Friday, October 3, 2008

My first day(s) of school

Wednesday was my first day of school, though I had visited once before. I got confused and thought that it started at 9:30 instead of 9:00 since the workshops on Monday and Tuesday had started at 9:30. Luckily, I had tried to build in an extra 30 minutes of travel time since I didn't know exactly how long it would take me, so despite all my nervousness, I was no more than 10 minutes late. Despite the bad start to the morning, the rest of the morning went well. I am an assistant, or one of two resident English "experts". I can suggest activities, but am not in charge of planning things. In the first grade class (teacher: Eusebio), I got to introduce myself and go around the room asking everyone's name and participate/lead their morning chant: "Touch my head, touch my shoulders...and sit down ready to learn." Other than that, I spent most of the time talking to the teacher, learning what kids are immature, which are very mature, what the routines are, why he is doing so and so. I'm not used to his style, in which he sits at the desk most of the time and tells me to do the same. Maybe after the first few weeks of school, he'll loosen up a bit. One can only hope. The fourth grade class was more interesting, because the kids and I actually got to interact. I introduced myself, and took about 20 questions from the class about everything from my favorite food (macaroni and cheese) to my favorite form of transport, which is the vocabulary that they are learning right now. That was my favorite question, since it was so odd. I also got asked what my phone number is from one of the girls, but I declined to give that one out. The 4th grade teacher, Montaña, let me lead the book lesson so that they could hear my English pronunciation. I throughly enjoyed myself. I do have to say that the 4th graders are a LOT noisier than the little ones and that the classroom does not have as much discipline. Even so, I prefer it. I can actually talk to the fourth graders because they understand a much higher level of English. In the future, I will be working with the whole group leading conversation and routine things, as well as doing some lessons or conversation in small groups to help prepare the students for the Trinity language exams, from a university in England.

Besides meeting the teachers and students, I am learning a lot about the Spanish educational system. The schedule for elementary students in my school is divided into 45 minute periods. I'll give my Monday schedule for an example:
9:00-9:45 1B
9:45-10:30 collaboration
10:30-11:00 recreo (recess/breakfast)
11:00-11:45 1A
11:45-12:30 1A
12:30-14:30 Lunch (at home or school)
14:30-15:15 4A
15:15-16:00 4B

As you can see, I have two classes of first grade (A and B) and two fourth grade (A and B). Instead of the students changing classes, the teachers do so. Perhaps because of that the walls within the classrooms are so bare. There are about 25 students in each class. There is another American there as well, serving in the same capacity that I am. However, they used to have 4 assistants, and now have to get used to two. I think it is for this reason that I am split between four groups of students. During recreo, the teachers, for the most part, gather in the cafeteria and eat a snack (a tapa, bread and jam, fruit, and coffee with milk) provided by the school. During lunch, those who live nearby go home for lunch, and I suppose that the others either bring a lunch or buy the school lunch, which costs teachers 5 euros for three courses. I only work Monday afternoons, so I will probably just buy the lunch the first week and see about the rest.

Amy took a picture of me on my first day...can you e-mail it to me? Thanks to her, the tradition of a picture on the first day of school continues! Below, I've posted a picture of the woman I am living with, Angelita, standing in my room's door frame.

3 comments:

  1. It is interesting to learn of your work and the culture there. I hope to see pictures of your apartment. Maybe Amy took some.

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  2. Nope, but I will take some and post them!

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  3. I will email you the picture, but it might be several days. --Amy

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