Granada English Teachers' Association:

I've just got home from the GRETA conference this weekend--REALLY worth it! I'm so glad I went. I am still processing a lot of it. That just means I'll probably write something more coherent in the near future; but in a nutshell, I can say it was inspirational and wonderfully reaffirming to be surrounded by curious, inspired, teachers. These are people who realize that to be a great teacher, you must be a life-long learner. I was surrounded by people working in public and private schools, from Spain, from the U.K. and from the U.S., all of them with the same purpose of personal and professional growth and development.

The speakers were wonderful. I've taken away some really great ideas and inspiration. Honestly, I'm much more excited about this year thanks to the conference. I'm even excited by the opportunities my private classes with afford me to put into practice some of the tools I've been given this weekend.

The conference proved to me that I really do love teaching. I love listening to the creative, inspirational ideas these people had and found myself salivating at the thought of using them in the classroom. You all know that I had my ups and downs last year, but I think the key lies in tapping into my own passion for learning, sharing that with my students and continuing to learn from and with them. I finally told my friend, Gracia, who's been after me for three years to become a teacher, that I have realized I am ready to not be an assistant any longer. It's time to move on. And so I've begun looking for programs at universities to get a degree in Primary Education.

All that said, I was frustrated anew by just how closed the Spanish education system is in terms of getting a job in the public sector. I MUST go back to school, which is fine in itself (I think I fall in the category of 'life-long learner'), but it means about four years and then a CRAZY difficult test before I can actually get into the classroom. Getting a teaching credential in the U.S. is nowhere near this difficult; and in any case it's a moot point because in the U.S. it's your resume and individual merits and experiences that get you a job, not a government mandated test that then guarantees you a position, but without the freedom to choose WHERE!

It's frustrating because in the area of Language Assistants, for example, I would consider myself relatively knowledgeable. After all, I do have three years of experience, not to mention the work I did as a Spanish assistant at Pacific. Still, it is impossible for me to get a job at the government seat in Sevilla simply because I haven't taken the gruesome "oposiciones" (the CRAZY difficult test I mentioned) to become an educator. So although my experiences as an Auxiliar give me a perspective that NO ONE who's passed the oposiciones has, I am excluded from working toward improving a program I am passionate about, that I feel is desperately needed in Andalucia, and also is in desperate need of improvement.

Like so many things in Spain when it comes to government, this is pure bureaucratic bullshit. It almost squelches the desire to keep pushing and fighting for what I want.

In an effort to ward of the familiar feelings of powerlessness in the face of such an inane system, I've decided to become a member of the Association GRETA. :) I've decided it can serve as a great support group.

(I just almost deleted this sentence because I realized it was something every one of my college professors would cringe at, but for the sake of levity and English language learning, here it is: "...but being left with no remedy other than to bite the bullet and jump through the hoops... " Yikes!) ;)

...Oh, by the way, my talk went very well. I'm afraid I spoke too quickly, but everyone had good things to say about it, so I feel I was able to make some contribution among such accomplished company.