20 days left...

With Rence and Steven, Amra and Michelle coming over to Malta, things are definitely looking up around here. I'm no longer the only freak to have chosen Malta for his placement abroad.

Last week was indeed difficult. Although two-hour lessons are inhumane, I have a feeling that I have learned a lot during the three 'hellish' days. Instead of thinking of two-hour activities, I have split the lessons into two hours. Unfortunately, I was in no way allowed to give breaks, which meant students were using their chair flaps as bunks after an hour and a half...

I was also confronted with the organisation at EC. Of course I have been there long enough to get an image of how they go about things at the school, but I was surprised once again. One of the colleagues at the Academic Dept. was asked to teach a new class for ONE week. However, at the end of the week she was asked to teach the class for another week, which was NOT part of the agreement. Let me demonstrate the problem by quoting the general manager of the Academic Department: "I think you will have to teach the class for another week, this is how I go about things. I tell people to do it for one week, until the next week comes, then I just tell them to take the class for another week..." Besides this, the other teachers have no idea that interns don't get paid at all. The position of interns within the company is quite blurry alltogether, anyway. Next week, I will be teaching three lessons, lasting from 09:00 till 15:00. After this, I still need to prepare for the next three lessons. The ladies at the Academic Department expect me to work at the office until 18:00 after my lessons. If preparing my lessons takes about two hours, this means I will be working from 08:30 until 20:00. I doubt that this was the intention of the internship... There needs to be a clearer contract for interns at EC, which may be something I will discuss with the director of studies, after my internship.

Anyway, I have twenty days left on this island. I am already looking forward to sharing my experiences in teaching and assisting (at the Academic Dept.) with my coordinator in Nijmegen (Jeroen Gronheid).

Marien

Comments

[Geplaatst door: johanna]

you.... 20 days left??? My,my! Tell you what you are going to do next! you are going to visit me in Africa! then i won't be the only "freak" to have come here! Enjoy your last days there!
Jo

[Geplaatst door: Tristan]

I hope that you'll round off your time there on a very positive note, but then again, that mustn't be a problem with that company coming up :D

Here in Birmingham things are really good.. excellent even!

Cheers,
-Tristan

[Geplaatst door: Steve]

Hi BF!

I wanted to be the first to post on 1 October...and here I am 7 min past twelve to say only this to you:
'This month you're coming home!'

I'm counting the days now!

Luv,

Steve