5 Things I Have Learned…

What is learning?

Let’s ask Google.

Learning: the acquisition of knowledge of skills through experience, study, or by being taught.

Students learn. Duh.

But so do teachers. In fact, I would argue that teachers learn even more than students.

I learn every day. I learn good lessons. I learn bad lessons. And yet, I still come back for more. That’s why, after nearly 200 days, I am still here. Not every day is easy and not every lesson goes according to plan, but having the chance to learn leads us to growth, and if we went through life without growing, we’d be the same person for approximately 79.2 years (the average life expectancy in the Czech Republic), and that’s just no fun.

So, without further adieu, I give you the five most important things I have learned since I began this journey.

1. Teaching is hard. Okay, I had known this already, so you could say that I’m cheating, but this is something that just cannot be overstated. Preparing and executing one lesson is hard enough. Now multiply that by 24 (the average number of lessons I teach every week). The lessons have to be engaging and valuable to the student. Then, there is the issue of levels. Take Wednesdays for example. Every hump day, I go from intermediate to upper intermediate to pre-intermediate to advanced, all in a matter of six hours. It’s mentally draining. Sometimes, even when lessons appear to be perfectly thought out, they just don’t go well. It has happened to me many times. You have to be ready for anything.
2. Europe is beautiful. The pictures do not do it justice at all. Prague has everything, well…almost everything, as I’ll get into later. Castles, bridges, monuments, you name it, it has it. Berlin was amazing as well. I got to see the Brandenburg Gate, something I never thought I’d be able to do, and let me tell you, it is downright captivating in person. All the history throughout the city makes it what it is: special. Budapest has the greatest architecture I have ever seen, and the health spas make it a must-see on any traveler’s list. I could write a book about all the other European places I still would like to see, but Prague’s central location makes it so easy to immerse yourself into this wonderful continent. FlixBus and RegioJet are quite helpful as well (for the record, I prefer FlixBus, but who’s counting?).
3. The Czech culture is much different than that of America. You have to pay to use most public restrooms. In many houses and apartments, the bathroom and toilet are in separate rooms. There is no Dunkin’ Donuts. No Taco Bell (what an injustice!). No Wal-Mart or Target, either. Maybe this is why beer is cheaper than water…But seriously, people don’t walk up to you on the street or on the tram and just make conversation. They are a lot more silent, which isn’t always a bad thing, but it’s a far cry from the US of A. Bills are considered to be “invoices.” Contactless credit cards are much more popular. The same word (ahoj) can be used to say hello and goodbye. “Please” and “you’re welcome” can both be referenced by the term “prosim.” Czechs, don’t take this seriously, but your language is weird. And finally, don’t even get me started on the European keyboards. There is a special place in hell for whoever created those. Can a keyboard just be a keyboard wherever we are in the world?
4. I am mentally strong. Sure, I’ve had my share of awful days, whether it be because of a rough teaching day, a disrespectful “customer service” worker (Americans would be appalled if they saw how rudely I’ve been treated by some of them over here), or depression brought on by the 16 hours of daily darkness we have this time of year, I am still here. That’s saying something. I have been told no…wait, “it’s not possible,” as they love to say here, I have had doors slam in my face, and have had countless challenges with the language barrier (the latest of which saw me accidentally order four McDonalds’ mcmuffins for breakfast during my trip to Budapest), but I haven’t quit. Why? I wanted to step outside my comfort zone. I wanted to change the world, and if I could inspire two or three people along the way, that would be great. Going back to New York, as appealing as it has sounded on some days, would just be undoing the personal growth I have achieved since I started this.
5. Patience truly is a virtue. Yes, even with adults. You have to be able to hold up, even when you keep hearing “some” used as an article or someone has dropped “I don’t understand” on you for at least the third time this lesson. You can’t lose your cool. You have to be patient, calm, and encouraging.

Yeah, I like those adjectives. In 2020, everyone should learn to be patient, calm, and encouraging. I know I’m going to be.