1 Month Czech-In

Sorry, couldn’t resist the corny pun title…

Anyway, it’s hard for me to believe, but I’ve been living in the Czech Republic for a month now. Orientation seems like forever ago and I’m already into Week 4 of teaching.

But before we talk about school, let’s talk about where I’m living.

If I may say so myself, the apartment my roommates and I found in Prague is pretty sweet. It’s located close to the center of everything, but far enough away from the crazy touristy areas. A tram and metro stop are situated literally at our doorstep. Very convenient for the rainy and snowy weather to come. We’re also right alongside the Vltava River. This means…

-We’re super close to the Saturday morning Farmer’s Market:

-I can have my morning coffee with swans:

-I’m a short walk from dinner on the river:

-I’m not too far from Prague’s famous Charles Bridge:

-Or the Instagram-famous Dancing House:

-Views of Prague Castle:

-Riverside concerts:

-And paddle boating!

Yeah, I’m pretty happy with the location. The apartment we’re in consists of 2 bedrooms. However, we converted the living room into my bedroom. This means that an expensive 2-person apartment becomes a bit cheaper and doable split between 3 people.

Since I’m saving up money to travel to other countries, I haven’t been doing as much traveling as I did in Thailand. Instead, I’ve been tutoring through VIPKID, checking out local events and exploring the streets for the quirkiness that is Prague.

So switching topics to work… I am teaching grades 1-5 at Da Vinci School, a school about an hour’s commute outside of Prague. Since CIEE only offers part time work in the Czech Republic, I don’t have to go to school on Mondays and I arrive late or leave early on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (to earn enough to live in Prague, I use my time off to tutor either online or in person).

I absolutely love my school! The philosophy of the school is very liberal. Students are given choices and can even opt out of completing assignments if they don’t feel up to it. While this could result in chaos, I’ve been pleasantly surprised that my students haven’t abused this freedom and are often willing to participate in my classes. The school is also significantly more relaxed than schools back in the U.S. Students can be left unattended in classrooms, teachers are called by their first names, there’s no dress code (for teachers or students), and there’s less political correctness in general. The day before the students arrived, the teachers even had a “new teacher initiation” where everyone drank champagne out in the school gardens.

And don’t even get me started on the food and drinks. Students and teachers can have unlimited breakfast, coffee/tea, snacks, and lunch for 30 czk ($1.38) a day. At lunch, salad and a homemade soup are always provided. Main courses have ranged from enchiladas to broiled fish and roasted potatoes. I’m in heaven.

The school itself is even architecturally different than typical schools:

See more pictures and a virtual tour of my school here!

There’s a maximum of 18 students per grade (the school is from kindergarten to 13th grade), so class sizes are small. Since classes are split for language class, I only teach a maximum of 9 students at a time. This is a far cry from the 45 kindergarteners I was in charge of in Thailand. Needless to say, managing classes have been pretty easy for me.

The tricky part is coming up with activities that all students can participate in. My students’ English abilities range from only knowing how to say “hello” to being bilingual and completely fluent. Differentiated instruction is key here.

For grades 1-3, I have a co-worker in the room with me to ensure that students understand what I am saying. For 4th and 5th grade, I am by myself with the students. Each teaching block in 1.5 hours, which, admittedly, is sometimes a difficult amount of time to plan for.

Overall, I am very happy with my school and working situation. I think it’s going to be a good year.