Starting School as an Auxiliar de Conversación in Madrid

The first couple weeks of school have come and gone. It has been a combination of excitement and nerves, but all in all, it’s been a great start to the year. Getting back into the swing of working and meeting so many new people is definitely overwhelming. However, Spaniards are so welcoming, therefore the teachers and staff will be excited to meet you and welcome you. 

I’ve learned a lot already about how to approach being an Auxiliar in Madrid. Hopefully, I can help ease your nerves going into the first few weeks of school by sharing my experience so far.

Haven’t Connected With Your School? It’s Okay.     

I emailed my school about three times throughout the month of September before arriving and never heard back. Everyone I talked to seemed to already be in contact with their school, had visit dates set up before the first day, and were already in group chats with their coworkers. 

I had heard nothing. I eventually called the day before the first day and my coordinator was so kind and told me when to get there the next day. Everything worked out, but here are some things you could do if your school isn’t super communicative:

Try Emailing

Obviously emailing didn’t work for me, but if your school hasn’t contacted you, you can contact them. Start with an email to introduce yourself and ask them about visiting the school.

Call Them 

Try calling your school about a week in advance of the first day. Their school starts in September, so the teachers are probably very busy with the beginning of the school year. Therefore, don’t call them too soon, but if you can get a hold of them the week before school, you may be able to set up a time to visit beforehand if that’s something you’re interested in. 

Be prepared for the fact that you will most likely have to speak Spanish to the front desk in order to ask to talk to your coordinator. My Spanish is not the best, so I had phrases prepared ahead of time to make sure I knew what to say.

Practice Your Commute

If your school still doesn’t respond or you don’t end up calling until a few days before the first day, make sure you have practiced your commute. The uncertainty of your first day will be reduced if you know your way to school.

I took a trip to my school and then spent the day exploring the area. It was helpful to know how long the commute truly took because your Maps may not be completely accurate. My Maps said it would take about 40 minutes, but it took me about an hour because my bus was a little late. This way I knew to give myself more time for my commute on the first day so I wouldn’t be late.

Have an Intro Presentation Ready

My friends who had connected with their schools were asked to make a presentation about themselves. I hadn't heard from my school, but, to be prepared, I made one anyways. It worked out because when I called the day before the first day, my coordinator asked me if I had a presentation to introduce myself. If I hadn't made one I would have been scrambling, so I suggest making one. And have questions for the students throughout it too!

Commute Tips

It is typical to have at least 45 minutes to an hour commute. But I know some people who have a one-two hour commute. Don’t panic if you have a long commute. It is common since most of us are placed outside the city center. You can always find great ways to pass the time and it is nice having some time to yourself.

Also, the majority of the time you aren’t going to have one transit option that takes you all the way to your school. For example, I get on two metros then a bus to my school, so it doesn’t feel as long as it is. 

Even so, some things you could do on your commute are:

Listen to Podcasts

If you are an avid podcast listener like me, it is a great way to catch up on your podcasts. If you are working on your Spanish, try to find some Spanish podcasts or even listen to the news radio in Spanish. 

During the week it can be hard to practice your Spanish because with the students you are solely speaking English. Therefore, the commute could be a good time to brush up on your Spanish. 

The podcasts I’m enjoying to help me learn Spanish are The Coffee Break Spanish Show, StoryLearning Spanish, and Notes in Spanish Beginners.

Read

It is quite common to see people reading on the metro, train, or bus. This is why I suggest a Kindle or a Nook. Not only does it carry less weight than a book would in your work bag, but it is easier to hold if you need to stand when the metro or bus is busy.

It isn’t, however, uncommon to see someone with a physical book as well so either works. 

Journal

Your commute is also a great time to catch up on some journal entries if you are looking to journal your living abroad experience. Again, it is not uncommon to see people reading or writing on the public transit, so don’t think it is weird for you to be journaling. 

It might allow you to decompress after a long day at work or be a great way to clear your head before the start of the day.

Connect With Coworkers

I am the only Auxiliar at my school and I don’t speak much Spanish. Therefore, at times it can feel a little isolating to be in a room where everyone knows each other and are all speaking Spanish to one another. However, by connecting with some of my coworkers and by going to coffee time with the teachers, people are doing their best to include me in the conversations. 

Especially if you are not at a bilingual school, more than likely most of the teachers will not speak English. Even if you are at a bilingual school, it may only be the teachers in the English Department that speak English. And during their breaks, teachers tend to want to speak their own language so they may just not want to speak English. 

Therefore, in order to connect with other staff members, be prepared to speak at least a little Spanish. It could be as simple as getting there in the morning and saying “buenos días” and “¿qué tal?” or “¿cómo estás?” to the secretaries or any teacher you see. Sometimes, if I want to say something to the secretaries in the morning and I’m not sure how, I look it up before getting to school so I can say it to them when I see them.

When in doubt, a smile goes a long way. If you say “Hola” or “Buenas” with a smile to those working in the school, you will almost always get a smile back. You can also get a chuckle out of saying “Lo siento. Necesito practicar mi español” if you don’t know what they’re saying or how to respond, and they usually appreciate it. 

I’ve already connected with teachers outside of the English Department after attempting to speak Spanish to them. I’ve had several teachers offer to help me with my Spanish any time. 

I’m not going to lie, it can be exhausting putting yourself out there everyday and trying to follow along with a conversation in Spanish when you don’t know much. But I think even just being there in the room with the teachers and trying is important.

Finding some ways to connect with teachers even if you are not confident in your Spanish can go a long way and allow you to better your connections and your Spanish skills. 

Go with the Flow

The first couple weeks you may be unaware of what is expected of you and what you need to do in the classroom. This may continue to be the case as the year goes on. Mainly, it is because the teachers are so busy that they don’t necessarily have the time to plan what you will be doing each day, let alone what the students will be doing.

It is great to come with general ideas or activities for the students to do that can work with any lesson. You may not know what you are doing in class until a couple days before or even until that day. Therefore, be okay with going with the flow and just supporting your teacher with whatever they need. 

The beginning of school is definitely a lot. You are getting a lot of information at once and meeting so many people. However, it is also so exciting to get into the swing of things and make many more connections in Madrid. With any new job, there is a learning curve and the teachers at your school know that. And remember that the teachers and the students are excited to have you at their school and will welcome you with open arms.