Teaching in a Foreign Classroom

Hello Readers,

I have officially completed my first full week of teaching in a Spanish classroom! There are some differences, but there are also some similarities to American schools. There is always something going on, students are laughing and enjoying their day, teachers are preparing lessons, and you always expect the unexpected. I have noticed that the lesson planning that the teachers do is very similar to those that I have experienced in past placements.

On the other side of things, there are so many differences and things that I have not seen in many (or mostly at all) schools in the states. Now I am just going to go through and talk about some of the things that either surprised me or I find interesting. One of the first things that I noticed was that the students write in cursive almost all of the time. Especially the second-grade students, they do not even have to be asked they naturally just write everything in cursive. They tend to take on more responsibilities about caring for all of their textbooks, workbooks, keeping track of their papers, and more. Some students and teachers believe that a British accent is easier to understand while others prefer an American accent. Since we are in Europe, most of their English class instruction that comes from textbooks has audios with British accents. Due to the times that they eat here in Spain my students do not eat lunch while they are at school. They go to recess and have a snack then go home around two to eat lunch. I personally love this because then my days end at two as well.

I have been at my school for a little over a week now and I absolutely love my placement. My students, while they occasionally have their moments like every other place, are so adorable. I feel like I am learning from them just as much as they are learning from me. It is a little tricky every once in a while, because my Spanish still needs some work, and they are just starting to work on their English. However, my cooperating teachers have been such a big help in closing those gaps and making sure that my students and I are able to bond and communicate with each other.

The other teachers have been such a blessing, they are all so welcoming. Every day, while the students are at recess mostly all of the second and first grade teachers go across the street for a quick coffee, and they have invited me to join them since my first day. Even on days that my cooperating teacher is not there the others tell me to join them. Again, the language barrier sometimes makes it difficult for me to keep up with their conversations, but someone typically leans over and tells me what they are talking about it I cannot catch on.

Besides going to school, I have been exploring my new home. I have been taking walks almost daily to just look around and learn new things about where I am. Then on days that I get out of school a little earlier than my host mom is done I will walk around in the city shopping, stopping in cafes, and learning the inner-city history. This week I was given a tour by the program I am in and got to learn so much about Galicia, Ourense, and Spain. I got a chance to make more of a connection and discover historical landmarks. Then I have also been going places with my host family and hanging out with the friends of my host sisters.

I am only two weeks into my placement, but I am already sad that I only have six weeks left. This is the experience of a lifetime that I will never forget and would recommend to anyone who has the chance to do it.