Rob Brogan » CELTA

Flat hunting, lesson planning. Sleeping?

Rob Brogan — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:44:02 +0000

What have I been up to lately?

Well it doesn’t sound like much if you generalize it all into “class.” I can’t believe it’s almost over. I’m still going to be very busy up to the last day, and even more so now that I have flats to go look at. I found several online and I have got some responses, so I need to fit those visits in on the week nights so that I can find something before November first.

Not much else is new. It was cold for a while last week, but this weekend has been nice and warm. 70° F today, and clear skies. I think I’m losing a bit of weight on the I’m busy and poor diet, combined with lots of walking each day.

Half Way!!

Rob Brogan — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:45:47 +0000

I made it half way through certification.
Once again, I don’t feel like writing. I also never bring my camera out with me, sorry to keep people in the dark.

Maybe when I’m bored and unemployed I’ll put some things up here! All is well in Barcelona, though. Fall is obviously rolling in, but I’ve been told it should get warm again. I have yet to learn what to expect from this place.

Birthday

Rob Brogan — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:32:07 +0000

Although I’m far away from a lot of friends and all of my family, just having a free Saturday in Barcelona is a good enough birthday for me. I made it through the first week of the CELTA course alive. It is pretty tiring, since I seem to be at the school all day long and then I have more to finish once I get home. At the end of all that, I’m dead tired. I wake up, and do it over again each day. I’m certain that it is all completely worth it no matter what I do. If I teach English, it’s the best certificate in the world, if I go to a non-Spanish-speaking country, then I can use the same skills to teach Spanish and English, and if I do anything else then I’m sure it will be useful on my CV.

I need to be apartment hunting, but I have no time during the weeks as you can tell, and on the weekends all I want to do is relax. At the moment, I’m at a bar with wifi. I miss having a good internet signal at home, but when I finally find my own place I’ll be fine. Oh, and I have a new requirement: a balcony. I love the one I have now!

First Week of October

Rob Brogan — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:59:16 +0000

I don’t have a whole lot to say right now. Ironically, it’s to the point where so much has happened that I won’t bother narrating it all.

On Monday I started the CELTA course at International House Barcelona and after a few hours of instruction, each of the five people in my teaching group taught for twenty minutes. We each did a getting-to-know-each-other excersice, so it wasn’t very difficult in content, but in it we had to practice clear and simple instructions so that people with minimal English could do the task. The next time I teach, it will be for 40 minutes on Thursday. We rotate observing other trainees teach, and then I teach on my own day.

So far everything is going well, it isn’t too much for me to handle, but it is a new and different kind of challenge. All of my classmates are very nice and it’s quite interesting that they’re from different places. It makes for good conversation!

Well, I’m going to have a small dinner now. I’ll try to update at least once a week, but this month will be very busy with class all day and lesson preparation at night.

I GOT IN!

Rob Brogan — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:07:29 +0000

The first major step to my move to Barcelona is finally over with.

International House is the school I will be attending for my Cambridge certification to teach English. Check it out, I think there are some promotional videos that show what class is like.

Location: Trafalgar 14, 08010 Barcelona, Spain

View Google Map

So, now I have one less thing to worry about. I was worried sick about not getting in and having everything fall through, but I succeeded. So yay. Next up: buying a plane ticket, getting a visa, paying for accommodation, actually passing this notoriously difficult course, finding a job, finding a place to live. It doesn’t sound like it gets any easier, but it least it has a direction.