands out from the rest: adaptability.
Thinking first about school life as a Language Assistant, I learnt pretty quickly that being a teacher requires a lot of daily adjustments, while still maintaining a level of consistency so that students have clear expectations to follow and someone to trust along their learning journey. I found this tricky at first, especially being a new face at my school, where most staff and students had already been for years, and being a first-time language teacher. Thankfully, everyone at my school has been patient with me and has given me a lot of freedom to experiment in the classroom.
By observing other teachers and asking for their advice and constructive feedback, I came to understand that students learn best based on a variety of factors, such as the subject itself, the aims of each lesson, and the individual abilities and needs of each student, based on elements such as age and personality. The daily adaptability this requires from a teacher is even more pertinent in my specific role as I work with students across 5 age ranges and all English levels during the school day.
Adapting to the challenges of this role was made easier by the lessons I have naturally learnt outside of the classroom since moving to Spain. For example, being immersed in a new culture teaches you to be open-minded and to embrace the unknown with a positive outlook. This comes from something as small as having to adjust the schedule I was used to following back home to the typical schedule of a day in Spain, having a long lunch break, staying up later, etc. At the same time, I’ve still had to build a stable routine for myself amidst these changes so that I can accomplish everything I need to in a day. Being abroad also teaches you that life will always throw unexpected curveballs, such as missing the bus because you’re not used to the schedule or being unable to communicate fully in a foreign language.
As cheesy as it sounds, it’s how you handle these situations that matters most. Just like in a high school classroom, it’s important to stay calm and patient, take initiative to solve any issues, and think quickly and creatively on your feet when things go wrong in daily life abroad. The adaptability I have learnt in response to the challenges I’ve faced these last few months is therefore a highly transferable skill. Not only will it help me in the months to come as a Language Assistant, both inside and outside of the classroom, but it will also benefit me when facing the challenges I choose to take on when my time with Meddeas is up!
Author: Gabriella S.