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Frustration - Academics and bureaucracy
Can I whine for a moment, please?
This country is going to kill me from stress. I'm currently trying to find a way to do the Master's in Secondary Education, focus on English as a Foreign Language. I got into a university last year, but had to decline the offer since I was given a grant to work full-time as a teacher through the national Ministry of Education and the university wouldn't let me use my full-time teaching job as my student teaching experience. They wanted me to go to the Basque Country to student teach in one of their approved centers. (Another point against them is they insulted me in my interview, so I left the campus a little bitter.)
I've applied to another university for this year but due to the fact I majored in Spanish Language they want me to specialize to be a Spanish Language and Literature (think: English class for us) teacher. First off, my grammar sucks and my vocabulary is not that of a Spanish Language teacher. Secondly, I'd get laughed out of the classroom: "Gringo lady is going to teach US how to write in Spanish?" Finally, I'd much rather teach a foreign language, be it Spanish in the US or Canada or English here in Spain.
I'm frustrated. Why? To access the Master's in Secondary Ed. with a focus on Spanish Language and Lit. you can have a degree in Spanish Language, Translation, or any other Foreign Language. Yes, a Spaniard who majored in English could do the Spanish Language focus. However, to access the degree with an EFL focus, you have to have majored in English Language - no, it doesn't count that I'm a native and I majored in Spanish. I think I'm going to go curl up in bed frustrated and cry.
I'm starting to write an e-mail to my contact at the university to express my frustration about the access pre-reqs for the English focus are a little backwards since the Spanish Language pre-reqs are a lot looser. I'm not sure if I should mention that I was admitted to the EFL focus track last year at a different university. I hope I'm not making a mistake by writing this e-mail but I simply don't want to spend thousands of euros on something I'm not going to teach EVEN IF it gives me access to the teaching tests to specialize in English.
I hope this post makes sense. If not, here's a summarized version: Spain frustrates me at times. There's so many silly little bureaucratic walls, especially for those of us educated outside of Spain. This country is going to kill me from stress!
Re: Frustration - Academics and bureaucracy
Vent on, lady. I spent a year at the Universidad de Sevilla and the bureacracy for everything nearly killed me. My home university accepted credits in all subjects, but to enroll across "facultades," I had to get written authorization from each facultad. So, for example, filologia (lit) had to write a letter saying it was okay for me to enroll in a history class,even if the classes were, say, "20th Century Spanish Lit" and "History of the Spanish Civil War." HOW are those subjects incompatible with each other? How in the heck can you be expected to understand a writer of the 1930s without understanding the difference between all the political currents at the time? Gaaaa!
Good luck sorting it all out.
I have a friend who lives there, and from the stories she's told I'm not one shred surprised about the mess they're in. The bureaucracy is ghastly.
SUERTE! Pray to your village's patron saint, just in case.
hahaha, I'll look across the bay and pray to the giant Saint Mary of the Port.
Yes, yes, Mar?a del Puerto.
Can you go to the first university? Or will you be working at the same place next year?
I had one school tell me the same thing last year. I think it depends on the place. Good Luck!!! Can you do it with the UNED?
How frustrating! Working in education is such a pain, I'm dealing with crazy bureaucracy right now as well. I have a certification in a different state than the state I work in.
If you are working on a teaching certification in this state, you need 12 weeks of student teaching. Since I already teach 8th grade English without a senior teacher overseeing, I need 2 years of teaching to = 12 weeks of student teaching. And they don't want those 2 years to count towards tenure. Still working on arguing that particular point. Bleh.
Good luck, hopefully they are willing to work with you!
2012 Reading Challenge
I'm in the process of renewing the grant and I'm not sure when they'll tell us if we're in or not. Worst case scenario I could try, but if I didn't get the super-grant, I was going to apply to be a language assistant again. I hate how four years of experience under the supervision of a teacher with many, many years of experience doesn't count. Oh well.
I sent them an e-mail detailing my case, and I pray they take my proposal into consideration. We'll see on Monday. I have to reply whether or not I want to do the Master's by Thursday.
The UNED, due to the fact it's a public university, is even less flexible. I have the same issue with the University of Cantabria.
Good lord. Go cross the northern boarder to get into a much better state
Good luck! I complain about Spain but you're right - the whole state-to-state teacher credentials issue sounds like a real pain in the neck.