Now that I am here in Moncada, Valencia and I have visited the school I will be teaching at, I am very grateful for all the information and the ideas for activities that Jen and Emile have given to us. I am sorry I have not written before but I was so exhausted after the journey here and so busy this morning that I did not have time until now to write anything. The lesson of 12 years I watched today was really bad-the students were sat down the whole time doing exercises from the book, they all looked bored and the teacher got the students to read the texts in English out loud something which were told never to do. The teacher also at various times spoke in Spanish to the students and then complained when they also spoke in Spanish many times during the lesson. He chucked two of the students out of the classroom altogether and everyone just looked like they were not -I do not blame them in the slightest as I would have been bored too. The teacher today did not seem to have set up any rules for the students so I will make that a top priority to set rules from the 1st day I start teaching each group.
I think the activities Jen and Emile have given to us will prove invaluable during this placement and I am happy that I can make at least one lesson a week for each of my groups of students fun and exciting. I feel like the things I learned have built very well on my existing knowledge gained from the CELTA course I did in Cambridge. I can see how many of these activities will work effectively in these classrooms to get students up and about. I will let you know in due course how I get on with trying out these activities. I will definitely be using the visualisation that I and other students in the training week came up with for one of my classes I have been told I will need to teach the future tense (will, going to and refresh on present continuous), and all 3 conditionals.
Moving on to the positives of being here in Spain: Cristina my tutor was really friendly and she introduced me to so many different people that I fear I will never remember all their names. I also found out that I was not the only new person as there was a another new teacher due to one lady who had gone on maternity leave. He was just as confused as I was but seemed to be enthusiastic. Also by total coincidence there was someone at the school who had actually taught in my village (Comberton, Cambridge) in England! What are the odds of that happening in such a small place!
Hope to write soon and let you know how I get on with teaching my first class.
Monday, 9 January 2017
Sunday, 8 January 2017
Reflections on the YL training
I
arrived in Chester on Monday lunchtime genuinely excited by what lay
ahead. This was in contrast to my pre-interview nerves (I used the
adjective 'apprehensive' that day). Entering the room, it was lovely
to see Carolyn again and meet Jen. More people came through the door,
a mix of new and familiar faces. A quick ice-breaker and we were off.
The
week seemed to pass by in a flash. We were introduced to other
members of the UKLC team: Emil, Nathan, Laura, Izzy, and Ken (and of
course I haven't forgotten Amy!) We did far too many activities to
mention but all of them were useful and fun.
In
every respect, the training exceeded my expectations (which were high
to begin with). Although I'm currently suffering from information
overload, I feel a lot more prepared for the month in Valencia. I
have additional skills and resources in my armoury, and have made some new
friends.
Bring
on Spain!!!
🛫 😊
Monday, 2 January 2017
Recollection of the Spain Placement
It has been manic since returning. Thinking back, I am so glad to get an
opportunity to go to Spain, I think I have had just a taster of what the Valenciano
is like and I do want to go there again. With the placement, it has been an unexpected
experience and I do not know what the arrangement was with the school so I
cannot realistically describe too much.
I would like to focus on the positives. In terms of achievements I can now say I have
adapted myself to the requirements of a Spanish school with large class sizes,
have taught directly from the textbook, become more confident and assured in
front of a big class and with help from others I’ve successfully used a
classroom management system based on ‘pineapple pen’. I put in a lot
of effort when I got the chance to teach.
Some things I planned worked well and some things perhaps didn’t. Surprisingly, I found the children quite well
behaved, but they do often talk amongst themselves.
I am gutted I didn’t improve on my very basic Spanish,
especially when compared to my flatmates.
There was a friendly, sociable male teacher with very little English who
always used to talk to me. Through
gesturing (or guessing from context) I worked out bits of what he was saying,
unfortunately a lot of times it went over my head.
I think living in Gandia was great, we were near to
the main high street with plenty of independent retailers and cafes. We had two supermarkets close by and a
stationer just around the corner. It’s
unfortunate that I didn’t explore this unique place more. It was great living with fellow teachers who
were happy to provide moral support.
There were a number of problems we encountered at times; like a faulty
boiler therefore no hot water, a leaky water pipe, no water at all, no heating
– things like this tested our resolve, but we soldered on with our bulldog
spirit. We will always the dog poo
incident towards the end of our stay, hilarious!
We all had the opportunity to experience real-life EFL
by preparing a formal lesson plan for a class which was observed by their
teacher and UKLC staff member. I took a risk (with a large class) and tried things
that they wouldn’t have experienced before, like moving students to work in
groups. Overall, I thought the students
were engaged and it went well.
My advice to Erasmus teachers going to Spain is firstly,
having confidence in front of a class and in your own teaching really
helps. I would advise speaking loudly to
get their attention, give praise when students do well, have a contingency plan
if possible. Also (if not on your
timetable), do try to get involved or observe a Primaria class, it’s a
rewarding experience!
Right, I just need to try to get a good teaching
job. Wish me luck.
Monday, 12 December 2016
Not even two weeks since we were in Spain !
I haven't been the best at keeping up with blogging but nearly two weeks after the event, I feel the need to write about my Spanish teaching experience!
It was truly an unforgettable , challenging but rewarding experience! My advice to fellow Erasmus teachers going to Spain is to get as much sleep as you can before you go! The schedule and sheer adrenaline of teaching meant that I didn't sleep as much as I would've liked but I am making up for it now!
My school was Los Naranjos ( literally translated, The Orange Trees) in Gandia. I was somewhat lucky because my mentor was American ( therefore no language barrier) and the class sizes were smaller than most of my flatmates , with up to 16 students per class. That didn't mean they weren't challenging at times ! It has to be said that the Spanish like to talk and getting the students to stop talking and listen was probably my biggest challenge! Class rules helped, I found myself banging the 'listen and be quiet' symbol quite a bit during lessons, it got their attention and saved my voice a little :) The young children were adorable but needed careful management. I remember my first class with them, it was chaos! I decided to bring in a ball to demonstrate and practise actions associated with sport. After about 30 seconds of waiting for a turn, the children went a bit crazy, Next thing I knew, one child was crying, another had kicked someone and it all got very loud, I learnt a lot from that experience. I am happy to say the next time I taught them, it went a lot better.
Top tips for teaching in my school?
- Use classroom management techniques such as rewards and rules , it really does help!
- Team games can be really good but some students get REALLY frustrated if they don't win or they think it isn't being monitored fairly!
- Use motivational songs and activities. Students in my classes LOVED the pen pineapple song and the Mannequin Challenge!
- The Sushi train can work well if your mentor doesn't start changing the rules!
- The students loved drawing, the sillier the better!
- Bad parrot works! Even for the older kids!
- Give lots of praise. It may sound silly, but it has a really good impact and the students did appreciate it.
I was lucky enough to get taken out and sample some local activities by my mentor. I saw the Gandian Basketball team play and win a game at the local indoor stadium, sampled Iberican meat and beer and even got invited for American Thanksgiving. Certainly not what I expected when I thought of being in Spain!
To those going next year, enjoy the experience and sleep when you can! Thanks to those who organised it for us and to Emil and Michael for the fantastic training before we left!
Hasta luego!
Clare
It was truly an unforgettable , challenging but rewarding experience! My advice to fellow Erasmus teachers going to Spain is to get as much sleep as you can before you go! The schedule and sheer adrenaline of teaching meant that I didn't sleep as much as I would've liked but I am making up for it now!
My school was Los Naranjos ( literally translated, The Orange Trees) in Gandia. I was somewhat lucky because my mentor was American ( therefore no language barrier) and the class sizes were smaller than most of my flatmates , with up to 16 students per class. That didn't mean they weren't challenging at times ! It has to be said that the Spanish like to talk and getting the students to stop talking and listen was probably my biggest challenge! Class rules helped, I found myself banging the 'listen and be quiet' symbol quite a bit during lessons, it got their attention and saved my voice a little :) The young children were adorable but needed careful management. I remember my first class with them, it was chaos! I decided to bring in a ball to demonstrate and practise actions associated with sport. After about 30 seconds of waiting for a turn, the children went a bit crazy, Next thing I knew, one child was crying, another had kicked someone and it all got very loud, I learnt a lot from that experience. I am happy to say the next time I taught them, it went a lot better.
Top tips for teaching in my school?
- Use classroom management techniques such as rewards and rules , it really does help!
- Team games can be really good but some students get REALLY frustrated if they don't win or they think it isn't being monitored fairly!
- Use motivational songs and activities. Students in my classes LOVED the pen pineapple song and the Mannequin Challenge!
- The Sushi train can work well if your mentor doesn't start changing the rules!
- The students loved drawing, the sillier the better!
- Bad parrot works! Even for the older kids!
- Give lots of praise. It may sound silly, but it has a really good impact and the students did appreciate it.
I was lucky enough to get taken out and sample some local activities by my mentor. I saw the Gandian Basketball team play and win a game at the local indoor stadium, sampled Iberican meat and beer and even got invited for American Thanksgiving. Certainly not what I expected when I thought of being in Spain!
To those going next year, enjoy the experience and sleep when you can! Thanks to those who organised it for us and to Emil and Michael for the fantastic training before we left!
Hasta luego!
Clare
Thursday, 8 December 2016
Viva España, me encanta Valencia
How strange it is to think that this time last month I was sat in Chester undergoing intensive training for teaching Young Learners, feeling rather anxious about the month of teaching in Valencia before me.
Now, with that month of teaching behind me, I realise I had nothing to worry about. The training from excellent Michael and Emil and the support from the lovely Alecia, Mampa, Amy and Carolyn and of course from everyone at my lovely school (of which more later) meant that we were well prepared for everything from teaching in Spain to living in Spain.
My wonderful school, Colegio Santa Teresa de Jesus El Vedat, could not have provided a better teaching experience. The children were all very sweet and all, despite a tendency for excitement (brought on by the novelty of being taught by a gangly Englishman, no doubt), very keen to learn and improve their English. All the staff at the school from the teachers to the dinner ladies to the cleaners were all very welcoming - a stroll across the school grounds would lead to about half a dozen "Hola/Hello James!" or "Buenos días James!". And if all that wasn't perfect enough, I was treated to fantastic Spanish food for both break and lunch!
Looking back over the month I cannot really find anything to fault and the experience has only increased my desire to teach.
Adiós amigos, adiós españa.
Now, with that month of teaching behind me, I realise I had nothing to worry about. The training from excellent Michael and Emil and the support from the lovely Alecia, Mampa, Amy and Carolyn and of course from everyone at my lovely school (of which more later) meant that we were well prepared for everything from teaching in Spain to living in Spain.
My wonderful school, Colegio Santa Teresa de Jesus El Vedat, could not have provided a better teaching experience. The children were all very sweet and all, despite a tendency for excitement (brought on by the novelty of being taught by a gangly Englishman, no doubt), very keen to learn and improve their English. All the staff at the school from the teachers to the dinner ladies to the cleaners were all very welcoming - a stroll across the school grounds would lead to about half a dozen "Hola/Hello James!" or "Buenos días James!". And if all that wasn't perfect enough, I was treated to fantastic Spanish food for both break and lunch!
Looking back over the month I cannot really find anything to fault and the experience has only increased my desire to teach.
Adiós amigos, adiós españa.
Tuesday, 6 December 2016
Espana es preciosa!
Hola todas!
It's nearly a week now since we left Spain and it is rather strange that I'm now an Xmas temp at Marks and Spencer. Such a different world from teaching in Gandia, Spain!
The whole experience has been an exciting and fast-moving adventure. For me, this has mostly been all about stepping outside of my comfort zone and challenging myself to do something radical to deepen my experience of language and to maximise my chances of future employment.
I found it amazing (and daunting at times) being suddenly immersed in a different culture with a language I hardly spoke. I realised how much I rely on the English language in my everyday life and, of course, there/s nothing wrong with that. However, I had to learn some Spanish to get by and that proved really interesting to me. I used to joke with the children/young people that the deal was 'you teach me some Spanish and I will teach you some English' and they laughed at my poor pronunciation, but never in a horrible way.
I liked the school I was placed in because it felt like one big family which I was allowed to be part of for a while! My mentor and the other 2 teachers I worked with were warm and friendly and did their best to support me. The young people made a fuss of me a lot of the time and I got a pile of wonderful 'cards' and wishes on my departure which really touched me with their sincerity.
I learnt so much from this experience and I'm still learning from it now. I'm very grateful for the opportunity so thank you to all who made it possible and to my fellow teachers.
Today, I came home from my Xmas job to find messages from agencies about International teaching positions. I believe part of the reason for this is because I have now added this experience to my CV.
For me, one of the most important aspects of the learning on this placement was realising how it feels to live among people who don't speak your language! I cannot take language for granted anymore!
It was a privelege to teach these young people and to be part of their lives for this short time. I will never forget them.
It's nearly a week now since we left Spain and it is rather strange that I'm now an Xmas temp at Marks and Spencer. Such a different world from teaching in Gandia, Spain!
The whole experience has been an exciting and fast-moving adventure. For me, this has mostly been all about stepping outside of my comfort zone and challenging myself to do something radical to deepen my experience of language and to maximise my chances of future employment.
I found it amazing (and daunting at times) being suddenly immersed in a different culture with a language I hardly spoke. I realised how much I rely on the English language in my everyday life and, of course, there/s nothing wrong with that. However, I had to learn some Spanish to get by and that proved really interesting to me. I used to joke with the children/young people that the deal was 'you teach me some Spanish and I will teach you some English' and they laughed at my poor pronunciation, but never in a horrible way.
I liked the school I was placed in because it felt like one big family which I was allowed to be part of for a while! My mentor and the other 2 teachers I worked with were warm and friendly and did their best to support me. The young people made a fuss of me a lot of the time and I got a pile of wonderful 'cards' and wishes on my departure which really touched me with their sincerity.
I learnt so much from this experience and I'm still learning from it now. I'm very grateful for the opportunity so thank you to all who made it possible and to my fellow teachers.
Today, I came home from my Xmas job to find messages from agencies about International teaching positions. I believe part of the reason for this is because I have now added this experience to my CV.
For me, one of the most important aspects of the learning on this placement was realising how it feels to live among people who don't speak your language! I cannot take language for granted anymore!
It was a privelege to teach these young people and to be part of their lives for this short time. I will never forget them.
Sunday, 4 December 2016
Fin de la línea
Entry 6, Sun 4 Dec
Sometimes I find it incredible that at the start of this week I was still teaching in Vinalesa, and now I find myself back home in the UK. It has been a truly fantastic experience, and I'll really miss all of the students and the teachers, who genuinely made me feel like a part of the school.
The training sessions in Chester were very useful and I'll definitely be going over the notes I took (and checking out some of the files in John's dropbox folder) in order to give me some ideas for my upcoming teaching position in a few weeks time.
Thank you so much to all the guys at UKLC, Schola and my fellow trainees, and I hope the next batch of teachers will enjoy this experience as much as I did.
Next stop - more teaching in Spain! :D
¡Por última vez!
Giacomo
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