The New Classes

This week, I started teaching most of my permanent (by permanent I mean until June/July) classes, as opposed to last week when I just subbed a lot. I thought I'd tell you a bit about all my students. Please keep in mind that I work for a language school that is in the middle of Salamanca, one of the richest neighborhoods in Madrid. For the most part, the school provides teachers to companies to teach business English. However, they also offer private lessons for individuals - including bratty children from the neighborhood - that would like to learn general English.

My least favorite student is a 13 year old I have to teach every Monday for one hour. He is terrible and reinforces my hatred for teenagers. He's the typical 13 year old who is only there because his parents are making him be there. His father is a military doctor so I'm sure his dad is making him do this. Ok, maybe this is a bit presumptuous of me to say and I'm sorry. But I'm just imagining him wanting to do skateboarding competitions like how Sarah Jessica Parker just wanted to dance in "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", but her military father wouldn't let her...bastard! This boy hates English (I ask all my students how they feel about English), doesn't want to talk about anything (even when I try to talk about mutual interest like Beatles music), and hates pretty much everything about his life (i.e. living in Madrid). And today I was just told that he is failing English at school and it is imperative that we really teach him! Great! Just effing wonderful! I just know he is going to ruin my life!

On the contrary, my student after the stupid teenager is awesome! She is super nice, very enthusiastic to learn English, and has lots of confidence even though she has NEVER studied English before. She works for a British company and she just wants basic knowledge of English. She is in her late 30s and has no boyfriend but wants to be married and have children. She is very optimistic and knows that she will find that person someday. She's totally me in ten years.

On Tuesdays, I teach a Moroccan woman my age. She doesn't work because her Spanish husband makes a ton of money. He surprises her with Chanel make-up that cost him a total of 1,200 Euros. They only stay in luxurious hotels. They eat in fancy, expensive restaurants in Madrid. Yes, she talks a lot about her husband's money, and yet, I surprisingly don't mind this woman. She is very interesting and I'm curious to know more about her life. She is eager to learn English, not only to keep her busy but also because she likes languages. She speaks Arabic, Spanish, and at one point, French.

On Wednesday and Thursdays, I teach a man who is a director for an international technology firm. I wasn't very excited about this particular class because it's in the northern part of Madrid and it's from 19:30 to 21:00. Also, before I met him I was quite nervous. Since he is a big shot, I just assumed he would be kind of a jerk. I mean, this guy is in charge of the entire Iberian peninsula! Fortunately, he is the complete opposite of what I expected. Yes, he is the typical big shot in the sense that he is very successful for being 36 years old, works late everyday, smokes in his office because no one can tell him otherwise, takes full control of the class (which goes to show why he's in the position he is in and why I'm a terrible teacher), technically only works in Madrid because he actually lives in Barcelona (where he goes every weekend to a big house with a pool and a terrace...nice!), and just recently got married and divorced shortly after (due to never being home 5 days of the week). Despite all this, he's very nice, funny, super smart, well-traveled, and very interesting. And he seems like a really cool boss. He says he gives his employees a lot of flexibility because he thinks people should be able to enjoy life. I know people like him like to toot their own horn but his employees seem to really respect him. They're always talking and joking around with him. Even the janitor guy is tight with him. He's another favorite of mine, so far.

Every other Friday, I teach at the Universidad Europa Madrid. The school I work for was hired to teach the English component of the the Business School. My class consist of four students (one Mexican and three Peruvians) who are in the MBA program at the school. They will be studying here in Spain for a year or so. I've only had this class once and I kinda liked it. It's kind of strange teaching at a university - makes me feel like a professor - but it reminds me of business school at Loyola, which brings me back to the good ol' days in college. The students are typical college students: they don't want to be there and they constantly look bored and yawning. But I don't mind it so much, unlike the teenager. These guys remind me of how I was not so long ago...

Well, that's all for now. Next week, I will be teaching more executives: a director from Philips, and a director from one of the big Spanish banks. I just don't know how I got stuck with all these private classes with intimidating successful people! I don't like it, but at least it's more money.