Teaching is never easy. It's hard work. It takes time. It requires energy, creativity and a sometimes even a smile when the last thing you want to do is smile. But if you're an American teaching in Bulgaria, it often requires even more.

It's a country where nearly everyone is appreciative of what you're doing--it's just that not everyone has the same understanding of <em>what</em> you're doing and <em>how</em> you're going about it. So what do you need to know about teaching in Bulgaria?
<ol>
	<li>On a whole students have big hearts and are well meaning. This doesn't always translate to them doing their homework. Go figure. Teenagers are teenagers everywhere!!</li>
	<li>At some point, you'll have to write on a chalk board. This means that to erase it you will have to stick your hand in a bucket of water at the front of the classroom under the chalkboard to grab an over-sized soaking wet sponge to clean the board.  Bulgarian teachers will tell you to have your students do it but you won't. Because you're American.</li>
	<li>Students can't imagine what you're doing in Bulgaria. The problem is this: they can't understand why you are <em>here</em> and the thing they want is to be anywhere but here--that goes for why you're teaching them in their school, why you're in Sofia and Bulgaria, or even why you're traveling in Europe when you could be in America. They'll ask you lots of questions about this. <!--more--></li>
	<li>One day you'll think you need a photocopy for each of your students for your hand out--someone else will make you half of what you think you need. It will probably be on accident. All you can do is smile and make do.</li>
	<li>Textbooks will have you teaching British English. You'll want to laugh. British English is silly enough without hearing it come out of your own mouth!!</li>
	<li>You'll also want to correct spelling mistakes that include errant "u"s. Turns out those "u"s are okay in words like flavour or colour. Oh those Brits.</li>
	<li>In your first month, 50% of the time you wont understand exactly what your students are saying. This may be because they don't speak loudly enough, they have an accent of some sort or they are speaking in Bulgarian. After a month, you won't even notice. Then one day you'll hear Bulgarian-ized English pass through you're lips. Your heart will stop. You'd never have thought that was possible.</li>
	<li>At some point, a sea of little Bulgarian heads will shake their heads in the Western "no" when you ask them: do you understand what you're supposed to do now? They are actually shaking their heads yes with the Bulgarian "yes." But in this moment you wont remember and you'll be scared and maybe speechless until you realize what's happened and the 2 seconds it took to click will have felt like hours.</li>
	<li>You will have a resource problem.  Be it a cd player, an LCD projector or a dvd player that will not work when you need it. This will frustrate you. A lot. But this too will pass.</li>
	<li>Ask your  Bulgarian colleagues questions, generally speaking, they know what they are doing. Heck, Bulgarians have been learning and mastering English for the last 50-plus years without you.</li>
</ol>
This said, teaching in Bulgaria is a treat and a surprise. It will keep you on your toes and it will force you to be more flexible than you thought possible.

The truth is that not everything about teaching in Bulgaria is easy. Luckily, these kids will make you laugh. A lot. They will say things in English that make you smile because you know that you taught them that. They will say things that you can't believe just came out of their mouths and you'll wonder where they picked that up--thanks to American movies, tv or pop music. They'll say things that surprise you because it's articulate, well developed and just plain old everyday smart. And then you'll remember that they are doing this in their <em>second</em> language. It's wonderful and humbling at the same time.