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| New friends made at Area Central Mall in Santiago de Compostela |
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Photo of the Week
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Classes in Spain!
**This post is dedicated to all my friends who are teachers! It is harder than I thought to be confident with twenty people staring at you like they do not understand... Morgan, Chelsea, Kristyn, Hanna, Josh, Alexa, Katie, you know what I am saying!
So..the real reason I got the opportunity to live in Spain for 8 months was because I was accepted to be a teaching assistant in a public school here in Spain. I am working at a high school in the town of Brión, which is a 15 minute bus ride from the city of Santiago. My official position is an Auxiliar de Conversación. I've figured out my job is to basically get the students to talk with me in English. The professors want the students to speak freely to practice the language, and my responsibility is to come up with ways to get them to talk. Conversation is an important part of learning a language, so I like to think I have a pretty important job! I work with 3 different English professors and in the bilingual P.E. classes.
So far, I mostly talk about something in my life or life in the United States, and then have the students tell me about that aspect in their lives. This week the second level students have been learning about professions. I brought in some pictures of products that P&G makes, and then explained to them what my Dad does at his job. I taught them how to ask someone what they do for a living, and to respond when someone asks them. Then we went around and asked each student what their father or mother did for a living. Then I had them ask me what my other family members did at their jobs. In short, some kids in Spain now know what a product developer, a financial adviser, a restaurant manager, a package designer, and child care worker are thanks to my family. In the third level classes the students are learning about food. We have talked about the differences of American and Spanish food, and this week I brought in a LaRosa's menu and had them act as as waiter and customers and order some pizza. It was a very fun class, especially when they found out they got to decide whether to tip the waiter or not.
The older classes mostly just ask me questions, which I don't mind because they are speaking. I have gotten everything from how do I feel about weapon control, to do Americans really have bacon, eggs, and pancakes every morning.
In the P.E. classes I do the warm-ups and teach the name of the joints and muscles. I also get to administer and explain the fitness tests. I am just glad I never have to do the sit-and-reach test again!
I work 12 hours a week, which is a pretty good deal when I am mostly talking about myself and my country.
The kids are warming up to me, and I think they like the break from learning grammar each week. It good to have a routine here, and someplace to go every morning. The other professors at the school are very welcoming to me also, including me in coffee breaks and giving me rides home after school. It is a great job and good to get me out of my comfort zone. Getting paid each month to live in Spain doesn't hurt either!
So..the real reason I got the opportunity to live in Spain for 8 months was because I was accepted to be a teaching assistant in a public school here in Spain. I am working at a high school in the town of Brión, which is a 15 minute bus ride from the city of Santiago. My official position is an Auxiliar de Conversación. I've figured out my job is to basically get the students to talk with me in English. The professors want the students to speak freely to practice the language, and my responsibility is to come up with ways to get them to talk. Conversation is an important part of learning a language, so I like to think I have a pretty important job! I work with 3 different English professors and in the bilingual P.E. classes.
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| IES de Brión, the school that I teach in |
So far, I mostly talk about something in my life or life in the United States, and then have the students tell me about that aspect in their lives. This week the second level students have been learning about professions. I brought in some pictures of products that P&G makes, and then explained to them what my Dad does at his job. I taught them how to ask someone what they do for a living, and to respond when someone asks them. Then we went around and asked each student what their father or mother did for a living. Then I had them ask me what my other family members did at their jobs. In short, some kids in Spain now know what a product developer, a financial adviser, a restaurant manager, a package designer, and child care worker are thanks to my family. In the third level classes the students are learning about food. We have talked about the differences of American and Spanish food, and this week I brought in a LaRosa's menu and had them act as as waiter and customers and order some pizza. It was a very fun class, especially when they found out they got to decide whether to tip the waiter or not.
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| walkway in Brión on my path to school |
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| View from my school |
I work 12 hours a week, which is a pretty good deal when I am mostly talking about myself and my country.
The kids are warming up to me, and I think they like the break from learning grammar each week. It good to have a routine here, and someplace to go every morning. The other professors at the school are very welcoming to me also, including me in coffee breaks and giving me rides home after school. It is a great job and good to get me out of my comfort zone. Getting paid each month to live in Spain doesn't hurt either!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Photo of the Week
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| Just some legs in the trash, no big deal |
p.s. Special shoutout and congratulations to my cousins Caleb and Dawn and new baby Finn! Can't wait to meet the newest addition to our family. Keep the pictures coming!
Monday, October 3, 2011
My New Flat!
I finally found a place to live! One of the professors who I will be teaching with, Carmen, carted me around the entire city looking at flats, or pisos. She set up visits and appointments for me, and went with me to each one. She is such a great lady. Although we looked at all different types of pisos; the old part of the city, the modern part of the city, all girls, all boys, boys and girls, Germans, Spaniards, Italians; I decided to live in a small but very cute flat with another girl in my program. At first I was determined to live with Spaniards, to force myself to talk the language and meet some Spanish friends, but there were some conditions I could not get around.
1. Most young people here are students of the University of Santiago and many are serious students. One girl even said guests were welcome but only the roommates sleep or cook in the flat. What about all the people I had fervently harassed to come visit me? What if I wanted to have friends over to make dinner?
2. Most students had a contract to live in the piso until July, and they wanted to find someone with the same schedule. I did not want to spend an extra two months rent when that money could go to traveling somewhere! Or my plane ticket home....
Anyway, I had to make a decision because I could tell Carmen was getting a little frustrated with me (most of you know I have the biggest problem making decisions...now so does Carmen) I decided to live with Melissa and know it was a great decision! She is such a nice, easy going person and we are getting along great.
Here are some pictures of our new pad:
My official address is:
Rebecca Vetter
c/ Romero Donallo, n-7, 5ºB
15706- Santiago de Compostela
A Coruña
(Galicia-Spain)
1. Most young people here are students of the University of Santiago and many are serious students. One girl even said guests were welcome but only the roommates sleep or cook in the flat. What about all the people I had fervently harassed to come visit me? What if I wanted to have friends over to make dinner?
2. Most students had a contract to live in the piso until July, and they wanted to find someone with the same schedule. I did not want to spend an extra two months rent when that money could go to traveling somewhere! Or my plane ticket home....
Anyway, I had to make a decision because I could tell Carmen was getting a little frustrated with me (most of you know I have the biggest problem making decisions...now so does Carmen) I decided to live with Melissa and know it was a great decision! She is such a nice, easy going person and we are getting along great.
Here are some pictures of our new pad:
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| View out our kitchen window |
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| Our dining/living room |
Rebecca Vetter
c/ Romero Donallo, n-7, 5ºB
15706- Santiago de Compostela
A Coruña
(Galicia-Spain)
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| Our little kitchen and washing machine |
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| My little room! Decorations to come |
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