Pros
- lots of free time to travel and paid vacays - fun meeting new people - good teaching experience (especially esl) and looks great on resumes - supportive community - no matter what, an unforgettable experience
Cons
- little support from TAPIF themselves. They think they are supportive but they could do SOOO much more. They could offer monthly survey check ins with assistants, weekly group zoom chats, offer personal peer-counselors if needed, etc. They could share lesson plans and teaching advice on a shared doc instead of the yelling at you at formation. They could connect you with peers instead of you doing all that work yourself. They could help you find housing before you get there. It’s lonely being on your own in France sometimes, and they would get a much better rep if they offered more support to the community. - Assistants should not be placed in rural areas without any support group where they need to get a car in order to commute to work. Totally unethical in my opinion, and often times this situation leads to mental health crisis. This was not my situation but personally knew some people who dealt with this. - pay is def low, but honestly I worked very little lol - it’s a lottery experience wise. But all in all, if you’re considering this program, go for it. I truly mean it. It’s an adventure that will make you so much more independent as a person.