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Hello all! I just finished my first full week of work, and I can happily say I’m improving and learning a LOT about teaching and how little English learners… well, learn.

Though last Tuesday was supposed to be my official first day—and I even double-checked with the principal that Tuesday would be a good day to start—I arrived and discovered that they weren’t exactly ready for me. The principal greeted me, introduced me to any teacher or aide or oblivious young student that passed us in the hallway, and then basically said, “Well, I guess we don’t really have a schedule for you yet. How about you go back home and come back tomorrow?”  My first day lasted about 30 minutes. Welcome to Spain, where flexibility is your best friend!

Since last Wednesday, I’ve been getting used to my schedule at the school. In September and June the students have class all month, but they only have half-days, starting at 9am and ending at 1pm. In a week, the schedule will change over to the normal daily routine of 9am until 5pm. (And don’t forget that in Spain everyone takes a midday siesta—the kids all go home for lunch at 1:30pm and return for afternoon classes at 3:30pm.) I only work Monday through Thursday, as per the usual for the Fulbright ETAs. Not a bad gig.

ON THE SUNNY SIDE

+ I absolutely love the kids. Absolutely love them. There’s something about the lack of inhibitions that makes them so fascinating to teach, since they’re not afraid to try pronouncing words or using them. I taught one of my classes of 5-year-olds the song “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and later in the hallway, one of my kids saw me and shouted “Meg! Meg!” until I turned around, and he proudly started singing the song complete with the movements.

+ Most of the other teachers at the school are very sweet and patient with my Spanish. One of the younger teachers invited me to dinner and a concert this weekend with some of her friends, and another invited me over to her house so she can teach me how to cook Mediterranean-style paella and seafood, after we had a conversation about my lack of Spanish cooking skills here.

ON THE NOT-SO-SUNNY SIDE

–Lack of normal schedule/expectations. In my 5^th and 6^th grade classes, I usually observe the class and later on I’ll make supplemental activities or games to do with the classes. However, when I first walked into my infantil classes of 4- and 5-year-olds, the teachers told their classes, “This is Meg; she’s our new English teacher. Now she’s going to teach you English, so pay attention,” and I had about 4 seconds to come up with something to do for the next hour.

–Language barrier. It’s hard enough getting to know your coworkers and forming good relationships, but not knowing the language makes it quite tough. I try to be receptive and eager to chat when I’m in the teacher’s lounge during break, but I also don’t want to force it, so it’s an interesting balance.

ON THE AMUSING SIDE

Most teachers have introduced me to their classes as “Mek, la inglesa”—which translates to “Meg, the British girl.”  When this is followed by a brief pause, or a look for affirmation, I usually quietly say, “la americana” with a forgiving smile. But in my class the other day, the teacher introduced me as “la inglesa” and continued talking for awhile, then looked at me and said, “Eres de Londres, verdad?” (You’re from London, right?). Sigh. On the plus side, I might be able to get away with experimenting with a British accent without anyone noticing.

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