The End of My First Week

Well, I have officially completed my first week as an English Teaching Assistant!  Overall, I had a very positive experience.  I spent this week working at a high school in Badajoz.  Unlike the US, the kids range from 12-18 years old.  My classes are as small as 6 kids to as large as about 30.  I also teach every single level, from 1st years to 4th, to special education, to 1st and 2nd bachillerato.  Also different from the US, high school can potentially last 6 years.  Not all high schools have "bachillerato" levels, as these 2 levels are for students preparing for university.  One challenge for me is adjusting my speaking to the different levels.  Sometimes the teacher doesn't speak at all, so I can't hear how he/she addresses the class in English, so I kind of have to guess how fast to speak.  Overall the kids are interested and like asking me questions.  Some of my classes are really talkative while in others I have to extract info from them, like pulling teeth.  However almost every single student has been attentive and respectful, they are a nice group of kids.  Two girls even drew me a picture!!

I know the level of responsibility of the teaching assistants varies depending on the schools/teachers.  Most of the teachers I work with allow me to just take over the class, while they just jump in for complicated questions or discipline.  This can be good or bad, depending on how interested the kids are in talking.  If there's nothing to talk about sometimes the class feels like it's dragging.  But for the most part I enjoy taking over the class!  Unfortunately it seems like this also maybe students' first time hearing a foreign accent, especially an American accent.  Their teachers are all Spanish, so I think a lot of students have a hard time with my accent.  They also learn British English, so some of my words/pronunciations are nothing like what they are used to hearing.  But there will be a learning curve on both ends!

Unfortunately I have no idea what next week is looking like for me.  I just found out 2 days ago that I was reassigned to a different elementary school because there was a problem with the first one I was assigned to (the one I never heard from).  I'm slightly annoyed because the first elementary school is literally one block away from my house, and the new one is almost an hour walk away (so I have to take a bus).  I was also assured that someone from the school would contact me, but I haven't heard anything yet.  I suppose if I don't hear from them, I have Monday off??? Like everything else, I'm sure in time everything will work out.

Well, that's the abridged version of  my first week!  I already love having Fridays off, especially because Thursday is a big party night!  Elliot and I have some weekend plans with Spaniards, so it's my turn to be the student.