LEARNING TO TEACH

Our school has long been a place of learning for teachers, too. Perhaps some of you don't know it, but our teachers also learn. They keep learning and developing their teaching skills so that they can provide us with better guidance. However, Bright Horizons is often also training ground for interns - teacher trainees who come from all over the world to learn about the job first hand. We guess no college or university can ever prepare anyone for all the unpredictable questions we may ask sometimes.

We hope this years' interns, our wonderful ladies from Spain, have learnt a lot from our teachers and from us. We certainly enjoyed having them around for extra support, to talk to them about their countries and schools, as well as learn some things about their customs. Of course, Bright Zone made the most of this opportunity again and asked our teacher trainees some interview questions. We are grateful to them for taking the time to answer them and we do hope they had a great time with us! Here is what Laia, Ariadna and Jone from Spain had to say!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself. Where do you come from and what was the purpose of your visit to our school?

L: I’m Laia, and I come from a small city near Barcelona called Tarragona. I’m here to spend a few months getting to know Zagreb and experiencing what it’s like to live in a different country. I wanted to make the most of this time by trying new things, meeting new people, and learning as much as I can from you and your school.

A: My name is Ariadna, I’m from Tarragona, Spain. I came to the school in Zagreb because I wanted to learn how to teach classes in English, improve my skills, and get new experiences. I also wanted to meet new people and just grow a bit more, so Zagreb felt like the right place to try something new.

J: I’m Jone and, as my partners, I come from Tarragona, a city next to Barcelona in Spain. I came to Bright Horizons to continue with my learning to become a teacher. Also, to learn and improve my English skills and get new experiences discovering a new city like Zagreb and meeting new people. 

2. What were you hoping this visit would help you learn about Croatia, education and even yourself?

L: It’s my first time living on my own and my first time in Croatia, so I was hoping it would help me become more independent and get out of my comfort zone. I’d also never been to an international school before, so I was excited to see what it would be like.

A: I was hoping this visit to a British school in Croatia would help me see how an international education system works in a different country. I wanted to learn new teaching methods, especially how teachers here use English in the classroom, and understand how children adapt to a bilingual environment. I also hoped the experience would help me grow personally, get to know a new culture, and see how I adapt when I’m pushed out of my comfort zone.

J: I was hoping this visit would help me learn much more about Croatia, its culture, traditions, and daily life, so I could better understand the environment in which students here grow and learn. Also doing my internship at an international school, I wanted to observe how teachers work in a multicultural setting and how they adapt their methods to support students from different backgrounds and see new strategies. Overall, I expected this experience to help me learn more about myself and be more independent. 

3. What was the most challenging thing about visiting Croatia?

A/J/L: The language, it has been difficult because it's impossible for us to understand most of the words, so even going shopping has ben a challenge.

4. What surprised you most about Bright Horizons? Is it very different from the schools you have visited so far?

A/J/L: Many things surprised us, it's quite different from all the schools we have been in. One of the biggest surprises was the House System and the weekly assembly; we had never seen anything like that before. We also loved the school’s location and the amazing views of the city.

5. What did you do in your free time? Did you have a chance to see more of Zagreb or any other parts of our country?

L: In my free time, I’ve taken the chance to explore every corner of Zagreb. I’ve visited a lot of places and tried to get to know the city as much as possible, but there are still so many things I haven’t seen yet (so I guess I’ll have to come back!). I’ve also made some great friends here, and we’ve done lots of really fun things together. And when people from home came to visit, I loved showing them my favourite parts of the city.

A: In my free time, I tried to explore as much as I could. I walked around Zagreb, visited some popular places, tried local food, and just enjoyed the city vibe. I also had the chance to see a bit more outside the centre so it was nice to experience different parts of Croatia during my stay.

J: During my free time, I tried to see as much as I could of Zagreb and their surroundings, eating their popular food, visiting the most important places around the town and knowing their history. Also I explore more cities around the country, especially those that are on the coast like Split, Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Zadar and their most beautiful and famous waterfalls, Plitvice and Krka. I also had the chance to go to visit some countries next to Croatia like Slovenia, Austria, Hungary and Italy. 

Moreover, I can see Zagreb at Christmas and see how beautiful is the city during the advent and go and walk around the centre to see the markets and eat some typical food like fritulas. 

6. How difficult is it to leave this school now that you have become attached to some of the children and/or teachers?

L: For me, it’s really hard to leave. Being only ten students in the class has made it easier to build a close connection with everyone. They are amazing children, and over these four months I’ve grown very attached to them, which makes saying goodbye quite sad. I’ve also met some wonderful teachers, which makes leaving even more difficult. I’ve had so many incredible experiences here, and it will be really hard to say goodbye to this school.

A: It's honestly really hard to leave. I got attached to the kids way faster than I expected, and some of them got so used to having me there that it feels weird to say goodbye. The teachers were also super kind and made me feel part of the team, so it’s not easy to walk away from that. Even if I was here for a short time, it still feels like I’m leaving something special behind.

J: Honestly, it is quite difficult to leave this school now that I have become attached to some of the children and teachers. Over the weeks, I have built meaningful connections, shared experiences, and learned so much from them. Saying goodbye is hard because I don’t know when I will be able to come back or even if someday I will have the chance to return. Even though I am grateful for everything I have experienced, it is never easy to leave a place where you have felt welcomed and valued. Besides, all the students and the teachers will always be in my heart and part of my growing and learning. 

7. What is your favourite memory from your visit to Bright Horizons and Zagreb?

L: My favourite memory from Bright Horizons was the bond I created with the children in my class, playing with them during some PE lessons, and the fieldtrip to the museum and the picnic in the park. From Zagreb, my best memories are the friends I met here, the walks through the city centre with them, specially in Christmas time, and the trip to Sljeme, which was amazing to see it snowy.

A: My favourite memory from my visit to Bright Horizons was the connection I built with the kids. The best moment at school was definitely when I taught my first math class — seeing that the way I explained things actually worked and watching them improve their mental calculation was such a proud moment for me. Feeling their affection and seeing their progress day by day meant a lot. And outside of school, I loved the Christmas vibes — the little holiday stands, the Christmas market, the lights… it all made Zagreb feel super cozy and magical.

J: My favourite memory from the school is the relations and connections I have made with all the students. Also, watching them how they want to learn, their laugh, affection, hugs and showing curiosity made every day special. But the best moment was when the students were very happy the day I had the lesson and were very excited about what I had prepared. 

Outside the school, my favourite memory is actually on Christmas, walking around the city with the lights, markets and people laughing with their red or green cup of Zagreb.

Dear ladies, thank you very much for this interview. We guess learning how to teach can be fun, although it seems a bit too difficult to us! Thank you for spending your time with us, helping us learn even more. We hope you come back to visit us some day! Have a fantastic 2026!