When I first started working with younger students, I quickly realised that things were very different from working with teenagers. With younger students, you can’t always expect them to sit quietly, listen to a long explanation and then complete an activity. They want to move, talk, play, ask questions and have fun. And honestly, that’s what makes working with them so much fun. I found that building a good relationship with younger students was less about what I taught and m

Halloween is one of my favourite times of year to bring a bit of fun into the classroom. As a language assistant, I found that it was also a great excuse to get students speaking English without making it feel like a normal lesson. Whether you're working with younger students or secondary students, there are loads of simple Halloween activities you can try without spending hours preparing. Halloween Vocabulary Game Start with some basic Halloween vocabulary that your students

When I first started working with secondary students, I thought the hardest part would be getting them to speak English. I quickly realised that the real challenge was getting them to feel comfortable speaking with me. ESO students are at an age where they can be a little harder to read. Some will happily chat to you from day one, while others will barely say hello. I found that the best way to connect with my students was to stop worrying about making every class perfect and

Starting at a new school can feel a little strange at first. You’re meeting loads of new people, trying to remember where everything is and figuring out what exactly you’re supposed to be doing. If you’re feeling a bit lost during your first few days, don’t worry. It takes time to find your rhythm. Here are a few things that helped me settle into my school.

One of the biggest advantages of being a language assistant is the amount of free time you have once the school year finishes. After months of teaching, you suddenly have the opportunity to enjoy everything you’ve been saying you’ll do “when summer comes.”

When I first heard that I would be spending a few days in Madrid for INLAES onboarding, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I knew there would be workshops and activities to prepare us for working in Spanish schools, but I didn’t realise just how much I would actually take away from the experience. Looking back, onboarding was much more than just training for my new role. It was a chance to learn new skills, meet people from all over, explore Madrid and, most importantly, fe

People always ask me what a normal day looks like as a language assistant in Spain, so I finally wrote it down. Between the metro rides, the three-hour lunches (yes, really), and squeezing in penny board practice at the skatepark, no two days feel quite the same, even when the schedule stays the same. Here’s what a typical weekday looks like for me. I wake up early to catch the metro into the city centre. The school I work at is in Torrent, a small town on the outskirts of th

Paella Valenciana is the traditional version - rabbit, chicken, green beans, and rice cooked in a wide, flat pan over an open fire. The word "paella" actually refers to the pan itself, not the dish. There are countless variations - seafood, vegetable, mixed - but any Valencian will tell you that only the original counts. They're not wrong.

When I first moved to Spain, I quickly realised that half of surviving in a new country is just having the right apps on your phone. Honestly, I don’t know how people moved abroad before smartphones because I rely on mine for everything here. Finding buses, translating random signs, looking for flats, sending money, checking routes, messaging people… it all happens through apps. One of the first apps I used constantly was Idealista. If you’re looking for somewhere to live in

When people talk about moving abroad, they always talk about the obvious things. The weather, the language, the food, the travelling, the new experiences. But I don't think anyone really prepares you for the people.

One of the things I love about Valencia is that every neighbourhood has its own personality. Some are busy and full of cafés, others are quieter and more residential, and some feel like little villages even though you're still in the city.

La inteligencia artificial ya está aquí y, para muchos profesores, la pregunta ya no es si deberían utilizarla, sino cómo pueden hacerlo sin complicarse todavía más el día a día. Entre preparar clases, corregir trabajos, adaptar actividades, responder correos y atender a alumnos con diferentes necesidades, los docentes tienen poco tiempo. Y precisamente ahí es donde la inteligencia artificial puede convertirse en una herramienta útil. No para sustituir al profesor, sino para

By the time Fallas is over you'll probably be exhausted. Your clothes will smell faintly of smoke, you'll have walked miles around the city, and you'll be looking forward to a good night's sleep. But if you ever get the chance to experience it while living in Spain, don't miss it.

A veces parece que para hacer una clase más divertida hay que preparar una actividad completamente nueva, buscar materiales durante horas o convertir el aula en un espectáculo. Pero no tiene por qué ser así. Muchas veces, pequeños cambios en la forma de plantear una actividad pueden conseguir que los alumnos participen mucho más sin añadir trabajo innecesario al profesor. La clave está en conseguir que los alumnos usen el inglés, no solo que hablen sobre él. Menos ejercicios,

No matter how much you prepare before arriving in Spain, there are some things you only learn once you're actually standing in front of a class of 25 students who are all looking at you.

When I moved to Spain, I definitely packed some things I didn’t need and forgot some things I absolutely should have brought. You can buy most things here, obviously, so don’t panic too much. But there are a few things that made my life so much easier when I first arrived. The first thing I’d recommend is a proper folder for all your paperwork. I know that sounds boring, but Spanish admin is no joke. You’ll need copies of your passport, visa documents, insurance, empadronamie

Al final, nuestro objetivo es muy sencillo. Queremos que cuando un auxiliar llegue a su centro educativo no sea un desconocido que necesita varias semanas para adaptarse. Queremos que llegue preparado para integrarse en el equipo docente, conectar con los alumnos y aportar valor desde el primer día.

One of the things I love most about living in Tenerife is that some of my favourite days out have cost absolutely nothing. Before moving here, I assumed I'd need to spend loads of money to explore the island properly, but that's really not the case. In fact, once you're officially a resident and have your TIE, you're entitled to free public transport throughout Tenerife. That means I no longer pay for the bus at all. Honestly, it's one of the best perks of living here. If I d

Hace unos años, cuando una familia elegía un colegio, la decisión dependía principalmente de la cercanía al domicilio, las instalaciones o las recomendaciones de conocidos. Hoy el proceso es muy diferente. Antes de solicitar una visita o pedir información, muchas familias investigan en internet, consultan redes sociales, leen opiniones y analizan la imagen que proyecta el centro. Por eso, la reputación del centro educativo se ha convertido en uno de los activos más importante

Depending on your school, you may be involved in preparing students for Cambridge exams. Usually, as a language assistant, you'll spend a lot of time helping students with the speaking part of the exams, since that's where having a native speaker is especially useful. However, some schools may also ask you to help with reading, listening and writing activities too. Every school is slightly different.