Erasmus+ Leaders In Language February - March 2023

After just not quite four weeks of teaching here in Gandia, suddenly I find myself verily approaching the end of this Erasmus+ adventure. And there are many things I'm going to miss. Weekend trips to Valencia. Solitary strolls along Gandia's seafront. Not to mention - albeit only in the last few days - some genuinely warm weather! But most of all, I'm going to miss the students and staff at Colegio Carmelitas, my placement school. From the very start, I was made to feel welcome at the school. Everyone I've come into contact with has been wonderful. And there hasn't been a single day or a single lesson which I haven't enjoyed. I'll keep only good memories of my time at Carmelitas. So, let me sign off on here by paying tribute to a truly magical (not to mention intelligent, creative, witty, lovable, rowdy, and above all kind) group of young people, their inspiring teachers, and all the other lovely people at Carmelitas. It really has been my pleasure and my pr...

The teaching week is quickly wrapping up for me, and it's hard to believe that I only have one and a half days left of teaching. My observation with Fran went well, and I was both reassured about my work as well as gaining confidence to apply my feedback for the future. The weather is also looking up, as I can finally take off my hoodie during the day and not be cold. Even the mornings are lighter and warmer, with pretty impressive sunrises to greet me as I get ready for school.  The afternoon should be more exciting as some of us are going to go for a geocaching adventure! For those of you who don't know, geocaching involves going to specific locations to find hidden items. Once you find the item, you log it and try to find another one! Some can be quite well hidden but it's a fun way of feeling like you're in a videogame searching for treasures.  After that, the evening is even more exciting as we are getting together to have a pizza night at our flat! My stomach can...

I like cats and one happy surprise I have come across whilst in Valencia was the abundance of cats roaming around the place. But unlike the cats you come across in England, these guys are less tempted by the pspspsps I make and will maintain at least 2 metres distance with you. That being said, they are fun to come across when you least expect it, almost like little spirits you encounter in your journey. I even saw a cat sized hole in the wall that looked like a little home for cats!(Photographed below) Maybe this isn't the only one in Valencia...

We had it drilled into us before we came out here that teaching is about survival. And as you all know, the first rule of survival is about maintaining a healthy mental attitude. Well, I think I’ve been doing okay – up till now, that is. Because, as we head into the final week of this Spanish spectacular, I fear that the first cracks may be starting to appear in my (don’t snigger!) hitherto impregnable psychological armour. Here are some of the more worrying signs (or is that symptoms?) …   A growing and seemingly intractable addiction to corn flakes, which, being more of a muesli muncher, I hardly ever ate back in the UK. Mistaking the Mediterranean Sea for just a fairly sizable lake (I’m not making these up). Strange dreams – including one recently where I was trying to explain something to a clown with a green and white plastic face … This recurrent fantasy about the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade , the bit near the end when Indy and Elsa step into the inner sanctum and...

 It dawned on me how little time we have left. We've only just starting hitting the cool cafes around Moncada! But with my third work week officially over, I'm taking the metro home looking forward to the weekend. The need to go souvenir shopping looms ever closer, lest I get massacred by everyone I know for not getting them a small trinket. Although...some of the bazaars around here do sell interesting items...