- February 01, 2022
Through MIT’s Global Teaching Labs program, John Michael found a new home among a small country that he had previously known very little about. "My time teaching was an incredibly unique experience that will stay with me always."
There couldn’t be a country more different from John Michael’s home in Texas than the mountainous Andorra, yet he found himself right at home within the snowy valleys.
Batxillerat teaching
John Michael worked at Col.legi Sant Ermengol, a school in the Spanish system in Andorra that hosts students from age 2 – 18. He worked with 4 teachers that made up the Batxillerat (high school) math and science department. He helped teach, design lessons and examples, and tutored individual students. The host school got exposure to the American education system and the teachers learned of a couple of new teaching methods. The biggest cultural challenges he faced were the small language differences, particularly with the teachers.
Little differences make a fascinating new home
Many aspects of the culture were similar to that of the US. For instance, many popular TV shows, films, games and other media have their origins in America. The food was unique to the regions, blending French and Spanish cuisine with unique Andorran flair. Challenges mainly came from the structuring of the day, particularly with late dinners that concluded by going to bed almost immediately. All of the little differences were quite interesting to see, though. He was much more active and eating healthier than in America, as well. He felt welcomed by his family, teachers, and students, and was able to make Andorra feel like a new home.
Unique connections
John Michael felt as if he was able to connect to his students and teachers on a personal level, and was able to help some through private tutoring so that they could understand key concepts. He could have been slightly more prepared with lesson plans, but the classes still went smoothly. He highly recommends this experience, because it’s such a unique experience and location that many Americans would never experience or even consider. This experience helped give him a global perspective and made the prospect of teaching more appealing as a career, especially in an international context.