This week, I’m delighted to share Ciara's story, a fellow teacher from Donegal who has ventured far from home to teach internationally. With nine years of teaching experience, four in Ireland and five abroad, she’s currently in her third year at an IB school in Bergamo, Italy. Her journey from Dubai to Italy reflects a commitment to teaching, a love for travel, and a resilience that many international educators can relate to. Here, she discusses the highlights and challenges of teaching in Italy, as well as some helpful advice for those considering a similar path.
Firstly, can you introduce yourself and provide some background about your teaching experience?
I'm 31 and I'm from Donegal. I've been teaching for 9 years, 4 in Ireland and 5 abroad between Dubai and Italy where I am currently. This is my third year teaching in an IB school in Bergamo, Italy.
What inspired you to teach in Italy, and how did you come across this opportunity?
I'm a big believer in 'what's for you won't pass you'. When I was leaving my job in Dubai during the pandemic, I wanted to move closer to home, and so Italy was my ideal destination; closer to home, nice weather, food etc. I applied to one school on a whim, however at the time I didn't get the position. I spent two years teaching in Wicklow, and decided to take a career break and try again for Italy. I applied then for the same school, where I got the job. Fast forward, I resigned from my job in Ireland and love my job here in Italy so I'm extremely grateful that back then it was all down to 'right place, wrong time' and I'm in Italy now where I'm supposed to be.
What steps did you take to secure a teaching position in Italy?
I applied via TES and then did two interviews via Zoom. The first interview with the Head of Primary, and the second with the 'Head of School'. I signed my contracts and flew out in August.
What was the visa process like for you?
Luckily with an Irish passport there are no visa issues. I have colleagues from the UK and understand from them that the visa process is long and complicated. Luckily with an EU passport, you just need to apply for residency in order to get access to the health care system etc which can prove to be long with various appointments.
Can you describe your first impressions of Italy when you arrived?
I arrived in Italy towards the end of August in the peak of the Summer weather, eager to start school. I was nervous as I made the move by myself and had the usual fears, what If I don't like it? What if I don't settle or meet friends? However, I took things one day at a time and I knew home was always only a flight away. When I arrived at school, I befriended many people all of whom moved for similar reasons and the same age, so it definitely made my first impressions a lot more positive.
What is the typical school day like for a teacher in Italy?
A typical teaching day is from 9am - 4pm. Throughout the week, students have other teachers for Music, PE, Italian and Art, during this time you're free to do your planning, preparation and meetings. Staff must also do one after-school club a week, and we have a staff meeting after school one day a week too.
How do the classroom sizes and resources in Italy compare to your experiences elsewhere?
As our school is private, one of the selling points is small class sizes. I'm very lucky this year as we have two Grade 1 classes, and I have 11 students which allows for more focused and personalised teaching approach with the students.
What kind of curriculum do schools in Italy follow, and how does it differ from your home country?
Our school is part of the Inspired Group which has schools across the world and we teach the IB curriculum. Although learning outcomes are quite similar across curriculums in language, phonics and maths, the IB focuses on the students being active learners in their own learning. A big part of our planning is planning lessons around students' interests and curiosities around a central theme.
What is the cost of living like in Italy compared to your home country?
Every year this is something I reevaluate, in terms of moving home, paying rent and teaching in what would have to be Dublin as it's the only place for teachers to guarantee work. Bergamo, as it's a smaller city outside of Milan, is a lot more affordable compared to Milan which makes it more attractive compared to home. Eating out, groceries and general social life is definitely more affordable compared to home.
Can you describe your housing situation and the types of accommodations typically available to teachers?
Housing is not included in the packages here, maybe for some schools but for me it wasn't. We were given an airbnb at the beginning for one week to allow us the time to find accomodation. School did assist us, however at the end of August, most businesses close for holidays during this time, and so agencies are mostly closed, proving finding an apartment difficult to source during this time.
What can you do for leisure and entertainment day to day in Italy?
We have the best of both seasons, beautiful sunny days spent at Lake Garda or Lake Como at the weekends, or ski season in the winter where the nearest slopes are 40 minutes away. What's not to love?
How does the salary and benefits package for teachers in Italy compare to other places you’ve worked?
Unfortunately, the salary and benefits package aren't as beneficial when taken into account the hours and paperwork involved and it's much lower compared to home. Italy however does offer good tax incentives which promotes bringing people to the country to work.
Have you found opportunities to network with other expat teachers or local educators?
We have a wide variety of staff who have taught across the world and it's great to hear their input and experiences from other places.
What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced while living and teaching in Italy?
Definitely the language. Because we work in a private English speaking school, we socialise amongst ourselves mostly and so we naturally speak English and don't socialise in terms of building up our Italian. It's especially difficult when it comes to appointments, going to the post office etc, because it's mostly an Italian speaking town with little expats in comparison to Milan being more multicultural.
What have been the most rewarding aspects of your teaching experience in Italy?
One of the most rewarding aspects is seeing how much the children (5 years old) develop their English language abilities from barely any English, to speaking with friends, reading and writing (with a slight Donegal accent!).
What advice would you give to someone considering teaching in Italy?
Have savings for apartments. People rent here using agencies, and similiar to Dubai, you pay 3 months up front, and a deposit. If you use an agent which is likely, they also charge 5% of the yearly rental fee which goes straight into their pockets and you rarely deal with them after that. And also, do come out early August before everything shuts at the end of the month to sort everything out.
What essential items should teachers bring with them when moving to Italy?
Cadbury's chocolate! Because I'm not too far from home I'm able to swap out my Summer and Winter wardrobes quite easily.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience that we haven’t covered?
Similar to others teaching abroad, I thought i'd come here for a year and experience it, and here I am 3 years later. As much as I'd like to move home to be closer to friends and family, with prices in Ireland for rent, it doesn't entice teachers to move back.
Where can readers find out more information about teaching in Italy that you would recommend?
Unfortunately there's not a huge amount of information out there about teaching in Italy. Anyone's welcome to reach out to me for more details, and for anyone in doubt as to whether they should take a career break and move abroad, I say, absolutely go for it!
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