Reflections After (Almost) Two Months of Teaching in Madrid

Studying in Madrid vs teaching in Madrid

As I’ve mentioned (hopefully not enough times to be annoying) I studied abroad in Madrid my junior year of college. I knew that teaching English in Madrid would be different than studying here, but I wasn’t sure to what extent. On a study abroad program you’re taking classes, working towards a degree. If you’re doing a program like CIEE and are like me (forward-thinking, maybe a little anxiety-prone), there are days where teaching can feel directionless, since you’re not necessarily working towards something concrete or measurable. Of course, this may be an oversimplification. There are more than enough skills to gain and situations to learn from to make this experience worthwhile. On my best days, I recognize the value of living and working here. On my worst, I worry that by the time the end of June rolls around, I won’t have made sufficient progress in figuring out what field or career I want to go into. This feeling crept in as I was graduating from college, and persists still, although less severely. I have to remind myself I am still learning and growing as a person, even if it’s not taking place in an academic environment. Knowing that I can do just about anything with my life is daunting, as well as exciting, and I recognize the privilege I have that allows me to worry about having a job that I enjoy and am fulfilled by. 

Coffee shops

On the topic of productivity, don’t bank on going to a café in Madrid to get your work done! I realized after a failed attempt to use my laptop in a (fairly modern) coffee shop that laptops are commonly banned from cafés, especially on weekends. This came as a bit of a disappointment, as I did nearly three-quarters of my homework over the past four years at coffee shops. I find the chatter to be easier to work in than the silence of a library or study room. Could people in the US take a tip from the Spanish and put their work away at coffee shops to relax and talk to each other? Yes. Would I be devastated if I walked into FRGMNT in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis and was denied hours of being hunched over my laptop, forgetting to drink my tea until it was room-temperature? Absolutely. 

Interpersonal interactions

As I’ve been comparing similarities and differences between my experiences in the US and in Madrid, I’ve realized that being in Madrid forces connections. Let me explain: I’m unable to avoid public transportation, and the Día I buy groceries at doesn’t have a self-checkout. At home in the US, I typically drive to get places, since the public transport is poor or non-existent depending which part of Minnesota I’m in. I prefer to use self-checkout since I don’t love interacting with strangers, and while I take walks no matter where I’m living, I run into a lot more people in the narrow streets of Madrid than I do in Minneapolis, and this difference becomes even more extreme after 9pm. 

I’m growing to appreciate the occasional discomfort of being forced to interact with other people, but I’d be lying if I said I enjoy instances where I’ve stood on one foot in the metro because there wasn’t enough space to balance on both feet. The good news is, when this happens, I’m not concerned in the slightest about falling over since I’m sandwiched between strangers.

Constants

No matter where I am, the things that make me the happiest don’t change. It boils down to people and food. One evening, I made chicken soup, which turned into an impromptu dinner with my flatmates. An unexpected call from Maddie during her lunch break, photos from my parents of our cat, texts from Esther updating me on the happenings in Minneapolis, flipping pancakes with Emilie the morning (or maybe more accurately, the afternoon) after a night out with Hannah, and eating pumpkin pie with Marni and Emma were the highlights of my week. The people I surround myself with are the reason I’m enjoying myself to the fullest, even through the moments of uncertainty, and I’m glad my time here overlaps with theirs.

I hope everyone reading is taking care. All the best, Anna