If you come to teach, you might fall in love.

The most important thing that I can say about this program is that *everything* varies. The program works with schools all over the country. You can be surrounded by snow or desert, working in a poor or well-off school, in a tiny country town or a huge metropolitan city. That being said, I had a fantastic experience and really wish I could have stayed longer.

I love my students. I love my host teachers. I love being a teacher. My Spanish has improved in leaps and bounds. I willingly work many more hours than I am required to simply because I hate seeing the looks on kids' faces when the teachers would tell them that one sixth grade class would get to work with me and the other wouldn't (or the elementary school kids looking defeated since the program officially works with older students). The enthusiasm of the kids for having a gringo/a in their school is unbelievable, and if you put the time and energy into creating fun lessons, the kids will love you back times a hundred. Considering that a normal class size here is 45 students, that is a lot of love. I can't walk into the elementary school building without being mobbed by kids :)

It is important to remember that this is a volunteer program so you will not make money, but all of your needs are taken care of when it comes to housing and food, and the bonus covers any other basics. So, you basically get to live in a foreign country for a couple of months for the cost of flight tickets, which is pretty cool. There is plenty of time to travel if you are adventurous, and oftentimes your host family or host teachers will make a point to bring you to local tourist attractions. We have found that there are some differences as to how the visas are processed in different regions, but most are good for a year so you could decide to stay and travel or find a job at a private English school.

The most important warning I can give, however, is that you have to come to TEACH. If you come thinking that you will try it out and use it only as an opportunity to travel, you very well may not survive the experience. On the other hand, if you have a passion for children, it is a fantastic life experience to add to your repertoire.