Eye-opening

I spent my first summer with the ACLE program teaching English in Italy in 2016. I stayed from early June until the end of the season in mid-September. I had a phenomenal experience, and taught at six different camps starting in Rome, travelling to various small towns all over the country. The connections with host families are part of what makes the experience so special and personal. The families go out of their way to make you feel comfortable, and this helps significantly. I had no experience of teaching but the training made me feel very prepared for the classroom. The friendly colleagues I worked with supported me through each camp, and even though I worked with different people at each camp, team spirit was very evident. The children were well behaved all across Italy and it was an honour to interact with such happy, excitable children. Travel, accommodation and food was all covered which put my worries about finances at ease. I enjoyed travelling between camps on Saturdays, and I never travelled alone other than the week I came back from my holidays.