Administrator

There’s every reason in the world why you should seriously consider taking up a teaching post in Spain.

Spain has it all: beaches, mountains, art, culture, and history. And let’s not forget the parties! As anyone who has stayed in a €10 hostel in Barcelona can testify to, Spaniards enjoys a good fiesta.

There are some brilliant schools – but many aspects of teaching in Spain mean the overall, day-to-day experience will be different from what you are used to in the UK.

If you want to learn more about these, please carry on reading.

Demand for Education in English

There is a huge demand for English-medium education in Spain. Tourism is massive in the cities, all along the coast, and on the islands – and here English is essential.

And anyway, many parents see English more generally as the key to future-proofing. Spain’s typically had a high level of youth unemployment, and many Spaniards want to have the option to find work abroad when times are tough back home.

Schools in Spain

Some schools offer what is known as bilingual education. This means following a Spanish curriculum but with the provision of up to half the subjects taught in English.

Other schools label themselves English or British. These normally follow Cambridge and/or Edexcel that can be seen as variations of the National Curriculum in England and Wales.

Long Summer Holidays

Across all schools in Spain, the students tend to enjoy shorter holidays during the year, but up to about 10 weeks of summer holidays. Some schools move to a summer timetable in June and September with the day finishing at around 2 pm.

The Role of a Tutor

In my old school in Spain, form tutors were expected to do more than just register absences. We had to play a pastoral role. I was the first point of call for the parents, even if I didn’t know much about their child’s problem.

This was a positive experience, but also time-consuming, and I would recommend you find out what a tutor is expected to do at your future school.

Why You Should Take a Teaching Job in Spain

There are countless reasons, but we have tried to lump some of the main ones together.

Spain is a fun place to live

It is as simple as that. Did we mention the fiestas?

If feels like something is always on. Whether it’s Oktoberfest or the Reconquista, Spaniards love a street festival, and everyone from toddlers to abuelas – Spanish grandmothers – come out to take part in the events.

Your Spanish pupils are ace

I know it is wrong to generalise, and I know I’m being horribly subjective. But in my view, Spaniards are sociable, fun-loving, sensitive to other people’s feelings, and surprisingly comfortable in big groups. It sounds too general to be true, but it really is!

Importantly, this also applies to your pupils. Some of my best teaching experiences have been with Spanish children. They are fun and engaging to teach, and they put real energy into the tasks you have given them. It can get noisy – but that isn’t necessarily a sign that your pupils have gone off task.

Supportive parents

The parents are very appreciative if they can see you care about their children.

If your student has done something wrong, the parent is likely to castigarlo, which essentially means disciplining them by grounding them or stripping them of a privilege, e.g. their screen-time. You may or may not agree with this approach, but Spanish parents want their children to learn right from wrong.

Cost of living

When travelling between the tourist spots – Barcelona, Madrid, Tenerife, Mallorca or Malaga – and UK city, chances are that there are cheap flights and frequent departures. You’ll be able to pop back and see loved ones in one of the puentes, which means the four-day weekends.

Life in Spain is cheap(er) – and restaurants are great value. In the supermarket, a lot of the fresh produce like grapes, oranges, tomatoes and avocados is dirt cheap.

Note: Your car is an important exception. If you need to buy a car in the Spain, then be mindful that an old banger there will probably set you back somewhere in the region of €1500-1800.

Renting is affordable

You are likely to end up spending a smaller fraction of your earnings on rent comparing to similar-sized towns or cities in the UK.

If – in the long-term – you decide you are interested in buying, you are likely to find you can afford something nicer than you would on a similar budget in the UK.

Access to Welfare Services

Teachers on a permanent contract are granted rights under Spanish employment law. If you lose your job, you will be entitled to claim benefits for up to two years. Similarly, should you become ill, you should be able to get paid a fairly high fraction of your old salary for the first few months.

Tip: Go through the section about the probation period in the contract. Until that period is up, you are likely to have much fewer rights.

Be that Beached Whale

The sun does you a world of good. A great mood booster. If you are lucky enough to live on the coast, every Friday afternoon between March and October meant a post-work trip to the beach. A cold dip is an amazing way to shake off the stress of a rough week in the classroom.

See also 10 reasons why you should take a teaching job in Spain.

And the downsides…

So those were the highlights, but what are the lowlights? As always, our aim is to educate and this means examining both sides of the coin.

Fewer Holidays

The term often feels too long, and while the puentes – long weekends – are welcomed, it isn’t really enough time to allow you to feel fully rested. Furthermore, three-day weeks are tricky, because you get confused about what day it is.

If you’re unlucky, there might be an expectation that you stick around and work as a Summer Camp Counsellor in July.

…and Longer Days

In a Spanish state school, you might finish at 2 or 3, but in a private school, it isn’t uncommon for the day to run all the way to 5 pm. Add the commute or the staff meeting, and you might not be changing out of your shirt and tie before past 6.30. That’s a long day!

…and Potentially Fewer PPAs

It’s a sad fact. The contact to non-contact time ratio is often staggeringly high.

Nepotism Also Found in Schools

As the old piece of advice tells you, don’t mix friendship with business, and not all school leaders and/or owners heed these words. It’s cringey when an important post is given not to a qualified candidate but instead to an old mate.

Lower Costs, Low Salaries

While cost of living is generally low, so are the salaries. Even though your disposable income may go a long way when spending locally, be mindful that a trip to, say, New York is much, much harder on a Spanish salary. Rethink your holiday and consider visiting Portugal, Morocco, or Albania instead.

… and Lower Savings Potential

Saving money is not always doable.

Although I managed to save roughly €400 a month, this did entail having to be careful with my spending. In the end I was only able to save what amounted to … not so much, by international standards, at least.

Spain Gets the Rains Too

You won’t get a comfortable 23 degrees and a light breeze all year round. Depending on your location, you might get a fair share of rain and wind.

And while winters back home truly are glum, summers here can be scorching, which is just as bad. If you’re in a school that operates a smart dress-code and potentially has no or limited A/C, you might be even more miserable than you would be in Birmingham in November.

The Drink Can Turn Destructive

It’s a universal phenomenon, but we probably see it even more in Spain: teachers that come into school reeking of booze. That is, if they bother coming in at all.

Nightlife is buzzing and cocktails are cheap – but as a result, too many teachers who come to Spain end up prioritising fun over school. And too often, the story has a terrible ending. They end up falling out with colleagues, signing off, or even getting the sack.

Over to You

We hope you feel a bit more clued up the pros and cons – with the help of your mate on the inside. And importantly, what to expect and not to expect if you choose to teach in Spain.

Here at Misfit International, we wish you a very exciting onwards journey: these next few years could well be among the best ever.

Author: Administrator

Insider Guide: Teaching in Spain