Teaching in Switzerland

On our third day in Switzerland I was job searching and came upon a posting for a teaching position at a bilingual preschool in Kusnacht, about thirty minutes away from Zurich. I emailed the school and after waiting for two days with no response, I decided to give them a call. At this point I still couldn't figure out how to dial successfully on a Swiss telephone, so after about five attempts, I finally got through. A friendly lady informed me that they had received my information and if I was available, they wanted to meet with me the following morning. I was beyond thrilled. Upon coming to Switzerland I did not know what the job search was going to be like, however I was certain it would be difficult and drawn out. Then suddenly, after being in the country for less than one week, I found myself with a strong lead and a scheduled interview. Success!

Long story short, I went the next day, loved the people and the school and was offered a position as the lead teacher in the 4-5 year old room. I was ecstatic! I said yes, signed a contract and then began waiting to see if my work permit would officially come through. Before we moved I was promised a work permit through Jeremy's company. However, I did not have it in my possession and in Switzerland, unless you physically have the permit, it still may fall through. After a ton of calls, emails, desperate skype sessions to my mom to have her find my college diploma and mail it over, and lots of back and forth (I talked to the headmasters of the school at least once a day for two weeks), the permit came through thanks to the help of people at Bain, a relocation company, and my school.

Pre-planning week began on August 14th where I was able to meet the rest of the school team. We are comprised of people from America, the UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, and Holland. Everyone I work with has been very helpful and welcoming. The operating language of the school is English, however most people speak in German when communication to each other simply because it is easier. Everyone is very good about using English when the English speakers are present so we don't feel left out or isolated.

In my room we have thirteen adorable students. Our students language skills vary widely. Ten of the thirteen students have one parent who's mother tongue is English. However, this is not necessarily the student's mother tongue. Some of our students' mother tongue is Spanish, while English and German are also spoken at home. Some speak fluent German, Swiss German, and English. Still others speak only German as their mother tongue, but understand English. The rest speak English, but speak and or understand German and sometimes a different language all together. It is quite the mix! They are all amazing and motivate me to drop my guard and start learning!

My counterpart is a Swiss girl who speaks English, German and Swiss German. She was at the school last year and is amazing! We get along really well and have very similar teaching and organizing styles. We also have an apprentice. She is also Swiss and is fresh out of high school. I am still trying to figure out the Swiss school system, but from what I know high school ends at 16 and you go on to start your career with some more schooling mixed in along the way. She is great! She is very sweet, eager to help and loves learning about teaching and running a class. She is also the one who helps me most with my German. I think it is partially so she can laugh at my pronunciation. My co-teachers speak German with the students, English with me, and Swiss German with each other. They are so helpful and kind and I could not wish for a better team.

My commute to work takes about forty five minutes. Five minute walk to the tram, fifteen minutes on the tram, five minute walk to the train, fifteen minutes on the train, five minute walk to the school. All in all it is not too bad and I enjoy having a few peaceful minutes to wake up on my way. Kusnacht, where the school is located is the most ideal place on earth. It is a small town on the edge of Lake Zurich (which we walk to for recess, ~7min walk) scattered with cute shops and restaurants. People walk everywhere and everyone seems to know each other. It is also a short walk up the hill to the woods. I can walk to the grocery to grab some lunch and the train drops me off just a short distance from my school.

 The upstairs area for small group play, story time and rest time.

 

The coat room. The Swiss wear house slippers (a clean pair of normal shoes that does not go outside) when they are indoors and a different pair of shoes for outside.

I am so thankful for this opportunity and am learning a lot about teaching and this fun and challenging new age group. Having this job makes my time in Switzerland even more enjoyable as I am able to really connect with the country and soak it up for the short time we are living abroad.