Professional Skills I’ve Gained From the Teach Spain Professional Program

It’s hard to believe I only have four months left in this program.  The time has passed very quickly.  I’ve been so busy working and traveling that it seems the days blend together.  I’m starting to think about what I might want to do when this program ends.  I don’t have plans yet, but I am realizing how this program will help me with my professional goals in the future.  Teaching professional and business English has made me grow and learn so many new skills.  Looking back, here are some of the skills I have gained by being in this program:

Becoming Accomplished at Group Dynamics

I had made many presentations before this program, but they were only for school projects.  Since I started teaching class five days a week, I have become more confident in speaking in front of a group, however I do much more than speaking.  I try to get our students to speak as much as possible, I do not want to be talking more than they are.  I feel I have learned a lot about group dynamics and getting people to work together. 

Group dynamic heavily depends on how big the group is.  For example, sometimes it is more effective to split a larger group into teams, so that people speak more.  Sometimes my students start speaking about different topics than the ones I planned.  If they are still speaking in English, this is considered a success.  Managing large groups is difficult, but I have become much better at doing this since I started.  This will be a helpful skill even when I am no longer teaching English.  No matter where I end up working, there will always be group work.

Professional Speaking

I certainly was not unprofessional before this program began, however I feel I have grown since being in it.  In my classes, we practice language related to speaking in meetings, customer service, and interview techniques among other topics.  By helping my students improve their professional language skills, I feel as if mine have improved as well.  For example, before this program I had never pitched an idea in a meeting before.  I have now taught several lessons based on speaking up and pitching ideas in meetings.  I feel as if I have gotten some practice, even though I have not attended a meeting in months!

International Work Experience

In the future, I would like to work in an international setting.  I like working with people from different cultures and backgrounds.  Having international work experience will help me achieve this goal.  This program has taught me a lot about cultural differences, especially regarding communication.  What might seem straightforward for an English speaker could be very confusing for people who are still learning English.  For example, one time in class I used the phrase ‘let me back up’.  My students were confused when I stayed standing in the same spot; they didn’t understand the phrasal verb.  Someday, I want to work with people from all different kinds of backgrounds and I would like to be able to communicate clearly, even if English is the other person’s second or third language.  I have learned a lot about working with people from different cultures in the past six months.

Organization Skills

I have always been organized, but this job has greatly improved my coordination.  I need to be prepared for anything.  Sometimes I plan a lesson, but the students complete it much faster than I thought they would.  To be safe, I always bring an extra worksheet or article in case I need to fill more time.  Sometimes I plan a lesson for 9 people but only 3 show up.  I’ve had to think on my feet to adjust a lesson plan to make it better suited for a smaller group.  I might be called to substitute a class in four hours; again, I always have extra articles or activities in case I need to lesson plan at the last minute.  At this point I can certainly say that I am prepared to teach at at a moment's notice!

Travel Experience

I have always loved traveling and have considered making it a career in the future.  From writing this blog, I can now say I have experience travel writing!  I started out thinking that I needed to include every small detail of every trip I take, but I realize now this is not the point.  I have learned to pick out the most interesting highlights and focus on writing those in detail instead of including details of everything. I have also become a master at finding cheap flights, trains, and busses on the weekends!

One of the reasons I chose this program was because I knew it would be more business oriented.  When I am teaching class, I am practicing presentation and communication skills.  When I am lesson planning, I am practicing my communication skills.  Everyday I am gaining valuable international work experience.  And every post I write I am practicing my writing skills.  While I do not yet know what I will be doing in 4 months, I know that I have built a skill set that will help me get to where I want to be.