A Day In The Life of a Language Assistant

Being a Cultural Language Assistant in Madrid is an incredible opportunity. It is not something that everyone gets to expirience in their lifetime. I want to share what a typical day looks like for an LA. I teach at a secondary school (High School), while other Auxilares may be teaching at a primary school (Elementary). Some people prefer teaching older students and others prefer the younger ones. It really depends on your teaching style and how well you engage the students. You might be better at engaging the younger students rather than the older ones. I tend to do pretty well with both age groups, but I work with a majority of younger students. I typically have to be at work the second hour which starts at 9:10 in the morning. I usually wake up at about 7:30 to 7:45 just to make sure I have enough time to shower and catch the metro. Depending on where you live, you will either be taking the metro, the bus, or most likely the cercanias (train) to work. Most Language Assistants teach outside of the city center of Madrid. If you want to live in the city center, you will be doing a slightly longer commute each day (an hour to an hour and a half). I was very fortunate with my situation because I happen to live right next to the Sainz De Baranda Metro and my school is right near the Herrera Oria metro stop. My comute is about 30 minutes each way. Language Assistants also may be giving private lessons in their spare time. I currently have 9. It involves going to a family's/student's house and giving a private english lesson for about an hour. Take note that some families may differ. Some parents may want you to focus on diferent things with their children. Most of my lessons are in Montecarmelo so I spend my workdays up in the north and don't get home until around 8:30. Private lessons are really beneficial because it provides you with some extra cash and it also can feel rewarding when you are able to engage students to speak english. I eat breakfast everyday in the cafeteria in the school. I know the client who works at the bar so I am fortunate enough to always have a tea waiting for me and something to eat. I highly recommend getting involved as much as possible with the school as you can be. It will be worth it in the end. Some days, I finish school late (at around 3:10). This can be dificult for the students as well because they all have not eaten and they are all tired. It can be hard to make it through that last hour but it always feels good to work hard and to be able to relax on the weekends. I always eat something before my private lessons. I will either get something in the mall in El Pilar or I will eat at a resturaunt in Montecarmelo. After I am done with my private lessons it always feels good to head home. Sometimes I head to my friends studio to practice DJIng. He lives in Torejón De Ardóz so sometimes I head to his house after work which takes me an hour. I then have to ride the train for another hour to get home. The public transport system is amazing in Madrid. Everything is very well-connected and there are always trains arriving even if you miss one. Language Assistants will be taking public transport a lot during their stay in Madrid. I personaly enjoy using it because in Colorado we never had a subway. Once I get home I will either practice DJing for a while or I will watch some netflix and then go to bed. Luckily, on Friday I do not have work. Thursday evening is when I really start to relax and listen to some music. However, I am now giving a private lesson every other friday to a new student.  I have a great view from my apartment of my neighborhood so I tend to spend a lot of time DJing because my equipment looks out over the neighborhood. It's a great apartment to come home to and it is also located right next to the metro. So there you have it! I hope this gives you an idea of how the Language Assistants live out here in Madrid.

The first two pictures were taken during the first few weeks of my music class. I brought in my portable turntable to demonstrate to the students and then I let some of them try it. It's such a cool feeling when you get students interested in the things you love. It is a great way for me to engage students through music. I hope I can continue to engage the rest of my students throughout the rest of the year. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for my next post!! 

 ~Brian H.