Alumni Spotlight: Julie Griffin

Julie Griffin is from Sierra Vista, Arizona. She was a former teacher in Slovakia with Canadian Language School and a teacher in a public high school before and after her time in Slovakia. She loves Slovak bread, European chocolate, watching her children play sports and reading.

Day in the Life of Julie Griffin - Teacher in Slovakia

Highlights: The highlight of my time in Slovakia was a lovely trip to the Orava region of the country. It is beautiful and idyllic. The value for the stay was excellent and it felt quite different than the western part of the country.

I also had many wonderful trips to Vienna, Austria. It is fairly close and the shopping there is much closer to the experience an American would expect.

Morning: A typical morning teaching at the Canadian Language School was teaching a small class of approximately five students. The ones I recall the most clearly were business people who need to learn English to further the goals of their business. The focus was on both grammar and conversation.

Afternoon & Evening: In the afternoons I had high school or college students. Their parents were investing in their futures by ensuring that they spoke better English than their peers. Speaking English well can make a big difference in job opportunities for young people in Slovakia. I did not teach in the evenings.