Happy Thursday!
I've just gotten from school, ate lunch and am now settling in my room to make some lesson plans during siesta. I am already taking full advantage of siesta since I get up for work at 6:15 and the kids in the dorm are up running around and yelling late into the night. Everything closes between 2:00 and 5:00, so I generally take some time to rest and catch up on some American tv. Today I have to make my first lesson plans for the students that live in the residence. I'm making some Halloween themed activities so it should be fun.
Also, since it's Thursday, my weekend has begun. This week was my first full week of work, and it flew by. I am starting to really enjoy my time at school, and the days go by quickly. There are a lot of weekends that are even longer though. Two weeks ago we had Friday-Tuesday off, for Dia de la Hispanidad, during which the Spaniards celebrate Colombus finding the Americas. It was the day after our Columbus Day, and even better because we got 2 days off instead of one! Next weekend we also have en extra day to celebrate Dia de Todos los Santos. We also have a whole week off in December right before Christmas, so I will travel for a week, come back to work for a week and then head home for Christmas. Not bad at all...
And becuase it's Thursday there's all sorts of parties. Here, Thursday is the biggest night to go out because so many students leave over the weekend. Everyone goes out till 4 or 5 am, and then goes to class in the morning. Luckily, I don't have to worry about work on Fridays!
jueves, 21 de octubre de 2010
lunes, 18 de octubre de 2010
IES Sierra la Calera
Hello all, I'm back to write some more about my teaching experiences so far. Today starts my first full week of work at school, and I am also beginning private lessons this week. It took me a little while to get used to my role in the school, but now I am getting to know the students and am very impressed with them so far. My schedule varies every day, and I am working primarily with student in the Bilingual Section. Many schools in Spain now have a Bilingual Section where the students have regular English classes, as well as Math, Science and P.E. in English. The students and their parents decide to enroll in the bilingual courses, so the students really want to be there.
Spain's educational system is different than ours, having primary school (6-11 years old), secondary school (12-15) and then an optional baccalaureate (16-18). I am working mostly with students ranging from 12-15 years old in the ESO level (Educacion secundaria obligatoria) in the bilingual section, and I see each level two or three times every week.
Information about the Bilingual Program at IES Sierra la Calera
My first week of classes were dedicated to question and answer sessions so that the students and I could get to know each other. I am language assistant, so I am always in class with another teacher. I am able to make lessons plans or suggest topics for the classes, but am always following the plans that the teacher has prepared. Because the students in the bilingual section have Math, Science and P.E. in English I go to each class once a week to help with the vocabulary of each subject. This means that I have to re-learn middle school Math and Science! Now the students are learning about fractions and powers in Math and Energy and the Universe in Science. It is interesting because I don't know all the official terms for these subjects, and I have to do some research so I am prepared for the student's questions. I also meet with each teacher once a week to go over lesson plans so I know what we will be learning about the following week. I am the third language assistant that has been at my school, so they have established a good system for our collaboration.
This week I am starting to give private classes to people I have met. Almost everyone I meet asks me if I would be able to give them lessons. It seems strange to me that people are willing to pay me just because I speak English! Most people just want conversation classes, so I will just go to their house and talk to them in English for an hour. There are other people who are just beginning to speak English so I have to make lesson plans and activities to practice grammatical points. I will be teaching a college age son of one of the teachers at school and my Flamenco teacher, so the classes are also an opportunity for me to make friends in the community.
Lastly, I am also starting to give classes in my residence hall. There are 40+ students interested in the classes, so I will break them into two groups that each meet once a week. There is a variety of English levels so I have to create activities that everyone can participate in and enjoy. I think these classes will be fun because the students are already friends, and they aren't mandatory so I hope they will be enthusiastic about the classes.
When I found out that I would only be teaching in school 12 hours per week I was afraid that I would have too much free time and not enough to keep me busy. However, that is turning out to be completely untrue. I seem to be filling up all of my time with private classes and other activities, like Flamenco and soon Tennis. Turns out that tennis is quite popular here and I'm signing up to take lessons, which will be good exercise and a way to meet more people.
Overall, everything is going very well and I am getting used to my life here in Badajoz. Everyone that I meet suggests new places that I must see while I am here, so I plan to explore Extremadura a lot over the next few months. Until next time!
Spain's educational system is different than ours, having primary school (6-11 years old), secondary school (12-15) and then an optional baccalaureate (16-18). I am working mostly with students ranging from 12-15 years old in the ESO level (Educacion secundaria obligatoria) in the bilingual section, and I see each level two or three times every week.
Information about the Bilingual Program at IES Sierra la Calera
My first week of classes were dedicated to question and answer sessions so that the students and I could get to know each other. I am language assistant, so I am always in class with another teacher. I am able to make lessons plans or suggest topics for the classes, but am always following the plans that the teacher has prepared. Because the students in the bilingual section have Math, Science and P.E. in English I go to each class once a week to help with the vocabulary of each subject. This means that I have to re-learn middle school Math and Science! Now the students are learning about fractions and powers in Math and Energy and the Universe in Science. It is interesting because I don't know all the official terms for these subjects, and I have to do some research so I am prepared for the student's questions. I also meet with each teacher once a week to go over lesson plans so I know what we will be learning about the following week. I am the third language assistant that has been at my school, so they have established a good system for our collaboration.
This week I am starting to give private classes to people I have met. Almost everyone I meet asks me if I would be able to give them lessons. It seems strange to me that people are willing to pay me just because I speak English! Most people just want conversation classes, so I will just go to their house and talk to them in English for an hour. There are other people who are just beginning to speak English so I have to make lesson plans and activities to practice grammatical points. I will be teaching a college age son of one of the teachers at school and my Flamenco teacher, so the classes are also an opportunity for me to make friends in the community.
Lastly, I am also starting to give classes in my residence hall. There are 40+ students interested in the classes, so I will break them into two groups that each meet once a week. There is a variety of English levels so I have to create activities that everyone can participate in and enjoy. I think these classes will be fun because the students are already friends, and they aren't mandatory so I hope they will be enthusiastic about the classes.
When I found out that I would only be teaching in school 12 hours per week I was afraid that I would have too much free time and not enough to keep me busy. However, that is turning out to be completely untrue. I seem to be filling up all of my time with private classes and other activities, like Flamenco and soon Tennis. Turns out that tennis is quite popular here and I'm signing up to take lessons, which will be good exercise and a way to meet more people.
Overall, everything is going very well and I am getting used to my life here in Badajoz. Everyone that I meet suggests new places that I must see while I am here, so I plan to explore Extremadura a lot over the next few months. Until next time!
miércoles, 13 de octubre de 2010
Getting settled in Badajoz
Hello everyone, welcome to my blog that will document my year living and working in Badajoz, Spain. Here I am working as a language assistant in a school in a small town called Santa Marta de los Barros, a town that I have been told has some of the best churros con chocolate in the world. I have yet to try them, but I'm sure they will be delicious.
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