A Day in the Life of a Fulbrighter

I haven't really been posting lately so I figured I would let everyone know what I usually do when I am not traveling. What does a Fulbright English Language Assistant actually do?

Monday: I start class at 10:20, so I have to leave my piso (flat) at around 9:20 so I have enough time to grab a coffee para llevar (to go) at Cafelito (one of my favorite coffee places) on my way to the metro. First class of the day is English with 1st ESO D, which is the equivalent of 7th grade. However these students are not a part of the bilingual program (students in the BP take ALL classes in English vs. taking all classes in Spanish and having English once a day). At my school only A and B are a part of the bilingual program and they are supposed to be the best students. Usually I am there just helping with pronunciation and correcting their homework with them. Like many teachers at my school and in other schools, native English speakers are used for their accent. Although many teachers have a high level of English, they still speak English with a Spanish accent, which makes sense. So I am there to make sure the students are pronouncing words correctly.

Next up: break time! everyday from 11:10-11:40 the students and teachers have a recreo. Since Spaniards don't eat lunch until at least 2, they need a small snack in between breakfast and lunch. This is the time to do that. Most students bring a small bocadillo (a simple sandwich, usually with one or two ingredients) and play soccer or chat with friends. After the recreo, I have PE with 3rd ESO D. Again, not a part of the bilingual program and are the equivalent of freshmen in high school. Usually I lead the students through stretches and give them instructions after the teacher has given me the instructions. I actually think the PE teachers have incredibly high levels of English, but again I am used for my accent.

My next two hours are devoted to my Global Classrooms classes with 3rd ESO A and B. Usually we are in the computer lab doing research on our topic (increasing the role of women government). I spend a lot of time in the computer lab with my students because I believe many of them do not have the best access to internet at home. The village where my school is located seems to be of a low socioeconomic status or a "cow town" as one of my students put it. After these classes I go home! It takes me about another hour then I am home around 3:30. Soon after arrive home I go to the gym then I have a Spanish class for 90 minutes on Mondays and Wednesdays. Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays I usually have an intercambio (language exchange) where I can practice my conversational Spanish more.

This is essentially my schedule Monday-Thursday with slight day-to-day variations. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays I also help in biology classes, which again I am heavily used for my accent. Two of the three classes have teachers with an English level that is not very high, which they admitted to me on the first day. So when I am there they try to get me to talk as much as they can. The third biology class is taught by a woman who received her masters in biology in England, so she actually has a very high level of English and most days I am not needed there. 

Usually on the weekend I spend time with other Fulbrighters, play pick-up soccer with some Spaniards, or do some life work while I cafe hop. Its really a relaxed life here in Spain. Very different lifestyle compared to college and incredibly different compared to my friends who are working 40-50 hours a week doing real human being things. 

But I am enjoying the break. I know sometimes I really miss being intellectually challenged, but I also know that I NEEDED a break from school and working all the time. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to LIVE in Madrid. Not just visit as a tourist, but to actually live here! I still can’t believe it sometimes. 

Anyways I am off to London and Paris to visit the Ayala Clan. One perk of being a Fulbrighter is the 3 week winter break (aka THE time to travel). 

Until next time, folks!

Seriously... How do teachers do it?

It’s hard. Teaching is hard. Its such a different type of hard than studying physiology or biochemistry too. I can assure you, for me, teaching is much harder. With physiology and biochemistry, you can study more, you can find new study methods, and you can ask for help. However with teaching, the information isn’t nearly as complicated, but your "success" (however you choose to define a successful teacher) is heavily dependent upon your students. You can’t force them you care like you can force yourself to study. Even if give them all the information they need, give them the most basic homework assignments, or cram their lives with lectures you can’t force them to learn or care. The most you can do is try to make it as interesting as possible. Although seemingly simple, it becomes exponentially more difficult when you consider the fact that these students learn all of their subjects in their second language. 

Since they are learning in their second language, teaching becomes even more complicated. Simply put, my students' English levels are not very high (my students are between the ages 12-15). Thus when you try to make jokes and make things interesting, they typically don't understand the jokes. This is especially true with witty and sly humor. Which, of course, is essentially all I have in my arsenal. Perfect...

So if you take the fact that the subject matter fails to interest the students and pile on the fact that they only understand 50% of what you say on a good day, what can you do? What I am left with is speaking at a glacier pace while only utilizing a basic vocabulary. Additionally, my teachers do not let me explain concepts in my own words very often. Normally I am limited to regurgitating textbook definitions. Which you can imagine is unbelievably mind numbing. 

Another interesting side note about bilingual programs in Madrid. The students are learning all of their subjects in English (i.e. Biology, chemistry, physics, P.E., history, social studies, etc.), use textbooks that lack a substantial amount of detail that is present in the Spanish textbooks. So the students in the bilingual actually learn less than their non-bilingual counterparts. This is actually a huge point of controversy and many people believe they shouldn't exist. Some who are against the program believe that if the students do not excel in their bilingual programs and do not learn English sufficiently, they will be left in a linguistic limbo where they do not gain enough knowledge of the subjects in either language. For this reason, some departments within a school and sometimes the entire school refuses to participate in the bilingual program.

In summary, I absolutely love Madrid. But I do not absolutely love teaching. I desperately miss being challenged intellectually (shout out to Raney’s biochemistry class and my senior comprehensive project) and its making me look forward to med school more and more. I have the option to stay in Madrid another year and continue being a teaching assistant, but I am not sure its worth putting off med school another year. Thankfully its not a something I need to decide immediately. In the meantime, I'll go to Retiro Park and watch a magic show. I'll never be too old to watch a magic show.

I have started school.... sort of

So I started going to my school last Tuesday. I intentionally did not say I started working, because quite frankly I have not started doing anything really. Let me clarify. The Spanish school system really embraces the "no pasa nada" lifestyle and everything is incredibly disorganized. For example, classes start September 15th, however teachers find out which classes and grades they are teaching on September 14th. Thus, they have no time to plan lessons or prepare for their classes before they actually step into the classroom. Additionally, it takes 1-2 weeks of actual school time to finalize these schedules. So during the first two weeks of school, teachers are still moving around and students do not know who their permanent teacher is until week 2 or 3 of school.

What does this mean for a teaching assistant? My schedule hasn't even been looked at yet. So when I arrive at the school, I go directly to the English department's lounge and I sit and wait. I sit and wait until someone decides that they want me to introduce myself to their class. But why would they want that if they have no clue if I will actually be their permanent teaching assistant? Simple. It buys them time to prepare their lesson plans. My "about me" presentation takes maybe 2-3 minutes, but students are capable of asking me questions for an entire hour. The questions I have been asked have a huge range. I have been asked whether or not I have a girlfriend and to give a quick synopsis of America's thoughts regarding George Bush and the War on Terror.

But after I give my little spiel, I return to the English Department and wait like the last kid picked for baseball, hoping someone will pick me to enter a classroom and interact with students.

I should say that its not all bad. The teachers are incredibly kind and really do care about their students. It's just a disorganized system.

Other than "teaching," I have been able to have fun. I usually go out with a couple Fulbrighters on the weekends and hang out with them every now and then during the week. Of course I have joined a gym and am a frequent visitor. This week I am going out to other intercambios and meeting native Spaniards, hopefully it goes well. I am starting to really settle into Madrid and I am still incredibly excited to explore the city more and more.

In fact, this weekend I am going to my first soccer game in Madrid and in a couple of weeks I will be taking a weekend trip to Barcelona.

Until next time, you stay classy blog readers.