Option #1

I always swore to myself I'd never teach English.  The number one reason was because I don't teach.  I can't teach.  I lack the patience and the skills, and people's inability to learn things that I know is frustrating to me (and frustrating to just about everyone else, which probably explains a lot, really, but I am honestly trying to work on that).  The number two reason is that I really don't want that kind of responsibility.  What's funny is that in the US, whenever you explain to people that you're a foreign language major they always (well, almost always) ask "Do you plan to teach with that?"  This is amusing to me because in Europe, studying another language means working in that language, it means studying philology and history and culture and translation.  Not teaching.  Apparently it's an American thing that I will probably never understand, but whatever.  I've always kind of resented the whole "Do you want to teach" mentality though, because no, I don't want to just teach, I want to do so much more with my language skills than explain to people how and when to conjugate the subjunctive.  Which isn't a bad thing, per se, it's just not for me.

But I'm beginning to change my mind.  At least somewhat.  My brother was offered a position as a TA (Teaching Assistant, someone who works directly with a professor at a university) in Korea for an English program via a friend, and it really got me thinking.  Considering my status right now and my complete lack of employment or much else, why not do this.  Or at least look into it.

There's a program that the Spanish Ministry of Education does with students and recent grads from North America with the purpose of working with an already established English teacher in Spain, so that they can explain to Spanish kids what goes on in their country, US or Canada, and help them with their English/French skills.  You can even choose which Comunidad Autónoma you would prefer to be in, though not the city, and earn a monthly stipend.  There's another program that does teaching opportunities in Spain that I'm looking into but it involves teaching to professionals.  It's only in Madrid, but Madrid is central enough that it'd be impossible for it to not work.  To be honest, I'd rather stay in Madrid than somewhere like Andalucía anyway.  I mean, my best friend's boyfriend studies in Madrid so she's out there every couple weekends or so to visit him.

I've actually already started filling out the application for the second program.  There are a few minor bumps in the road but nothing I can't get taken care of soon, aside from the 50€ application fee, but that's not really so bad.  I just haven't even finished with this thing yet and I'm getting excited.  I still have to find some kind of employment, or at least some means of income, until next September when the program begins, but by then I should be out of my little funk anyway.  Any possibility I can find to get my ass back home I'm on board with, really.  And I'd rather deal with adults than kids, and I'd live in Madrid if I had no other choice, especially since my best friend is connected to the city (and I could still go up and visit her too).  This is about the only other way I can think of to find employment in Spain and to be able to get out there and stay there and not have to worry about being there for too long.  Last time I was there for a month and it very nearly broke me.

I may not be a teacher, but hopefully I may not even need to make a career out of it.  I may be able to get another visa to stay doing something else, who knows.  But at least I'll have a definite plan for the nine months of the school year...and then we'll see.

What do you all think of this idea?  I'm always afraid to lay out any plan I have that I get excited about because it almost always ends up badly, but at this point, the worst that can happen is that they tell me I'm overqualified or something or that I can't come up with the money for the application fee or the visa at all (I need everything ready before March).  And then I can still try to find a job for the next nine months until I'm ready to go.  It's just...it's Spain, guys.  It's home.  Where my parents aren't breathing down my neck and criticizing every move I make because I can't get a job.  Where I can actually have good ol' old fashioned fun because I know people.  I'm probably building this up a little more than I should since nothing at all is finalized and I haven't even told my parents yet.

I just...

SPAIN.


I'll sleep on it and come back in the morning with a post for the New Year, since I missed Christmas.  Oops.