As many of you know, after my first year at a public school in Sofia, I was lucky enough to be hired by a private school--the American College of Sofia--to teach English. I've been at ACS for the last two years and this year marks the start of my third year teaching English here.

I wrote a post yesterday about <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/10/02/teaching-in-bulgarian-schools-2/" target="_blank">teaching in a public school in Bulgaria</a> while on a Fulbright. At times it was a frustrating experience. Luckily I expected this would be the case so it wasn't too shocking. I've heard horror stories about other Bulgarian schools but I was lucky enough to be working at one of the top language schools in the country on my Fulbright grant.

This said, the differences between ACS and my other school are like night and day. A huge part of this has to do with the fact that because we are a private school we have resources that are unheard of in other schools around the country--computer labs, LCD projectors, a multilingual library, classroom supplies, new (and unabridged) textbooks as well as unquestioned access to photocopies and white board markers.

Another major difference is our campus culture. Students are polite and well mannered. By in large, they always have their homework typed and ready to turn in. The student cellphone use is limited. Once in great while a phone vibrates in class (and even less frequently rings) but all you have to do as a teacher is put your hand out and students will produce the offending phone. I've never had to ask for a phone all it takes is a look.