Just Landed Your First Teaching Job in London? Want to Meet Other Teachers in London?

Here are Prospero Teaching’s Top Tips for new Teachers on How to Make Friends in London

The English have a reputation for being reserved, reticent and even cold.  Combine that with arriving in London, one of the world’s leading, most vibrant, bustling, diverse and iconic cities and it’s understandable why new arrivals can find it a daunting and overwhelming place to build a social life and support network.

Renowned for its strength in the arts, entertainment, fashion, media and steeped in history there’s no shortage of fascinating things to do, see and visit.  And with a population of over 8 million the odds are that it should be possible for you to find like-minded, friendly folk who share your values and interests.  But with those numbers and a city of London’s size where do you begin?

So for those of you unable to attend  Prospero Teaching’s Overseas Teachers’ Bowling and Pizza event this week, here are Prospero Teaching’s top tips for new teachers in London wanting to meet people and make friends

Talk

Talk to everybody, everywhere; speak to everyone in the staffroom, the person standing next to you in the bus queue, the barman, shop assistants, in fact anyone you come into contact with. And ask them open ended questions so that conversations grow, you discover things about your fellow conversationalist that lead to further discussion and chat.

Be the friend you want to meet

When you do meet people you like and who you’d like to spend time with, listen as well as talk.  Show interest in their lives, be polite, reliable, do what you say you’re going to do and be punctual.  And remember to ask for their contact details!

Sociable house share

Before you move in to a share house, try to gauge whether or not your potential new housemates are friendly and sociable. Larger share houses tend to be friendly, more communally minded and good for meeting lots of people.

Join a gym

And join one where you live so you can get to know people in your area.  If they’ve lived there a while they’ll know the fun and interesting places to go locally.  They might well have an established social circle you could be introduced to and of course advice on the best gym classes and trainers.

Volunteer

Volunteering is a great way to enjoy giving something back to the community and meet people who share that feel-good factor. Contributing makes you feel part of something and good about yourself.  Parents, teachers and other colleagues may already have strong links in the local community and can introduce and smooth your way into neighbourhood organisations.

Restart your hobby

Join a group with a common interest eg painting class, sports team, a choir.  Joint activities and interests give you something to talk about with participants and team members as well as exposing you to people who share your hobbies.  Meeting weekly makes it easier for you to build upon shared experiences.

Use the web as a tool to find new friends

The internet can be a brilliant tool for looking for new friends. You do of course need to be sensible as you’re most likely aware, not everyone online has well intentioned motives. Otherwise, the internet can be great for vetting potential new friends; just follow your intuition, assess the person carefully, ensure meetings are held in public places and check they actually live in London.

Sites such as www.meetup.com are great for finding people by location and/or interest who want to meet others and build new friendships.

Membership of Cultural Organisations

Do you love the theatre?  Find art fascinating or Roman ruins captivating?  Whatever your cultural preferences are, London is full of museums and theatres that host special events for members. Whether its discounted tickets, preview events or talks, memberships are often reasonably priced and provide a great way to meet people who share your interests.

Hosting

Meet people who you trust and enjoy spending time with? Well why not invite them to your home?   It doesn’t have to mean cooking. You could just have a few drinks or challenge them to an evening of computer games, or poker. All you have to do is make sure your guests are comfortable and everything else will take care of itself. People respect the person who takes initiative and are likely to return an invitation.

Expat organisations

Not only do you meet people who you are more likely to have things in common with (language if little else) but they have already trodden the path you’re on.   They may be full of  lessons learned, advice and have friends they’d like you to meet.  They’re also likely to be the most empathetic when/if you get homesick.

Religious/spiritual places of worship and meeting

Whether it’s a temple, church, synagogue or meeting room, if these places appeal to you, you will find people there who share your belief systems.  Usually well established in local communities, socially active, keen to grow their numbers these communities can be great sources of established networks and social opportunities.

Are you an overseas candidate registered with Prospero Teaching?  Are you coming to Prospero Teaching’s Bowling and Pizza night Thursday 26th March?  If not RSVP to international@prosperoteaching.com and meet other teachers new to London.

Are you a teacher who’d like to register with Prospero Teaching and experience the benefits of working through us?  Click here or send an email to teaching@prosperoteaching.com

Are you a teacher working in London who uprooted your life to come here?

How have you made friends?

Would you like to share your top tips for teachers new to London or the UK with the Prospero Teaching Community?