Working as a teacher in the city has its moments, some good some bad, some pleasant and some not so pleasant. However luckily for me I can say that the majority of experiences I have encountered through English First and teaching there for the past 6 years have all been positive ones.
I have recently been working in a Catholic School in the middle of the city called St Ursula. It is a Catholic school and is next to the Cathedral and it is run by nuns although the teachers themselves are not. The school has 3 levels, elementary, junior high and senior high. Elementary classes are mixed while all Junior and Senior High school glasses are girls only. That means sometimes you are faced with a class of very excited and very opinionated girls who need to know constantly what is better, boys bands or K-pop!
But enough of the that, what is really impressive are buildings and the environment that the place has. The school is at least 140 years old and the majority of the buildings are Dutch Colonial buildings with high ceilings and big doors and beautiful grounds. With the Cathedral spires as a back drop and the minarets of the Istiqlal mosque as well it is a great place to be a student and a teacher.
The outside and car park
Inside the Elementary School and grounds with the Nunnery Building and Cathedral forming part of the courtyard walls.
The entrance to the school from the car park with its with its covered walk ways and well tendered gardens
A stained glass window from 1912
Luckily these are private grounds which means they can't be used for pre wedding photos or open to tourists and visitors. However that is a shame as well because the interior of the school is beautiful and so well looked after. I have a feeling there are more of these places hidden from view in the city. Juanda, Harmoni, Jl. Veteran all contain lots of old colonial buildings, its a real shame that they are not opened up once in a while for all to see.
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