7 things a Madrid EFL teacher cannot live without

OK. As a relative newbie to this teaching game I thought it would be good to share the things I learned (very quickly) an EFL teacher in Madrid should never leave home without.

Basically, if Batman was an EFL teacher this is what he'd have in his utility belt.

In reverse order:

7. A Madrid metro map. For obvious reasons... The public transport system is the lifeblood of the Madrid EFL teacher.

6. A Madrid travel pass. Usually zones B1 or B2 if you are a newbie teacher. If you can survive as an autonomo teacher in Madrid only travelling within zone 1 then you are probably one of the following:

• A well established and respected teacher who has done their fair share of travelling to industrial estates in some obscure suburb.
• Being VERY picky when selecting what classes to do.
• Unemployed.

Or

• My wife. Don't know how she managed it but every time I sit on the interurbano buses heading for the hills I feel a pang of jealousy.

5. Spanish-English dictionary. Essential both as a phrase book when your Spanish is as poor as mine and for those awkward moments when 3 minutes to the end of class a student asks you to explain the word 'what'.

4. Energy bars/Cereal bars. 30 minutes between classes. 1 bus and 2 metros apart. You want energy and you want it fast!

3. Comfortable shoes. Even though the next bus will be along in 6 minutes you will always try to convince yourself "If I catch this bus maybe I'll be early enough for coffee..." and start running. Catch it or miss it, there is never enough time for coffee.

Unless you have:

2. Your own local cafe. Find the cafe you pass most times per week. Visit it as often as you can and (insider's secret) tip them every time. Just 10 cents every time you buy a coffee. This may seem like false economy as the culture here is not to tip but trust me on this one. There will come a day when you are desperate for a hit of caffeine and you have less than 10 minutes. Then you will appreciate the benefits of not having to queue or even order your usual 'cafe para llevar'. You dash in, drop payment on the bar (including tip) and dash out.

And finally and most importantly:

1. A sense of humour! You will quickly learn that the Spanish sense of humour is wicked. In every sense of the word. Laugh with them and your job will instantly become easier. Laugh at them and expect abuse at your bad Spanish, inability to appreciate jamon, the weather in you country, how poorly your country did in the last World Cup... you get the point, anything is fair game.

This can be the most rewarding job if you have the right attitude. So don´t take things too seriously, accept things will never be as structured or organised as in the business world and start having fun!

Is Madrid the 'perfect' city?

I always used to say I would hate living in a city. I would give reasons such as "There´s too much traffic", "There are too many people", "There´s too much noise" etc. etc. But what I failed to realise is that amongst all these things of which there are too much or too many, there are lots of positives too.

Too many bars? Well, with the highest number of bars in any European capital that might be argued about Madrid but exactly how many are too many?

Too much sunshine? Well so far that´s not been a problem. (Ask me again in August)

Too many distractions from working? Definitely, but much better than work being a distraction from living.

Which has made me ask myself. Why do I love living in one of the biggest, the loudest and one of the busiest cities in Europe?

The strange thing about Madrid (and speaking to friends I know I´m not alone in this analysis) is that Madrid does not feel like a big bustling capital. Sure it has its traffic problems, its welfare problems, its pollution problems and many of the other issues you would expect in such a large built up area but it still manages to retain a 'town' feeling.

I have visited many cities around the world, in many different countries and one of the things that still strikes me is how much sky you can see in Madrid. Of course, this is in part due to the city´s hilltop position and sure, Madrid is relatively 'low rise' in comparison to most cities but it is still something that catches me by surprise most days. Perhaps having been raised in Scotland where we still call a two week dry spell Summer does have something to do with it but I don´t think I can tire of the beautiful sunrises and sunsets that grace this city most days. But of course, to say I love Madrid for the weather really is selling the city short.

The main thing for me is that the city feels more like a collection of villages than one big city. Each barrio (neighbourhood) has its own unique feel. From the boutique lined street of the Salamanca district to the down and dirty chic of Lavapies there is always something to see and do.

You want high street shopping? Then get yourself to Gran Via. Bars and terraces? Then you could do a lot worse than La Latina or Malasaña. Museums? Take your pick but a walk down Paseo del Prado will certainly not disappoint. Or how about just somewhere to get away from it all? Well why not lose yourself (possibly literally) in Casa de Campo or one of the dozens of other parks. I´ve come to realise that this city really does have almost everything except a beach. I´ll discuss the "urban beach" at a later date.

So is this the perfect place to live? Well I would argue that the definition of perfect depends on your needs, wants and expectations at any given point in your life. The neighbourhood you grew up in may have been perfect when you were ten years old but is it where you want to be right now? There are many socio-economic reasons to consider before deciding where that right place is.

For an English teacher in Madrid I guess the 2 big questions are: "Is there work available?" and "How expensive is it?" But both of these are 'piece of string' questions.

Yes, there is work available. Both my wife and I are constantly turning offers of work down. Now, part of that is due to us choosing the hours we want to work, but we still both teach more than 30 hours each week which, believe me, is more than enough to provide a good standard of living.

"How expensive is Madrid?" Well, how expensive do you want it to be? It is a capital city. Things such as rent etc. are not cheap but there are ways to reduce your costs (future discussion). If you eat out every day and night then your costs are going to spiral. If you sit in all the tourist venues then even more so, but no-one moves to a city to be a tourist right?

But the big question for me whenever I look at a potential new place to live (and trust me, I lived in a few) is "How does it feel?".

This is a friendly city. I recognise and say "Hi" to as many people on the street I live on here, as the street I grew up on. Sure the old women of Madrid have elbows of steel and no-one thanks you for holding a door open but this isn´t due to bad manners - it´s just a different culture. In general the people are more open, warm and accepting to 2 pale faced, non-spanish speaking guiri´s than they really need be. We have had offers of help for various situations from neighbours, complete strangers and ex students alike. I cannot say enough good things about the people of Madrid.

So, have I found the perfect place to live? Well for me, at this moment. I think so.

Oh no! Not another teaching blog....

There are literally hundreds of native English speakers teaching English in Madrid. From gap year students who are looking to make some quick cash while travelling throughout Europe and beyond to full time professionals who have set-up their lives, professions and businesses here. It also seems for every type of teacher there is a blog which argues the virtues of a particular type of teacher, training course, teaching certificate or method of teaching.

One thing they all seem to share however is that no matter how someone finds themselves in Madrid and considering a teaching job they tend to face similar questions:

How do I get a teaching job in Madrid?

Should I work for an academy or teach privately?

What is the best academy to work for?

How much will I get paid?

Can I get a contract or do I need to be Autonomo?

What is Autonomo?

Who will I be teaching?

Where do I find ESL resources for my classes?

These are only a few of the questions I had when considering settling and working in Madrid and quite frankly, given the number of decisions a new teacher has to make before even entering the country it's a miracle there are so many of us here! But, here we are and all finding a way to make a living in this crazy, busy, beautiful, historic, incredible city.

Hopefully, if you are sitting at home considering taking the leap into teaching, Spain or just a new life my experiences may be able to help. Perhaps you are an English teacher in Madrid or elsewhere in the world and can use this site as a place to share ideas and suggestions because I know I certainly don't have all the answers. Maybe as an English student this will help you improve your English as I post some of my observations from living and working here. Or maybe I'll just be writing for my own amusement.

Regardless, I'll update this site regularly, try to keep things interesting and see where it takes us.

Happy reading!