As usual, I'm long overdue on a little blog maintenance, so this will be my obligatory update on the past two months or so (how long HAS it been? I don't even know...)....
Things in my TEFL world are finally falling into place. Somehow, I've managed to figure out this whole teaching thing and get through each week this Spring like coasting on the nice warm breeze blowing down from the Sierra Nevadas. I don't really have to plan much more than making a mental note of what I want to teach each day and then teaching it - no more endless hours of stress-ridden sleep before an arduous day of lessons; no more worrying that I'm doing my students a disservice by being unprepared. I've realized somehow that all the planning I need is in my head - that's where the good stuff is, and I'm equipped to answer any question a student may throw at me, regardless of how many internet sites I've looked at to get ideas or how many coursebooks I've reviewed and copied to piece together a lesson plan. I think this is normal for TEFL teachers in their first year, because most of the seasoned teachers I've met seem to be nothing more than slacker vagabonds who chose this profession because it's an easy way to make a buck by milking the fact that you're a native English speaker and English happens to be in high demand right now. When I thought of these teachers before, there seemed to be a huge difference between them and me - obviously, they must care much less than I do about their students if they're not stressed and running around trying to make their lessons the best they can be. Somewhere inside my head, the perfectionist in me is always thinking there must be something wrong here if I'm not freaking out about improving my teaching skills every day. But now I realize it's just a matter of experience and the confidence that comes with it. Quite a revelation.
In other news, my whole summer "plan" has been uprooted by a life-changing decision not to move back to the States for quite some time (we're talking years). This came from an opportunity here in Spain that I couldn't pass up, but also from the sense of jadedness and exasperation that I have at present with everything American. Now that I've seen my country from "the other side," had an objective viewpoint on the effects our country has had on the rest of the world...well, let's just say it's intensified the sense of guilt and shame I have as an American abroad. I'm so thankful that most people here think I look Spanish (and my Spanish usually has them fooled too!)
A small side-note on that: I was teaching at Lux Mundi on Wednesday, and we have a new schedule that we were test-running that day, so I ended up with some students that are normally in another teacher's class. This one kid, named Kike,"(pronounced "kee-kay"), who's quite the cool kid in class, overhears me speaking Spanish to some of my 3- and 4-yr old students. And after that, he was constantly in my face trying to get me to speak Spanish in class. He tells me that he wants me to speak Spanish "porque eres nativa" (because you're native)! HahahaHA! (uh, I mean JajajaJA) Then he keeps asking me where I'm from, what's my name (he forgot), etc...and from that point on I only spoke in English. [note: You may think I chose to speak only in English because that's what an effective English teacher should do in that situation, but honestly I didn't want to speak Spanish anymore because I was afraid he'd find me out! Sortof a "quit while you're ahead" strategy.] I love it when people mistake me for Spanish, especially when it's because of my language/accent and not my appearance...it happens almost every day, but it tickles me every time. It's even better when at first they think I'm Spanish and talk to me as such, then once I make a grammar mistake, they give me this confused look like I've not just made a grammar mistake but said some new Spanish expression they're not familiar with yet! I can see the wheels turning in their heads, trying to figure me out, and I absolutely love it :) It further reinforces the feeling that Spain was my destiny - like somehow I was always meant to be here.
Anyway, in case you weren't privy, I'll be here in Spain for a while longer (no complaints here!). I've cancelled my trip home due to logistics and money-saving strategies, which means now I've got a whole summer abroad to play with. The first half will be spent in southern France (Toulouse, to be exact), staying with a friend I met here in Granada recently who lives there. I'm sure I'll have lots of interesting stories from that venture, considering when I try to speak the miniscule French that I know, I always panic and instinctively revert to Spanish. I bet the French people will find that quite interesting :) After France, it's off to Riomundo (Spain) for another summer of teaching at English camp. Camp should be better on all fronts this summer, except of course the FOOD one - I'm planning to bring a full stock of whole grains and produce with me to spare me from the sugar-salt-yet-no-flavor diet provided by the camp (the only thing I can really say about the food there is at least it's free!). Then, after camp I'll have two weeks of vacation before returning to Granada to a new academic year - this time, full-time with block schedules!! (This means fewer one-to-ones, but no more running around town all day wasting precious hours for which I'm not paid. Yay!!)
In short, the Spring has been swell, and I'm looking forward to summer :) Should be good, folks.
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