Job Discussion Forums

[DaughterOfaTeacherman]

Ciao all,

Just wondering if anyone had any more info on the following. A friend of a friend is trying to help me get a position as a "language assistant" in an Italian secondary school. Do any of you esteemed board members have any experience with this type of work? It would seem to be an advantage to have more regular and daytime hours and Italian friends here tell me that it would offer more security (the old Italian obsession with getting into the civil service, I suppose). I have been talking to some "normal" language schools and those may offer me a job before I have the opportunity to speak to the public school, so am wondering how the public school jobs compare in terms of working conditions, salary etc. and whether I should be holding out for that job.

Any advice or thoughts appreciated.

[SueH]

I teach part-time in some local primaries although I'm lucky that all the hours are blocked in to one day. Now this being Italy the situation may vary from region to region, but getting a full-time (or nearly so) job I suspect is unlikely. If you can it's worth doing as the hourly rate is a lot better. Plenty of competition from people who have been here some time, so it will be your contacts that help! I get the impression that most of us piece together bits of work from various sources/schools if we are not working in a standard language school.

[Teacher in Rome]

I work in a liceo, so can say the pay is worth it, providing you have your own contract and you're not going through anyone else. But - and a big but - you'll have to get used to large classes, little discipline or motivation, tiredness (if you get the last lesson) and not much in the way of materials. Work with the regular teachers, to make sure you're supporting what they're doing, and be friends with the school's administration. It pays off. Try and block your hours, and don't plan anything for the afternoon. You'll probably need the time off!

I mostly really love working with Italian teenagers. They're smart, funny, and a lot less cyncial than their UK counterparts. Definitely worth the experience in my opinion.

[DaughterOfaTeacherman]

Thanks a lot. That was just the kind of information I was looking for. Appreciated.

[Teacher in Rome]

Cool! Let us know how you get on.