Greenheart Travel

Category: Teach Abroad – Italy

Teach Abroad Italy: Katie’s Experience

Katie Bleck is currently a participant on Greenheart Travel’s Teach Abroad Italy Program. She is currently working as an assistant teacher in Turin, Italy. We asked Katie a couple of questions about her experience so far!

What is the biggest difference you noticed between the U.S. and Italian school system?

The three main differences I noticed between the U.S. and Italian school systems are the subjects of emphasis, teacher work hours, and the school community. The first difference I noticed between the U.S. and Italy is what subjects are emphasized by the curriculum. In American schools, math, reading, and writing are by far the most dominant subjects. (Especially in the younger grades). The Italian curriculum includes these subjects, but also introduces foreign languages at much younger grades. For example, my students were able to communicate in English, French, and German in addition to their primary Italian language. I thought their skill set was absolutely incredible! Secondly, teachers work very different hours in America and Italy. In America, you spend 40 hours a week in the classroom with students and additional hours in meetings, lesson prepping, and grading. In Italy, teachers only spend 18 hours a week in the classroom with students, about 2 hours in parent conferences, and additional hours prepping and grading. I couldn’t believe how short my school days were! Lastly, I noticed a difference in community between American and Italian schools. In both countries, the staff has close relationships with one another, but the relationships between students throughout the school is much different. In Italian schools, there are no athletics, musical theatre, clubs/organizations that are apart of the school. In my opinion, this creates a school community because students are able to interact with numerous students outside of their class and grade.

What is your favorite part about being a volunteer assistant teacher?

My favorite parts about being a teacher assistant is having the opportunity to share my American cultures while also forming new relationships. This position has allowed me to enhance students’ second language in a fun and engaging style. The students are always so excited to have me in their class! It is honestly so heartwarming having the students cheer my name and clap upon my appearance. I truly feel the love! The teachers I work alongside are also so kind and extremely helpful! It has been a pleasure to get to know them and learn from their teaching styles!

In addition to forming relationships with my family and at school, I have also been able to meet another North American teacher assistant and have traveled around the country with her! We have been able to share our experiences and honestly became such great friends! Some cities we have traveled to include: Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and Genoa!

What did your host family do with you to help you acclimate to the community?

My family welcomed me with such open hearts and has genuinely made me feel apart of their family! To acclimate to the community, my family introduced me to many to their family members/friends and always invited me to accompany them in their daily activities. Some of these activities include going to the park, going shopping, hanging out with their friends, etc. Participating in daily activities has made this transition feel less overwhelming and a lot like my life back home. In addition, my family also speaks English when I am around and makes me feel apart of every conversation.

Do you travel with them outside of Italy or around Italy?

YES! I have been so fortunate to be able to travel to some amazing places in Italy with my family! These places include skiing in the Alps, boat rides and island hopping on Lake Maggiore, the Ivrea Carnival, and several places in Turin. I have very much enjoyed exploring and learning more about these beautiful and historic places with my family.

What do you do with your host family for fun?

Some activities I do with my host family for fun include playing card games and cooking/baking. I’ve been able to teach my family some of my favorite card games and they have taught me theirs. There’s one specific game American they loved so much, we play it many times a week! I have also very much enjoyed learning to how bake/cook authentic Italian recipes! Some of my favorite dishes I have made include tiramisu, gnocchi, and carbonara. I have also been able to make some simple American dishes for my family that they have never tried before. Some of these include French toast, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and confetti cookies. It was so fun seeing their reactions to the food! In addition to sharing recipes and card games, I have also shared my American culture with my family through holidays. My time in Italy has been during Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and Easter. I learned that these holidays are celebrated very differently between the two countries. To share my traditions, I made valentines, St. Patrick’s cards, and hid Easter eggs around the house for them. They were very excited and appreciative of this gesture!

Did this change how you view families in Italy/ Italian lifestyle ?

Before this experience, I didn’t know much about the Italian lifestyle aside from the stereotype that they eat lots of pasta. Which is very much true! In fact, we ate different types of pasta everyday for lunch when I came back from school! Besides the pasta consumption, I have learned that the Italian lifestyle is much more simplistic. For example, you don’t need a hundred different outfits and life moves at a slower pace.

Does this make you want to pursue teaching upon return?

ABSOLUTELY! Prior this experience I already had a profound love for teaching! Having the capability to educate and inspire the younger generation is something I find truly special! Being a teacher assistant has provided the opportunity to do so in another country and it has been remarkable! This experience has only enhanced my love for this profession and I cannot wait to share some of the Italian culture with my future students and coworkers when I return home.

Do you want to stay in touch with your host family?

DEFINITELY! After spending this period of time with them, I feel as if they have truly became a second family! Outside of school, I spend most of my time with my family and have formed bonds to last a lifetime! I can’t imagine not staying in touch.

Learn more about Greenheart’s Teach Abroad Italy Program!

April 22, 2024
Teaching in Italy: Q and A with Maddy!
Maddy Schneider is a current participant on Greenheart’s Teach English in Italy Program. She is located in Acqui Terme with her host family. We asked her a few questions about her thoughts on the program so far!

What is the biggest difference you’ve noticed between the Italian school system and the one from your home country?

I have noticed a lot of differences between the Canadian school system and the Italian school system. The main thing I have noticed is that Italy is still stuck in an old school way of teaching. The teacher talks at the front of the room, and the kids listen. The kids then go home and read their textbooks for hours. They memorize their textbooks for when they have a written or oral test (which occurs almost everyday), then they simply forget that information to make room for the next things they need to memorize. In Canada, we take a play-based approach in learning and the kids do a lot of playing and hands-on activities to learn the material.

What is your favorite part about being a volunteer assistant teacher?

My favourite part about being a teacher assistant is interacting with the kids. They all seem to seek me out and try to communicate with me, even if they don’t know any English. I enjoy talking with them and learning about them. Many teachers have told me that many of the students that don’t engage in class have taken big steps in communicating with me and participating in my lessons.

You currently live with a host family. What did your family do with you to help you acclimate to the community?

My family has taken me to see sights around the town, meet with their friends, and have taught me about Italian culture in general!

Have you been able to travel with your host family?

My family has taken me to France and a few other places in Italy.

When you’re not traveling with them, what do you do with your host family for fun?

For fun, my family sometimes takes drives in the country. We also sometimes watch a movie together.

Does this experience lead you to have a different outlook on your life back in your home country?

I have a very different outlook on life in my home country now. I never understood all the things I took for granted back home and this will change the way I live when I return home.

Will you continue to teach once home?

In Canada, I am already a teacher. So I am happy to return to teaching and having my own classroom again.

Do you plan on staying in touch with your host family?

I will absolutely stay in touch with my host family. Someday I hope to return to visit them!

Maddy is currently on Greenheart’s Teach Abroad Italy Program. To learn more about the program, click here!
April 5, 2024
Two Ways to Make the Most of 90 Days Traveling in Europe on a Budget

Early in my travels, Europe was always the place I dreamt about. If you were to give me one of those “which city are you?” BuzzFeed quizzes that are utterly addicting, I would almost always be the whimsical romantic in the group, receiving Paris as my city time and time again.

There’s no denying it; that continent has incomparable allure.

It can also be mind-numbing, especially for anyone like me who is predisposed to obsess over maps and “must-see” lists. However, learn to avoid a few common pitfalls, and your 90 days could be full of unforgettable experiences.

Fly by the seat of your pants…not your pocketbook

When I planned my trip, I figured that I could always do it better and cheaper on my own. I only knew about travel agents. I didn’t know about cultural exchange programs, and I certainly didn’t think anything like that would end up saving me money.

Traveling in Europe or moving there for an extended period comes with all the same costs as living in the U.S. You have to pay for housing, utilities, food, transportation – everything just as you would back home. Even if you stay in hostels your whole trip, you’ll end up paying the same or more than rent each month. And that is one of many reasons why homestay programs are a beautiful thing.

Find the right fit

First and foremost, you have to be invested in the cultural exchange experience to commit to a homestay. If you’re genuinely interested in experiencing the day-to-day life of your host family, sharing your customs with them and learning about their own, as well as having a lot of independence and personal time to explore, then a homestay might be the right fit for you.

What’s more, it will cost you far less than trying to live in Europe on your own, whether you’re planning to stay in one place or travel around, and your travel insurance, logistics, vetting of your homestay family, and so much more will be handled for you. Most importantly, you’ll have a unique, quality experience living and learning abroad, like a local.

Making the most ≠ seeing the most

A common mistake that travelers make is to try and fit in as many cities as humanly possible. When I planned my five-week trip, I knew that I wanted cushion days where I could just sit in cafes and people watch. Sightseeing is a blast, but it’s also exhausting, and it doesn’t continue to be a blast if you do it day after day after day.

The key to travel, as with most things in life, is quality over quantity. Give yourself time to absorb each place you visit. You’ll have such a better chance to learn about the culture and history, rather than just memorize the tourist sites, and you’ll return home refreshed and ready to plan your next trip!

So, ask yourself why you want to go to Europe so badly? Is your goal to tour the country, or to teach? Is it to learn a new language or experience the culture? Or is it all of the above? Whatever combination you’re looking for, it’s possible. The following two options are just a few of the ways to fit it all in!

1. Teach English in a Homestay

If you’re highly independent and itching to spend a chunk of time gallivanting wherever you please, Teach in a Homestay is a good option for you. Greenheart Travel has placements in countries such as France and Spain with one to three-month program options as well as rolling start dates! It’s a highly flexible and cost-effective program to incorporate into your European adventure.

You’ll spend 15 hours a week teaching your homestay family, allowing you to try out teaching English in a more relaxed setting and see if it’s something you want to pursue. The rest of your time is yours to explore your new home.

If you’re looking to get a little bit of everything on your Euro-trip – professional development, cultural immersion, language practice – this is an excellent program to pair with any independent plans you want to make.

2. Teach English in a Local School

If you would like more structure to your 90 days and prefer to try teaching English in a school setting as a teacher’s assistant, Teaching English in Italy or France could be your jam. You’ll also gain the experience of a homestay, but you’ll get to go abroad with other Greenheart Travel teachers at the same time (with the same start date!), have the support and community of your school, and the opportunity to travel to destinations all over Europe on the weekends.

No matter how you decide to spend your days experiencing a new culture, you’ll come back having had a life-changing, one of a kind experience that taught you more about yourself and what you want in life.

June 23, 2021
Greenheart Travel Celebrates Inspirational Women with a Sense of Adventure

In honor of International Women’s Day, a global celebration highlighting the achievements of women and calling for gender parity, Greenheart Travel is showcasing a few of our solo women traveler alumni who inspire us to travel for a change.

From stories of not letting expectations hold them back to taking chances, these women prove that it’s never too late to go after what you want.

So in celebration of this holiday, we thank our Greenheart Travel women for their strength and sense of adventure.

Varshini Kumar, Teach English in Thailand

Teach English in Thailand alum Varshini Kumar had only one previous travel experience before taking the 9,000-mile journey from Chicago to Bangkok. Though she had the pestering worry she’d be lonely in her new home base, she knew not traveling would be worse. Lucky for her, she made it to Thailand and thrived.

I’ve realized being a female solo traveler isn’t about proving to the world you can do it, but it’s about proving it to yourself. When I look back at the past six months and reflect on what I’ve accomplished, it gives me the assurance I can tackle any future obstacle that comes my way.

Varshini Kumar in a boat surrounded by lotuses.

Susan LacCanne, Teach English in a Homestay Italy

Susan LacCanne has “always had the desire to see the world.” So this year, she ditched the typical vacation and started a journey to experience Italian culture in-depth with Greenheart Travel’s Teach English in a Homestay in Italy program.

The journey has just begun, but it’s already proved meaningful. She’s experienced things that “bring tears to your eyes,” like the Colosseum in Rome, and challenged herself. “As a woman, and an infrequent traveler, it is challenging to plan a day of touring in a foreign country alone. It is also very empowering, to know that you have navigated a new city on your own, figured out the train system, and ordered a coffee in Italian.”

She’s also inspiring future travelers.

I also feel this experience has set a wonderful example for my children. They know the world is much bigger than themselves, and they only need to be brave enough and open enough to go see it.

Rome’s Colosseum on a bright, sunny day. Photo by Susan LacCanne.

Krystal Rogers, Teach English in Italy

Teach English in Italy alum Krystal Rogers had one goal in 2016: travel more.

And that year, she traveled. She flew to Turks and Caicos, Cancun and Vancouver – all by herself. Doing so gave her the confidence to try new activities, meet new people and even at times, “reinvent or find myself.” Fueled by her newfound gusto for solo travel, she took a chance to open a new boutique fitness studio in Dubai prior to teaching abroad in Italy, despite the fact her “gut instinct was to refuse the offer as it was very far, an unfamiliar culture, and a big risk.”

Rogers is a great example of how pushing your limits just once can unravel future opportunities of growth and learning.

I hope my travels have broken down stereotypes for some people. Women are capable of travelling safely by themselves, the Middle East can be a very welcoming place, and being solo is sometimes anything but lonely.

Krystal Rogers traveling solo in a desert.

Dawn McGowen, Teach English in a Homestay Spain

Dawn McGowen’s decision to quit her job and teach English in a homestay in Spain was a confusing one for friends and family. They couldn’t understand why she would choose to live with strangers in a foreign country.

Yet, she followed her gut feeling and took the plunge because she knew “life is about more than just making money.” As it turns out, it was the right decision. Sometimes, while “sampling tapas along Las Ramblas in Spain or “climbing ancient temple ruins in Thailand” she wonders if she’s dreaming and hopes to “never wake up.”

Nothing has impacted my life more positively than my solo traveling experiences, and I can only hope that there are many more to come.

A castle in Spain. Photo by Dawn McGowen.

Everlecia Taylor, Teach English in a Homestay Spain

Future Teach English in a Homestay in Spain alumna, Everlecia Taylor, has a birthday tradition: each year, she travels to a new country to celebrate. Last year, she took her first solo trip to Guatemala.

Traveling for her brings unexpected friendships.

I traveled to countries where I met people I may never see again, but the memories we created and recorded will last forever.

People may say solo women travel is lonely, but Taylor proves it’s anything but.

Everlecia Taylor in front of a camera while traveling.

What are you waiting for? You could be the next woman traveler to inspire us.

March 3, 2021
7 Things No One Tells You About Teaching Abroad

Teaching abroad can be one of the best decisions you can make, and you learn so much important stuff about yourself and about the world. But! It’s important to be realistic about what your life will be like as a teacher in another country. Make sure you’re properly prepared for the experience and have the capacity to make a positive impact wherever you end up! Here are some things that no one tells you about teaching English abroad.

You’ll spend most of your time teaching

This one seems like a, “well duh!” but honestly, in all the daydreaming that happens about what life abroad will be like, people forget. Of course, you will have amazing experiences, meet new friends, and travel as much as you can, but the reality is that the vast majority of your time abroad will be standing in front of a classroom. That, or sitting at your desk preparing for your next classes. Or doing something relaxing after school because teaching can take it out of you some days. I don’t mean this in a negative way at all, but generally the 8 hours/day of being at school doesn’t make it into everyone’s daydreaming. Although it doesn’t sound great on paper, there are so many positives to spending all those hours at schools. You’ll make friends with your local co-teachers, you’ll actually get to know your students and you’ll learn to be a much more patient and organized person.

After a while, every day will be just any other day

Despite all the wAnDerLuSt you’ll see on Instagram in the destination you plan to teach, that’s not what the average day looks like. Once you get settled into your new apartment and job, you’ll start to establish a routine that you’ll follow in the same way you follow your routine at home now. You’ll pop in your headphones in the morning and commute to work without thinking about it, you’ll teach the same classes at the same times, you’ll have your favorite dinner spots to stop at after school, and you’ll binge the same shows on Netflix you watch every night before bed. Some days you might even be a little *GASP* bored. But that’s okay! Life can’t be exciting at all times – that would be exhausting.

It’ll hit you every once in a while, especially at first, and you’ll be in awe for a split second thinking, “Whoa! This is my life! It’s, like, my life at home except I’m in Thailand/Italy/Colombia. Hm weird. Okay time for class.” But honestly, it’s one of the best things about living abroad. In those moments, you realize that you have the grit and tenacity to be successful, even in a new place, even with a new job and likely with a previously unknown language.

Good intentions don’t automatically mean good results

Despite your best intentions, you can still negatively affect your host community, colleagues and or students if you’re not conscious of the role you play in their lives. Oftentimes within the teaching abroad world, a lot of people go into the experience incredibly naïve about the job. It’s such a common path for people to take, after college or as a career break, that it’s easy to fall into thinking, “Teaching can’t be that hard if everyone is doing it!” Teaching may come easy to some people, but for most, it takes time and practice to become a good teacher and if you go into a job unprepared, that’s a disservice to the students and the local teachers who work with you.

Get quality training for the job you’ll be doing, educate yourself on the culture as much as possible, and give yourself the room to adjust to your new environment (i.e. don’t travel every weekend). Culture shock is real, and you need more downtime in the beginning while you’re adjusting to your new surroundings. You don’t want to be that teacher who comes to class every day mentally/physically exhausted and cranky.

Understand that it’s totally fine to have personal reasons for wanting to move abroad, but you need to keep your host community in mind too and how you can best serve them. If that seems like too big of a responsibility, reconsider going on an extended holiday instead and circle back to teaching abroad at a future time.

Your own English will get worse

A common problem that many English-speaking teachers don’t realize before they start teaching, is that they talk very quickly. For teachers working with young or beginner-level students, slowing waayyyyy down is necessary to increase student’s comprehension of your lessons. You’ll also discover the survival tactic of matching the level of English of the person you’re talking to, adding in as many words in the local language as you can and using lots of miming and pointing. It’s a tiring way to communicate, but it usually makes for some laughs and it’s a great way to learn new vocabulary! After a while, that’s just how you’ll talk, all the time – slower and shorter sentences. You and your foreigner friends will also start to speak in an English-hybrid language, sticking in random local words to everyday conversations, which further adds to your new way of communicating. It definitely becomes a funny habit to break when you return to your home country!

Your students are likely learning in a very different environment than you did, and you need to learn about them

This varies from country to country, and even from school to school. In most Western schools, falling asleep in class is a generally not allowed and if a teacher catches you taking a snooze, there’s usually some consequence. Although kids will be kids no matter where you are in the world, there may be a legitimate reason a student is sleeping in your class. In places like Thailand, your students may be getting up very early in the morning to help with the family business, whether that’s a restaurant, farm or store, and may have worked late the night before as well. In places like Korea, it’s not uncommon for students to attend public school all day, private school at night, with some private tutoring in between and homework for all three at the end. Sometimes, the foreigner’s English class is the time to get some rest, and that shouldn’t be punished. When you start teaching, make an effort to learn about your students. You can do this inside and outside the classroom: create lessons on interests and hobbies, make yourself available in between classes, or join extracurricular activities.

Teaching may not be the best fit for you, but that’s totally okay!

Teaching is not an easy job and it’s not for everyone. Some people thrive as teachers and spend years abroad doing it; some even return home to pursue a graduate degree in education and change the whole course of their career. However, others find that the role as a teacher doesn’t play to their strengths and they don’t enjoy the job as much as they had anticipated. If you find yourself halfway into your contract and not loving the profession, don’t beat yourself up over it. The best thing you can do is commit yourself to your students and finish your contract, be the best teacher you can be for that time and move on to another field when you’re finished. Anyone who has taught abroad has met at least one teacher who doesn’t necessarily like teaching but wants to stay abroad, so they continue teaching as a means to an end, AKA a paycheck and a visa. They usually aren’t super committed to their jobs or improving themselves to be a better teacher, and their students are the ones who are affected the most.

It’s not up to you to make changes in how things are done

As a foreigner in a different country, you’re going to learn quickly that most things are done very differently than you’re used to, whether that’s how people line up to get on the train, how an office is organized, how to deal with conflict or how you’re supposed to manage your classrooms. At some point, you may find yourself thinking, “Wow, this would be way more efficient if we did x,y, or z instead.” Whether or not your solution is right, it’s not up to you to make any changes, especially if you’re only there for a short time. Think about if your job hired one new employee from another country who came in hot trying to correct the way you and your coworkers had done things for years? You probably wouldn’t like them too much.

There’s a variety of reasons to go with the flow in this matter, but there are two main ones. Cultural nuances you may not yet recognize are at play, and a foreigner stepping on those nuances may offend some of your coworkers. The other reason is that you’re likely going through culture shock, which means you’re hyper aware of everything that is different, and you may not realize that you’re just reaching for something to control. This always serves as a lesson in patience and cooperation as you’ll learn to adapt – a very useful skill that will follow you after you leave.

August 8, 2019
Exploring My Italian Heritage While Teaching English in Italy

How did your Italian heritage play a role in choosing to do this program in Italy?

I have always been interested in learning more about my Italian heritage. My maternal grandfather grew up in the North End of Boston with immigrant parents, while my paternal great-grandparents arrived on Ellis Island from Augusta, Sicily. In 2015 I decided to study abroad in Florence and got my first taste of the Italian lifestyle. I knew that after graduating I was destined to go back. While abroad I lived with other Americans, so I knew that I wanted a teaching program that would allow me to live with an Italian host family and become more immersed in the culture. The Greenheart Travel Teach English in Italy program was the perfect fit and the flexibility in my teaching schedule allowed me to travel for a weekend to Sicily to meet up with my family! It was extra special because my dad met me in Sicily and we got to go through this experience together.

How did you connect with your Italian family originally and then again when you were in Italy?

A few of my Dad’s cousins become heavily intrigued in genealogy. We knew that the family was Sicilian and could trace it back a certain distance. This is how we connected with my cousin Salvo! We threw a big reunion when he and his wife Patricia were able to come to the U.S. Because we were in the age of the internet, we were able to connect on various social media sites and keep in touch. This lead to me being able to reach out while in Torino and find a time that worked to go and see the homeland!

Salvo and I when I arrived in Augusta!

What was the best part about connecting with your Italian family in Sicily? Did you meet any family members for the first time?

Family is family no matter how distant! Being welcomed into my cousins home with his wife and two boys was an incredible feeling. The Italian culture is so welcoming and nurturing to begin with, so adding a shared history on top of this was amazing. Salvo took me to the town where our shared ancestors had once lived as well as many of the “hot spots” of Sicily, including the gorgeous seaside town of Taromina. Even though I had only met my cousin once before (and was not quite old enough to have made lasting memories) I felt like the family were people I have known all my life. The feeling was one that I also shared with my host family in Torino (which I now consider family) and I couldn’t be more thankful to Greenheart for giving me the platform to strengthen my bonds to Italy.

My Dad and I exploring Sicily

Tell us about the surprise party!!

After a particularly long day of touring the Island, Salvo told my Dad and I that we had one last stop to make. We arrived at a flat filled with more cousins that I had never met! Because I was about two months into my immersion into the Italian language, my skills were strong enough that I was able to have conversations with most of the family. One of my cousins married a Thai woman who spoke English so she worked as a translator for the pieces that I wasn’t able to catch. The joy that I felt walking into a room full of strangers was not something that I expected. The family was so genuinely interested in my life back in America and the experiences that I had had in Italy so far. I only hope that some of them choose to come to America for a trip so that I can return the favor!

A group shot of the Surprise Party! Not all jumped in the photo, that is my Dad to the far right and me in the scarf

Did they introduce you to any family traditions or foods that you hadn’t tried or known about before?

Because I grew up with both sides of my family relatively in touch with our Italian heritage, there was never a shortage of Italian food growing up! What Salvo was able to shed light on for me was our shared history in Sicily and how that families have branched off from Augusta. Being able to walk in the steps of our ancestors is not something you get to do every day, especially not with a local guide!

How do you plan to keep in touch with your Italian family moving forward?

My cousin and I chat regularly through WhatsApp and his boys have connected with me through multiple social media platforms! My younger brother and older sister have BOTH traveled to Sicily and been able to have a similar experience to mine (my sister went to volunteer and my brother visited during his study abroad). I have confidence that my cousin’s family will make the trip back to the US once the boys are a bit older, and I can play the tour guide!

August 1, 2019
8 Cities Where We Place Teachers in Italy, and Why You Would Love Living There

We asked our current teachers in Italy to complete this sentence: “You would love living in ___[your placement city]___ because…” to get a good idea of just how unique and interesting each placement city is within Italy. If you are considering teaching in Italy, check out the wide variety of culturally diverse cities we place teachers in!

Liz Pignatelli – Placed in Frossasco and Roletto

One night, during a deep conversation, I confessed that I was extremely close to not going to Italy for the program after I was told of my placement. I had already bought my plane ticket and I considered not going. I was placed in Frossasco and Roletto and I would switch families midterm. My towns were very small- maybe a couple of thousand people in each, and to be honest this really scared me.

I studied Italian for a few years in high school, but the thought of being in such a small town frightened me. Obviously, I took the leap. I went. To this day, choosing Greenheart Travel and deciding to go teach in my small town was one of the best choices of my life. Living in a small town turned out to be amazing. It was a GENUINE Italian experience. I learned so much that I couldn’t have learned anywhere else. I went to the tiny Gelateria in my town all by myself. I would walk 30 minutes to the nearest Basko when I wanted a specific snack that I discovered and fell in love with – like Pocketcoffee. I looked at the stars in the sky when it was clear, which happened so much more in my small town than it does back home. I looked at the Alps every day on my way to school. I opened my window to see a beautiful field of grapes of hazelnuts.

It was an experience you can’t get just being a “tourist.” I still talk to my host families three years later and also my main host teacher. I am traveling with one of the girls I met in Italy and still keep in contact with many of the people I met during the program. In fact, next month, I plan on moving to Bali with two of the girls I met through this program. This program is amazing.

I loved living in Frossasco and Roletto because I got a taste of real Italian life. I saw cities in Italy no one has ever heard of- and that’s amazing.

I met amazing friends, and the memories I made I will have forever. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I would not trade it for anything in the world. There will be struggles. You will learn. You will grow. In the end, you will be so thankful you took the leap and hopped on that plane. ✈️🇮🇹

Nick Zingale – Placed in Lanzo Torinese

You would love living in Lanzo Torinese because of friendly people, gorgeous Alpine setting, and a 13th-century bridge!

Sarah Feitelberg – Place in Biella

You would love to live in Biella because I loved the great teachers that I got to work with and it was suburban like my hometown is.

Biella, Italy back of my school with a mountainous view

Auriana Petach – Placed in Torino

You would LOVE living in Torino because there’s incredible historical palaces/castles, there seems to be a festival/fair in the streets every weekend and everything is in walking distance!

Melanie Lewis – Placed in Bosconero

You would love living in Bosconero because it was an authentic Italian experience. I was scared to death when I learned of this small town placement (about 3,000 people), but it turned out to be the BEST experience of my life. I learned true Italian traditions and cooked with the best host mom (who also happened to be the best cook!) Bosconero was a great placement because it was a small town, but I could still catch a train to Torino, the big city that all trains go through, so I could travel all over Italy. This was my view EVERY morning when I walked the 1/2 mile to my school.

Kylie Mayhew – Placed in Fubine

You will love living in Fubine because you will feel like you are living in a fairytale. Drink some local wine and bask in the old world magic!

Claire Davies – Placed in Torino

You would LOVE living in Torino because you’ll never get tired of the views.

Rachel Ford – Placed in Ferrara

You would LOVE living in Ferrara because the people are friendly, the cappellacci (pasta with pumpkin) is life-changing and did I mention there’s a castle in the middle of the city?

Erika Spinale – Placed in Torino

You would LOVE living in Torino because… unlike other large cities in Italy, it does not feel like you are surrounded by tourists. You really feel the deep pride that the citizens of Torino have in their city. It is perfectly situated for easy travel to the main Italian cities and surrounding countries.

May 7, 2019
What You Might See at Orientation in Torino, Italy

So you’re going to teach English in Italy, congratulations! You’ve probably done your research, but no matter how much you prepare, your first few days in a new country will be pretty overwhelming. Thankfully, there will be a two-day orientation upon your arrival!

Here are some pictures from orientation in Torino that will help you visualize what it’s going to be like when you arrive. Let’s begin the photo tour!

All of the new teachers will arrive the same day and will be greeted by program staff at the airport. Then, you will be taken to the hostel to settle in before exploring the city, followed by a group dinner!

Piedmont is bursting with stunning landscapes, castles, cuisine fit for foodies, and fabulous wines. The Piedmont region shares a border with Southern France, and is surrounded by the Alps on three sides. Often overlooked, Torino is described as Tuscany without tourists. Fun Fact: You might recall that it hosted the Winter Olympics in 2006!

During orientation, staff will prepare you for what to expect in the classroom, and you’ll get to meet your host family. Meals and accommodation in a Torino hostel are included.

Look exciting? You can teach English abroad in Italy by clicking the link below!

October 9, 2018
An Interview with Mercedes Bleth; English Teacher in Italy

Teaching English in Italy is not just about gaining experience in a classroom; it’s an unforgettable, full cultural immersion adventure. With school starting back up in just a few months, we caught up with alumni teacher, Mercedes Bleth, to ask her what she enjoyed most about her time teaching in Italy, and why she traveled after graduation instead of jumping into a career.

Q: What inspired you to Teach in Italy before settling into a career?

I visited Italy with my family in 2010. I was 16, and fell in love with everything about the country – the food, the culture, the people, the way they moved through life at such a different pace than me.

I made a wish in the Trevi Fountain that I would live in Italy after I graduated. During college, I took four semesters of Italian classes in preparation, but as I got more and more involved on campus and with my major, my Italy dream faded as my mindset shifted to a more career oriented goal.

However, when I worked at a summer camp last year, I was forced to slow down and think about what I truly wanted — what I had always wanted. I came back from camp, applied to graduate a semester early and found the Teach in Italy program through a study abroad advisor.

How important do you feel experiencing another culture and country has been to your personal growth and career path?

Personally, I think it was a healthy experience that gave me time to think. It wasn’t for “finding myself” but rather, remembering myself. I went to a competitive university and studied within an even more competitive major. I constantly thought, “how did she get that internship” and “I bet his resume is so much better than mine” when in reality, I didn’t even want to do what they were doing.

This program allowed me time to breathe after college and to detach myself from comparison. I got a job with the company I interned with during university three days after returning from Italy.

I’m now interviewing for job positions in different cities throughout the States, and the fact that I’ve not only lived abroad, but also taught abroad and lived in a country that spoke a different language, is always a key topic in my prospective job conversations. I don’t know exactly what I’m doing or where I’m going, but I don’t feel stuck. I feel at my peace with all of my decisions.

What are a few of your favorite memories that stand out from your time teaching in Italy?

I looked forward to mealtime with my host family every day. I was a competitive dancer and swimmer in high school, so family meal times were rare, and during college, eating alone is the norm. Mealtime in Italy is very fellowship based – it’s considered strange to eat alone. I loved eating every meal my host “mamma” prepared and learning to communicate with our jumbled mix of Italian and English (we called it “Italienglish”).

The friendships I built with my host family, the teachers I worked with in my schools, the fellow assistants (shout out to Louise, Tyler and Dan), and my new Italian friends are the best (and only) souvenirs I took away from my travels. (Partly because I spent all of my money on aperitivo and aperol spritz’s).

There are so many moments that are special to me … among them: staying on a houseboat Airbnb in Genova, watching the sunset on Mount Vesuvius, seeing The Tallest Man On Earth in concert, skipping rocks into the Mediterranean with my host sister, hiking the Cinque Terre, having a real Italian Easter celebration in my hostel in Positano, riding on the back of an Italian boy’s moped and sitting around a dinner table with a group of Italians, Americans, South Africans, Brits and Canadians.

If someone wasn’t sure about traveling because they were worried about starting their career after graduation, what would you say to them?

One of my favorite quotes is: “I want to find myself in every corner of the globe. You want to find yourself in the zeroes on your paycheck.” (Maggie Adams)

Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with either. (And if you find a way to do both, will ya let me know?) But I don’t think you should settle on the second type without giving the first a fair chance.

This program is a good compromise to think about it, because three months isn’t a long commitment and it’s not going to hold you back from establishing a career. It’s just long enough to give you the super unique taste of life abroad to determine if you want to start that career, or continue traveling. Hint: you’ll probably pick the latter.

What inspired you to get out of your comfort zone during your travels?

Luckily, my parents are constant voices in my head, echoing, “get out, see it, taste it, feel it.” On top of that, music is a big influence in my life – some songs that always hit me with desire to explore include: The Breeze, by Dr. Dog, Wake Up by Arcade Fire, and Cannons by Youth Lagoon.

Any additional advice for anyone wanting to teach abroad before starting their career?

Just one: be brave. It’s going to be scary and it’s going to be tough and at times you will look around and think, “What the hell am I doing here??”

But then, as you’re walking through the city, you will see one of your students and they’ll drag their parents to you so they can show off all of the English they’ve learned. It’s one of the best feelings in the entire world.

Have you delayed jumping into a career after graduation to travel abroad? Comment below on how it has changed your life!

August 29, 2018
The Reality of Getting Paid Work Abroad as a North American in Europe

So you dream of a life teaching English in Europe. You imagine sitting at a sidewalk cafe in Paris after teaching a class, or walking past the Colosseum on your way to work, or meeting friends at a tapas bar in downtown Madrid to kick off your weekend.

Unfortunately, if you are an American or Canadian citizen, it’s not that easy. Most ESL markets demand large numbers of native English speakers from all over the world, but Western Europe is a special case.

With EU labor laws allowing the free flow of workers among the European countries, employers can hire English-speaking teachers from places like Ireland or Scandinavia (where most people speak English fluently) without the hassle and expense of sponsoring a visa, for now at least. This means that there’s not many incentives for a school in continental Europe to hire an American or Canadian teacher.

So how do you, as a North American, get to that sidewalk cafe? Here are your next steps!

1. Let go of your notions of making a lot of money.

High-paying ESL jobs are just not readily available for you in Europe. The businesses that pay the big bucks are almost always going to hire someone who doesn’t need a visa.

2. Expand your definition of teaching English.

In Asia or South America, you’d likely be in a school, teaching your own class; in Europe, teaching might instead take the form of conversation practice at the dining room table with your host family.

In some countries there are government-sponsored programs which place North Americans in public schools. These programs, however, have limited placements, are competitive, and require a full school year commitment.

People also work under the table across Europe. This means no visa, so if you stay for more than 90 days, you are illegally in the EU and you run the risk of being fined (or, in rare cases, banned from reentry) for overstaying your tourist visa. These jobs usually take the form of private tutoring or part-time work for private language academies. People who do this successfully are outgoing, hard-working, self-starters; it’s not easy to piece together a living on freelance teaching, especially if you don’t speak the local language. The business is mostly referral-based, so you have to work hard to network and get your name out there.

3. Consider investing in an organized program

As you’ve seen, moving to Europe to teach English just isn’t simple. The government programs are very limited. The freelance, go-it-alone method is highly risky–you won’t be able to line up any work until after you’ve already arrived in Europe, and you’ll probably spend several weeks living in a hostel, while you try to patch together enough private classes to pay for an apartment.

Ultimately, this is a very expensive and stressful way to kick off your life abroad, and even if you get your business off the ground, you’re living illegally in a foreign country, always running the risk of getting caught. Going through an organized program, while requiring an initial investment and program fee, eliminates that stress and uncertainty and sets you up for a positive, productive experience.

4. Do your research on your program options!

Greenheart Travel has many organized program options for teaching English in Europe. Our programs usually always include things like airport pick-up, insurance coverage for the duration of your program, pre-departure orientation & cultural training before you leave, and most important – an experienced program manager to guide you through the process and answer any and every question you might have. Here are your options for teaching in Europe with Greenheart Travel.

TEFL Certification Courses

Earn your TEFL certificate in the Czech Republic. Getting TEFL certified in Prague, Czech Republic gives you the option to find paid jobs in private and public schools with a legal EU work visa, allowing for long-term contracts in a European country! This is an intensive 4-week course with job placement assistance for graduates to find paid teaching jobs within Prague after successful completion of the course, as well as aid in acquiring a legal work visa.

If you’re interested in making a career of teaching English but not interested in Prague in particular, you could complete your TEFL certification online and use the job placement assistance to help you find work anywhere in Europe. Job placement assistance is included in the program fee!

Prague!

Teach English in Italy or France

Really want some classroom experience? Teaching English in Italy or France is the way to go. You’ll spend 3 months living with a host family and working as a volunteer teaching assistant (15-18 hours/week) at a local school. Again, your lodging and meals are covered, and the job is only part-time, so you’ll have plenty of time to travel, study the language, and immerse yourself in Italian or French culture.

Teach English in Italy alum, Mercedes!

Teach English in a Homestay

More interested in cultural exchange? Teaching English in a Homestay is a great option if you really want to immerse yourself. You’ll live for 1 to 3 months with a local family in country destinations like Italy, France, or Spain. You’ll spend 15 hours a week tutoring the family in English–the rest of the time you’re free to explore! Your program fee covers your lodging and your meals, so no worrying about rent or groceries.

Dawn exploring Madrid during her homestay program.

While the program fee for your chosen program may seem high at first glance, think about what it would cost you to backpack Europe for 3 months, or to pay for a hostel for weeks while you get that tutoring business going. Western Europe is expensive. You’d go through that money in a month (having run out of money and lived on stale baguettes in the last week of a backpacking trip, I’m speaking from experience).

Ready to kick off your European adventure? Learn more here:

August 25, 2018