Pet Peeves and Neat Treats

Classroom pet peeves:

= having no visual aids (if it's not my turn to bring them)
= when kids interrupt the explanation to say "I don't understand" angrily, when the teacher hasn't finished explaining
=when kids complain loudly about others' farting (and then blame the one whose stomach is upset on their inability to be quiet in class)
=when students walk to the front of the room to ask to go to the bathroom during a lesson
=moving desks
=students mocking others
=random standing up
="surprised" faces when they are scolded for talking
=incessant nose blowing at trash can

Here is a list of the good things I saw today:

=students helping others
=one of the compulsive talkers paying attention and participating
=a quiet boy who understands little English smiling and actively participating
=a good show-and-tell about pets
=talking with one of the 6th graders on way to school
=enthusiastic singing
=intelligent questions
=chocolate cake because of two teachers' birthdays. yum
=one of the girl's birthday...Happy birthday to you, you live in a zoo...

Let's just say that that was a rant about the day, and then the second list to remind me why I like teaching so much.

Amazonia

Wednesday we went to Amazonia with the fourth graders. One-hour bus trip there, replete with the kids singing (if you call shouting singing) songs like "_______ peed in their sleeping bag" akin to "who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?" and one about elephants balancing on something...same effect as 99 bottles of beer on a wall...never ending. They're funny songs, but after an hour I was ready to be out of the bus full of 50 kids. Amazonia is a park in Cercedilla, in the mountains of Madrid, where you go on zip-lines, climb ropes, and cross precarious bridges while secured with ropes and a harness. I got to go up with the kids. It was a lot of fun playing in the trees. 

While we were there, one of the kids cried out, "Look teacher! This is like in our science class!" That made my day. There was granite covering every inch of the ground, and the kids remembered in English what it's called. I love that they could see that what we learn in science class really connects with the real world. The experience and their excitement also opened the door to learn other words about climbing and equipment. Now, if only I could remember the word for carabiner in Spanish...

On the way back, the bus was much quieter, as half of the kids fell asleep, exhausted from the day. I could see that it really helped some of the girls' self confidence. Wish we could go back soon!



The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash

The same time period as before when I was substituting, I read this story to the class:



and we then did a project by recreating the clothes line from the book and writing about our favorite parts.



I think the part most kids liked was "when the chickens flew" or "when the kids threw eggs," though one kid liked the car race.



I think it turned out pretty good, both the artwork and the writing.

Our Class

Today I had my English class cancelled with the teachers for the second week in a row. They're losing steam. They don't have to pay for the class, as it is part of my hours at the school, so I think the motivation goes down. The extra hour today made it nice to be able to fix my pizza and strawberries for lunch and eat earlier.

Here's some pictures of the classroom:





This is our Science book. Not such a good book, but okay. It's a direct translation from the Science/Social Studies book in Spanish. And the workbook has almost nothing to do with the textbook, which is frustrating when they parents expect them both to be completed. The parents buy the textbooks here, so they want their money's worth.



And this is a project the kids did, drawing the Respiratory System, when Rosa was off sick for a week.





Just thought I'd put some of these in so that you remember that I'm working, not at the beach in Spain!

Peppermint

It's 9 PM and I'm sipping piping hot herbal mint tea, snuggled up in warm flannel pajamas and an overgrown knit sweater, eating Junior Mints with peppermint crunches. I don't think that I've ever fully appreciated the wonder of peppermint before. It tastes like home and Christmas: delicious. A wonderful way to unwind after my longest work day of the week. Out the door at 7:40, back in at 7:30. It's been a long day, yet a pleasant day. Hugs, kisses, "Happy New Years" and everything else that greets people returning to work after Christmas break. One of the girls hugged me tight when I came in the door (20 minutes late...thank-you broken down trains) and told me I was her favorite teacher. In English. Though quite possibly, she told the rest of the teachers that as well. I don't care. Today I feel loved and we'll leave it at that.

A la Vuelta

I've been back in Madrid for about a week now; today was to have been my first day back at work. However, due to snow last night and into the wee hours, the government cancelled classes in the public schools, though the kids still could go to school. Huh? I was one confused girl about 7:15 this morning, trying to decide whether I was supposed to go to work or not. Luckily, I was able to get ahold of Rosa and she told me to not bother coming in for the half day I work today. I suppose that tomorrow everything will be back to normal and I can give the books I got for my class to Rosa and the kids.

I know that I haven't written a lot about my trip home, or put up pictures. Mom has the pictures held ransom, so those will come later. (just kidding Mom) I do have some pictures of my adorable brother though!

Driving home from Lafayette


Same old, same old: stealing my money, taking up all of the relaxing room on the bed, stealing my pen, and teasing me about it. Did I say I minded? Well, he did give me the money back. And if he hadn't, I can always threaten to tickle him.

Here's a "quick" list of my almost 3 week stay at home:
-Christmas with the Vances (Rick, Pam, Shannon, and Brandon): Shannon played photographer and took this photo of us that Mom used for the Christmas cards.



-Sleepover with Arielle and the girls. Outdoor hot tub + snow = kind of crazy but fun. Arielle fell asleep and I ended up talking to her
husband, José, for awhile. Then pancakes, hot chocolate, and "The Office" in the morning
-Making Christmas cards
-Visit with Ana at Borders
-Shopping with Justine at Glenbrook Mall and a long talk about everything from A-Z over Sbarro's pizza. Spent a long time looking at calendars and gourmet food.
-Christmas Eve at church and then early to bed to wait for Santa Claus
-Christmas!! Cinnamon rolls, scavenger hunt with Colin, blindly guessing what the gifts were (I said a light-up Christmas sweater for teachers, but didn't get one. I think I'll live)
-Christmas in Michigan and visit with wonderful and brainy cousins (and with whom I share a slight eccentricity)
-Isma coming!!

-Lots of card games and Sequence. The new one for this year is Rook. Barely any euchre, which is odd.
-Tour of Fort Wayne for Isma's benefit
-Attempt to go skiing at Pokagon and subsequent fail when I got sick (or passed out would be more accurate)
-Sad farewell to parents at the airport and time relaxing before in the new airport
-First plane trip to Spain with company! (much better this way, I must say)

I've spent the last week trying to get over jet-lag and relaxing. The only time I went out was last Friday. Right now is the "rebajas," the sales in Spain that last from January - March. I went with Tamy and Sara, which was fun but not something I think I need to repeat soon. So many people!! We waited in one line to pay 30 minutes. At least. The best part was probably the conversations we had in that same line and eating supper with Sara's husband, Angel, when he joined us after
getting of work.

Of friends and students

You know how good it feels to be wanted? Tuesday, upon my arrival at my students' house near the school, Marta burst out of her room with an anticipatory smile, ready to greet me with kisses and hear about my summer and tell me about hers. Sergio also, came out to say hi, a little bashful but happy to see me. Marta and Sergio are siblings, preteens I taught private English lessons to last year, and thankfully am continuing with this year. Last year I went to see the family in a play at their church and it's delightful to work for them. They also contract someone to help out with the cleaning in the house a few days a week, and she used to make an orange juice for me every Friday when I went to give Sergio a lesson. On my way from school to their house, I ran into the woman, Lucia, and we got to catch up in the 3 extra minutes I had. Then, I walked as quickly as I could so I wouldn't be late for the classes.

Wednesday was the third Bible Study. We're studying Mark, noting how Jesus mentored the disciples and how he interacted with the people, learning to be mentors ourselves. It's been delightful so far, and I've noted changes in me as we've gotten into the word more. It's great having a group of people to study with, and since we have "homework" for each day, it's creating a habit of reading and praying every day. I notice the difference when I spend more time with God...we're better friends. Funny how that works.

At school (work) we're working on classroom management and preparing to give the science test next week. I'm relating to the kids well, even better than last year, a good consequence of being in the main classroom the whole time and co-teaching. Some of the kids' lives really depress me, so with them I'm trying to give lots of love while balancing it with the needs of the whole class. At least there are two of us in the classroom. There is always so much to learn, and then some things that can be improved but never mastered, and then others that are new every time and so a mystery.

Back in Spain

Okay, I've been back for almost a month now, and shamefully haven't written or posted anything. My way back to Madrid was fairly uneventful; no running in airports to my delight. Dad and Mom drove me to Chicago where we played multiple rounds of Skip-Bo before I left to go through security. In the airport in Chicago, I met a young woman from India and we sat together during the long flight, during which I don't think I slept a wink. I was a very sleepy girl by the time Isma picked me up the next day at the airport and took me to his home for lunch. In bed that night by 8:30, I slept a straight 12 hours. Since then, I've connected up with old friends for picnics, started with a Bible study which is a formation for mentors, and investigated a Spanish class that ended up not panning out. October 1st was my first day of work, and last Wednesday I finally ironed out the last details in my schedule. I work Monday through Thursday, Friday for working on my private classes' lessons and housework. Two weekends ago the youth had a retreat in Camarma and last weekend I went to a church "yard sale" with my friend Carmen. At the later, I of course bought books. Four. I swear I tried, but just couldn't resist.

Here's some photos from a birthday party and the camp two weekends ago.

Birthday and Youth Retreat

Here comes the sun...nanana

After a week of rain and gray clouds, the sun has finally scrounged up the courage to show it's bright face this morning. Yesterday it snowed a bit, minuscule crystals of ice floating through the air as I rode the bus across the river to a meeting about the exams the students will be taking. Asking a dumb question with a more than obvious answer to an older lady who was easing herself into the neighboring seat, "Is it snowing outside?" I gained a willing conversation partner until my stop by the plaza de toros. She told me a bit about the school/palace where I was headed, where her daughter had gone to school many years ago. Bidding her goodbye, I found myself amongst other English speakers hurrying to get in out of the cold as well. These meetings are almost surreal sometimes in the sense that the whole walk there and inside the building are so full of English that you can almost forget you're in Spain.

The meetings covered renewing contracts (for those of us first-year assistants), visas for those who were having problems, the exams, and included a workshop that some students hijacked to ask about problems they were having at their school...things that many assistants were having. Mostly inconsistencies between their official job responsibilities and restrictions and what they were (in reality, not on paper) expected to do at the school...discipline and things. It was good to hear what the other assistants were doing at their schools and what problems they were coming up against. My group, the end of the alphabet group, ended about 8:00 pm (the meetings began at 4 pm), and I headed off with a group walking toward the metro. On the way to my small group meeting in Canillejas, I enjoyed the company of another teacher (3 years teaching in Florida...then she hopped over here to be an assistant so she could live in Spain) and we talked about teacher-y things. That was encouraging. Gave me some more things to think about.

The English Invasion

Monday and Tuesday this week I had my "jornadas de formación," that for all the words it takes to say in spanish, I call orientation. Imagine, a few dozen more than 100 English speakers converging on a neighborhood of south Madrid for two days. At lunch time (which they provided, all three courses) we filled more than one local restaurant. I would have thought that I wasn't in Spain for all the English I heard, except that the sessions were held in Spanish. The first day they did the formal welcomes (30 minutes at least) by the government, department of education, and one diplomat from the US and Canada both, welcomed us a million times, and gave out insurance packets. The most interesting part happened after all of the official people left. Magdalena, one of the new people in charge, began to explain the handbook to us, about our rights, tasks, residence cards, etc, two people came in and asked us if we minded if we took the flags out. Less than 5 minutes after the officials left, they took the flags out and put them, I don't know where, but apparently without the official government people we weren't important enough to need them! Oh well, it's not like we needed them anyway. It was nice to meet people and talk about what we were going to be doing and living. Everyone is super jealous when they hear that I'm teaching in the center of Madrid, but then I think they think I'm a little tonto when they hear that I'm living outside of the city. I realize though, that for the money I'm paying, I'm living in a place that is way nicer than what most of the assistants will be living in, and that I have a community of people and countryside. And, I can go into the city whenever I want to visit the art museums.
Okay, back to the official program...the second day was more about pedagogy, which was mostly a review (except some of the stuff pertaining specifically to teaching English as a second language via immersion). For me, it was interesting to hear all of the vocabulary that I had learned in school in Spanish. I also learned that it is more than okay to touch students here, on the shoulder, head, back, and to give kisses. The culture is just more touchy here. Spanish teachers need to be careful coming to the states!

As you can see, Amy had a much more interesting Monday and Tuesday than I did.

Week 1 Part 1

It´s been almost a week since Amy got here. We´ve been all over Madrid and even out, visiting all of the places of interest. Amy was supposed to get here Saturday, but she ¨chose¨ to stay in JFK airport instead. They were nice enough to give her a cot that she guarded with her life! So, after 24 hours in New York, plenty of running around airports, and little sleep, Amy arrived in Madrid on Sunday. We got a ride home and then went into Madrid to go through the Royal Botanical Gardens. I think that it almost had every plant in the world. The dahlias were really pretty, but we were disappointed that the roses weren´t blooming.

Monday, we went to find the school I´m teaching at, San Isidro y San Eugenio. It was about an hour 20 minute trip, but we didn´t have any problems. It was good to finally meet the teacher I´ll be assisting and teaching under. Hopefully I will get to talk to her soon about more specifics of the teaching. She invited both Amy and I to come over sometime for coffee. After the school visit, we grabbed a snack at a produce stand and made our way to see the sites of the neighborhood. First, we walked and saw the Puerta de Toledo (see pictures), a really old neighborhood, ate Chinese food, walked through Plaza Mayor, went to an artsy souveneir shop (and bought nothing because we didn´t want to pay 60 euros for a plate), and then to a ceramics store. There, all of the pieces were painted in the old Talavera style and the owner´s children were the artists. We also walked through Puerta del Sol and saw the famous bear statue, the symbol of Madrid, and went through some of the department stores. Amy bought a cute kid´s sweater! And I almost left my sunglasses in the bathroom.

Tuesday, we went to the Archaelogical Museum, saw the Puerta de Alcala, and strolled through el Parque Retiro. It´s kind of like Central Park in New York City, with gardens, trees, fountains, a pond with fish and rowboats, gypsies, a crystal building, and plenty of people kissing. It also has a sports club and a funny hill.

Wednesday we took a train up to el Escorial, a monastery/school/palace in the Guadarrama (spelling??) Mountains to the northwest of Madrid. It was spectacular. The gardens that we could see from the windows were sculpted and patterned, the paintings were beautiful, the building was gigantic, and the burial chamber was interesting/weird. We couldn´t take pictures, unfortunately of the inside, but if you bug Amy, I´m sure she´ll show you the souvenier book she bought. It´s really cool. I think that our excursion has been both of our favorite parts of the trip (the excursion spilled into Thursday, which we´ll talk about later). The next part of our trip was a little stressful. We had to figure out how to get from El Escorial to Segovia, to the north. But, as often happens when you have problems, kind people are there to help and cheer you up. In one train station we met a man from Puerto Rico who helped us find our train and then chatted for awhile about his wife and being so far from home. Earlier that day we met a Russian woman who spoke a little English and asked us for help. I think that, as the Puerto Rican did for us, we gave her a little company and someone to talk to for awhile. I can´t imagine travelling alone without speaking the language!