"PROFE!"-["teacher"]

Written Thursday, Oct. 7^th 2010

I’ve finally reached the end of the first real week teaching English, and it has been exciting to say the least! I’d like to familiarize you all with my scenario, and allow you to picture my day-to-day work routine:

The school I teach at is called Colegio Europa (Europe School) and it is in a city called Pinto, just a little south of the center of Madrid. Not that I have seen much of it, but Pinto seems like a nice and quiet little suburb. It is still part of the Comunidad de Madrid (Madrid Community), so space is pretty tight, meaning that the majority of people live in pisos (apartments). I decided to live in Madrid rather than Pinto, which means I have to leave about an hour and a half before school starts. I don’t mind it though, because that’s the only real disadvantage of living in Madrid. Madrid offers nightlife, diversity, an international airport, tons of places to eat, as well as many sights—just as any other big city would. My apartment is pretty much exactly in the center, so my commute consists of leaving at 7:30 am (it is still completely dark, mind you), walking a few blocks to the metro station, then catching the metro for about 20 minutes, then walking to a bus stop, where it takes about 30-40 minutes in traffic to get to my school.  The metro/bus system is VERY efficient, so if I am running late, there is another train/bus arriving in less than 15 minutes. I make it just in time to reach school at 9 am, when class begins.

I have about 11 classes…yes, you read me correctly, 11! Each grade has 2 different classes, A & B, and the primary school goes up to the 6^th grade. 5^th and 6^th graders are not part of the bilingual program; These students get the opportunity to have some lessons with us assistants, but the amount of attention they get concerning English is far less than the lower grades. All of the students seem like sweet kids—they have been very welcoming, and in fact, extremely excited (and therefore, rowdy) in our presence. There are 3 of us assistants in total, 2 of us being from America, and 1 of us being from England. At first I thought the accents and different spellings of words would just confuse the kids, but the teachers think it’s a good thing, for it will offer them a variety of the language. So far, all that I have really gotten to do in each class is introduce myself, and make sure that the kids are paying attention and not acting out. Surprisingly, I have already had to take away shreds of paper and pencil cases kids were playing with as the teacher was talking, as well as sit them correctly in their chairs when they teeter on two chair legs. Spanish kids are very animated and like to talk, so it already isn’t uncommon for me to whisper “shhh” to them, or stand by them to make sure they behave. Haha, I sound like a meany this early in the game! They don’t seem too fazed by it, but it does get keep their attention on the teacher and keeps them from distracting their classmates. Apart from the behavioral aspect, they are fascinated by us assistants, and had so many questions to ask. Some that stuck out were:

“Where are you from?”-Followed by “Ohhhh, Cali-for-niiiia”, and even shouts of “CALI-FOR-NIA, CALI-FOR-NIA, CALI-FOR-NIA….” with my response. Many didn’t know where it was located (some thought near Cuba)…they just knew it was famous. Haha…of course everyone knows California rocks! ;]

“What is your favorite color?”-When I replied with purple, all the little girls would yell, “Ahhh, me too, me too!”

“What is your favorite sport?”-Followed by, “What is your favorite team?”  And later, “Who is your favorite player?” when I told them I liked soccer/football. “¡TOMA!” (“YEAH!”) is what they would all shout when I told them I liked Real Madrid and Casillas. Haha, such a high regard for soccer…not like I would expect anything less! Now some of the little boys want to take me on in a little game during patio (recess).  Let’s hope they don’t put me to shame! Haha.

“Do you have a dog?” as well as “Do you have a brother?”-Both of which have extremely American/English sounding names (Tika/Brandon), which is rather difficult for them to pronounce. I often have to write names on the board so they can see how they’re spelt, especially with my name. It is hard for Spanish speakers to pronounce “sh”, since that sound does not really exists in the language. I point to my mouth as if saying, “shhhhh”, to be quiet, and they kind of get it.

“What does your dad do?”, which further brought on the topic that I “know” Hannah Montana. Before I even got to introduce myself to the other classes, word had already spread on the playground about my connection. Haha, many didn’t believe me, and some just asked for autographs, so I decided to find some old pictures of the actors on set to show them, since they probably wouldn’t have another opportunity like that. Haha, who knows, maybe they’ll be on their best behavior in my presence because of it!

Other questions were along those lines—one’s which were so simple yet important to you when you were little (favorite animal, plant, food, movie, etc.) Most times I was put on the spot, because you realize those topics aren’t focused on much as an adult. I had to think on my feet, and also think of things that they would actually know (a typical Spanish fruit, movie, television show, etc.) or else I would have classes full of blank faces, looking at me as if I were an alien. And if you are wondering if that has happened yet, the answer is yes, it has. Haha. Anyway, the kids thought of me as another teacher right away, which is awesome. When I think about my job, I feel like I am just an assistant. But to them, I am basically on the same level as their main teacher. The coordinators made sure to tell us how important it was to establish your authority from the very beginning, and so far, I feel like I have.  This is my first experience with groups of kids, but I am happy to say that I joined right in and participated in the songs (and dances!) from the get-go. It’s one of those things where you feel goofy doing it, but the little kids love it! I even have gone around, checking work, and have put stickers and stamps on their papers, which they also really like (plus it gives them incentive to finish their work!) So far, I am glad that the kids are excited to see me, and I can definitely get used to hearing, “Ashley! Ashley! HALLO!” down the hall.

As for the teachers—They’re great. They have been so nice and welcoming, and they try and practice their English with us all the time. The teachers are always rotating, meaning that the math teacher will come in for an hour lesson, then the English teacher will come in for an hour, etc. Certain topics, like science, are taught particularly in English. Now that I think of it, I should just say that the entire school  (minus math, religion, and P.E.) is taught in English, and only sometimes do they clarify directions for them in Spanish.  All the teachers are very helpful, and some just want us to take over the entire lesson/classroom when we are with them! I’d like to be more prepared so that when I do have to take over for the day, I can do my activities in complete confidence and have the kids understand exactly what is going on. Once I get the internet [I’m hoping this week!] I will have more time, as well as the opportunity to devote toward work. Already many of the teachers have asked if I have worked with kids before. At first I thought I was doing something wrong and that’s why they brought it up, but it turns out that they think I work very well with the classes, and they like the fact that I just took initiative and joined right in. It’s nice to hear that because I’m sure as all of you have experienced, it can be overwhelming starting a new job. Positive reinforcement and attitudes make starting out that much easier, and make me look forward to coming to work everyday! :]

The entrance of the school

Their playground

Their garden