Sooo...quite a bit has happened since I last wrote in the blog, so I think this will be a long post. I'm now finally getting settled in at school and have a set schedule- which makes life much easier. I really enjoy school so far- all the teachers are really great; they all work really hard and are happy to have me there to help. They are friendly and helpful and generally quite welcoming. Most of the kids are great too; they are eager to learn and excited to have me there and help them with their lessons (and especially their English). As is true with any group of tweens/ teenagers, there are a few that are a bit roudy, but overall, they are quite good.
I am teaching/ helping to teach English and Social Science classes for kids who are between 12-16 years old (so the equivalent of 7th-10th grade in the US). I can definitely see a BIG difference between the youngest and the oldest kids- the classes with the first years are completely different than those with the 4th years, but I think they will both have their unique advantages. In social sciences, I have already started to plan/teach my own activities/ lessons on the material, in addition to helping the teachers with language issues and English vocab and grammar. I did a jeopardy activity today with the first year kids, as a way to review the material they had learned in the previous lessons, and it went over really well. The kids had a lot of fun and definitely learned a lot. The teacher also seemed really happy with the idea and how the activity went, so it was my first really rewarding moment as a teacher :)
In the majority of English classes, I'm doing one of two things- conversation lessons or reading lessons. In the conversation classes, I just pick a topic (or use a topic that relates to the teachers lesson), and lead some sort of conversation activity, just to get the kids practicing their conversational English. In the reading sessions (for the younger kids), we read a book out-loud together and discuss vocab that they don't understand. I also ask them comprehension questions to make sure they understand what they are reading. Also, with the third year students, Noel (my colleague) and I are in charge of running the Global Classrooms Program in the English classes (like Model UN). So, we will be doing one GC lessson with the third years each week as well. Eventually, once we get further into the year, we will be pretty busy with the GC, as the kids prepare for the competition.
My schedule is also really nice; while I have to wake up quite early to get to school (school starts at 8:30 and i have a little over a half hour commute), I am done for the day by either 2:15 or 1:25, depending on the day. So, this means that I'm back at my house around 2 or 3 and have time to have lunch, go to the gym, see friends, relax, talk to people back home, plan my lessons, or do whatever else I want to do. Also, I'm only working mon-thurs--so hooray for three day weekends! My schedule will really be great for exploring Madrid and for planning trips. I am only now available to start planning trips--i'm hoping I can get something planned for the weekend after next, because there is a holiday- so I have a long weekend...but it turns out that flights are quite expensive, since i didnt plan too far in advance. Hopefully, I'll at least be able to book something tonight or tomorrow and then in the future, i'll hopefully be able to plan further in advance (now that my friends and I all know our schedules).
I did take a day trip with another Fulbright friend, on Saturday, to Segovia. It was a really great day- we took an AVE (high velocity) train and it only took 30 mins to get there- so it was super easy! Segovia is a beautiful, small city- it has lots of historical, beautiful buildings and its just a great city to walk around in for a day. Saturday was my first day outside of the city since I got here, and while I love Madrid, it was nice to have a break from the hustle and bustle and be in a more tranquil environment. It was also fun to spend the day with my friend Kara and get to know each other better :)
I have also made some new friends in Madrid in the past few days. It turns out that there is a girl from Duke (Katie), who is a year older than me and who is also an auxiliar in the Madrid school system (although not as a fulbright). We didnt' really know each other well before...but we met up and we have a lot in common- so she'll be another great person to know! I also met Sara, a Spanish woman about 10 years older than me who lived with a family friend of mine in the US when she was in high school. She's still very close with my family friend...so she put us in touch- and Sara was really great! We had a lot of fun (had dinner w/ her and a friend) and they were both soo sweet- telling me to ask them if I needed everything. Sara also introduced me to her younger brother- and I met some of his friends as well...so just another way to expand my group here. At the same time, I'm still spending time with Ruth and her group of friends, and seeing other Fulbrighters every so often. So, all in all, I've met a lot of great people here!
Tomorrow, I'm actually going to my first private tutoring lesson; so, we'll see how that goes. The head teacher at my school gave me the name of a young student who wanted private English lessons, so I'm hoping this will be a weekly commitment (and that I will end up doing a few others too). Anyway, I think thats all my updates for now...more to come :)
Monday, September 27, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
"First Week of Work"
So, I know everyone is expecting to hear about my busy first week at work, but it turns out, this was only my "first week" (entre comillas, as they say in Spanish). Noel (the other Fulbrighter at my school) and I did go to the school for the first time on Monday. We met with our coordinator, Carmen, and learned a little more about the school and the bilingual program. We also met several of the English teachers. On Wednesday, we went back, but found out that there really wasn't much for us to do. We looked over some of the materials for the Global Classrooms Program (a Model UN Program that we are in charge of) and realized that we have a lot to learn in that arena. I think it will be a very rewarding, but challenging experience.
On Thursday, we went back to school, and found out that our schedules were still not finalized, so we're still not exactly sure what we are doing and when. I do know that I will be helping out in both English and Social Sciences classes (and possibly a music class, which would be great for me!) I met the English and Social Sciences teachers, which was certianly helpful, but I still dont REALLY know where I have to be and when for the next week. So, hopefully after this coming week I"ll actually get a fixed schedule, and things will be a little easier to figure out. Also, my first project for school was to create a presentation about myself to give to the kids, as a way of introducing myself, and getting them to listen and speak in English (hopefully about topics that are interesting to them). I'm planning to talk a little about my hometown, Duke, and especially, Duke Bball (i figured, of all the things i'm interested in, college sports would be the most interesting topic for a group of teenagers!). So, I'm pretty excited for my first REAL week of work; I hope it goes well.
Since I didn't actually have to work that much this week, I've had a lot of time to hang out with some of the other Fulbrighters and explore the city some more. It's been nice to get to know some of them better and I even have one friend who is now living right around the corner from me, which is really convenient! I went to her house for lunch yesterday, which was a lot of fun.
I think it will be nice to have a regular schedule soon and hopefully, I will be able to start planning some trips (I'm hoping to have Friday off, but I still don't know whether that will happen or not). Fingers crossed...anyway, that's it for now....
On Thursday, we went back to school, and found out that our schedules were still not finalized, so we're still not exactly sure what we are doing and when. I do know that I will be helping out in both English and Social Sciences classes (and possibly a music class, which would be great for me!) I met the English and Social Sciences teachers, which was certianly helpful, but I still dont REALLY know where I have to be and when for the next week. So, hopefully after this coming week I"ll actually get a fixed schedule, and things will be a little easier to figure out. Also, my first project for school was to create a presentation about myself to give to the kids, as a way of introducing myself, and getting them to listen and speak in English (hopefully about topics that are interesting to them). I'm planning to talk a little about my hometown, Duke, and especially, Duke Bball (i figured, of all the things i'm interested in, college sports would be the most interesting topic for a group of teenagers!). So, I'm pretty excited for my first REAL week of work; I hope it goes well.
Since I didn't actually have to work that much this week, I've had a lot of time to hang out with some of the other Fulbrighters and explore the city some more. It's been nice to get to know some of them better and I even have one friend who is now living right around the corner from me, which is really convenient! I went to her house for lunch yesterday, which was a lot of fun.
I think it will be nice to have a regular schedule soon and hopefully, I will be able to start planning some trips (I'm hoping to have Friday off, but I still don't know whether that will happen or not). Fingers crossed...anyway, that's it for now....
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Exploring Madrid and settling in
The past few days I have had a lot of time to explore the city and do my own thing, as orientation ended on Weds, and school doesn't start until next week. I've been settling in to my apartment life- getting used to the neighborhood, going grocery shopping and cooking, doing laundry, cleaning...all the normal stuff you do when you live in an apartment.
For Rosh Hashanah, I went to services at a local synagogue here in Madrid, which was a nice experience. The people were really welcoming and the services were actually quite familiar. I even got invited to dinner at one of the members' houses next week!
I've also been getting familiar with my neighborhood- I now know where all the different grocery stores, markets, and banks are, and I've been getting used to the class schedule at my gym. Yesterday, I walked towards Plaza de Espana (about 15 mins from where I am) and explored that area of the city a bit. It's nice to realize that I'm actually quite close (within walking distance) of the center of the city.
Last night, I went to a friend's house and then to a discoteca to celebrate his birthday, with all of Ruth's friends from her masters program. It was another typically late night...didn't go to sleep until 7 am!! (I guess that's why the Spaniards created the siesta haha). It was a lot of fun- I'm still amazed by how many people are out at all hours of the night here! Also, last night was La Noche en Blanco, which is a night in Madrid when the major streets are shut off to cars and everyone is just out on the streets...there is music, the museums are open all night etc. We didn't actually partake in those activities that much just because it was so hard to move around; there were so many people. Nonetheless, it was interesting to see all of the commotion.
Today, I met up with one of the other Fulbrighters, Christina, and we took a nice long stroll around the Cautro Caminos area of the city. We walked quite a ways, all the way up to Plaza de Castilla, which is a very modern, cosmopolitan part of the city. On our way back home, we had our first metro mishap here in Madrid. Apparently, on the line that we were on, you need to get off the train at a certain stop and switch trains, or else the train will start going in the opposite direction. Initially, we hadn't seen a sign telling us that, so we were extremely confused when we realized we were going in the wrong direction and that the train on the other side seemed to be going in the same direction. Anyway, eventually, we figured it out, and now we are confident we won't have any more problems!
Tomorrow, Noel (my co-worker at my school) and I are going to our school to get a tour and dicuss our schedule with our coordinator Carmen, who we met during orientation. I'm excited to see the school and start work...I have a good feeling about it! Anyway, more on that soon :)
For Rosh Hashanah, I went to services at a local synagogue here in Madrid, which was a nice experience. The people were really welcoming and the services were actually quite familiar. I even got invited to dinner at one of the members' houses next week!
I've also been getting familiar with my neighborhood- I now know where all the different grocery stores, markets, and banks are, and I've been getting used to the class schedule at my gym. Yesterday, I walked towards Plaza de Espana (about 15 mins from where I am) and explored that area of the city a bit. It's nice to realize that I'm actually quite close (within walking distance) of the center of the city.
Last night, I went to a friend's house and then to a discoteca to celebrate his birthday, with all of Ruth's friends from her masters program. It was another typically late night...didn't go to sleep until 7 am!! (I guess that's why the Spaniards created the siesta haha). It was a lot of fun- I'm still amazed by how many people are out at all hours of the night here! Also, last night was La Noche en Blanco, which is a night in Madrid when the major streets are shut off to cars and everyone is just out on the streets...there is music, the museums are open all night etc. We didn't actually partake in those activities that much just because it was so hard to move around; there were so many people. Nonetheless, it was interesting to see all of the commotion.
Today, I met up with one of the other Fulbrighters, Christina, and we took a nice long stroll around the Cautro Caminos area of the city. We walked quite a ways, all the way up to Plaza de Castilla, which is a very modern, cosmopolitan part of the city. On our way back home, we had our first metro mishap here in Madrid. Apparently, on the line that we were on, you need to get off the train at a certain stop and switch trains, or else the train will start going in the opposite direction. Initially, we hadn't seen a sign telling us that, so we were extremely confused when we realized we were going in the wrong direction and that the train on the other side seemed to be going in the same direction. Anyway, eventually, we figured it out, and now we are confident we won't have any more problems!
Tomorrow, Noel (my co-worker at my school) and I are going to our school to get a tour and dicuss our schedule with our coordinator Carmen, who we met during orientation. I'm excited to see the school and start work...I have a good feeling about it! Anyway, more on that soon :)
Monday, September 6, 2010
Paella, Tapas, y amigos nuevos :)
The last few days have been quite eventful! I have settled into my apartment and got to know my neighborhood quite well. My roommate and I have also bonded quite a bit over the past few days. On both Friday and Saturday night, we went out with several of her friends which was really fun, as I already feel like I have a group of Spanish friends to hang out with. On Saturday, we were out until 6 in the morning! (which is very typical here....)
Also, on Saturday afternoon, Ruth made paella for us for lunch, which was absolutely delecious. She said that next time I have to cook something "American" for us...so I´ll have to think about what to choose. I also joined a gym which is right around the corner from my house and I´ve already gone twice since I joined. It´s pretty nice and it has lots of classes (spinning, pilates, step etc), so I´m very happy about that. Also, on friday night I met up with my Spanish professor from Duke who lives in Madrid for a few months out of the year. I met her husband and the three of us went to a tapas bar near where she lives (Goya). It was really fun to see them!
Yesterday, I arrived at the location of our Fulbright orientation and started meeting all the other students. Everyone seems really friendly so far. Last night, a bunch of us went out and met up with some Spaniards (one of the girls had a Spanish friend who had taught at her university, so he brought some of his friends along to meet up with us). We went out to a bar and to get tapas in a neighborhood called La Latina, which is a really fun place to go out. I feel like i have already met so many great people in the past few days alone, so its really exciting! Today and tomorrow I´m staying at a college dorm where we have all of our orientation meetings. So, hopefully I´ll be learning all about my program and all the bureacratic stuff that I need to learn about (opening a bank account, getting my residency card etc etc). I also just got my first check, so i´m pretty excited about that!!!
Anyway, I have to go to my first orientation event now...so more details to come later.
:)
Thursday, September 2, 2010
A busy, but productive first few days
Well, it's now my fourth full day in Madrid, and I'm already moved into a new apartment; so I think that's pretty good! It was hectic the first few days, but all in all, it went about as well as I could have hoped. When I first arrived, I was exhausted (hadn't slept for a day and a half) and I didn't have a working phone...so it was a little hard to maneuver. However, I found my way to the place where I was staying and eventually was able to rest up a bit and buy a phone, which certainly made life much easier.
Monday-Weds I stayed with another American girl who is living in Madrid. She was actually in the same Fulbright program last year that I'm in this year, and she's staying for another year to do a Masters program. I actually didn't know her before Monday, but a professor of mine put me in touch with her, because they had met while they were both in Madrid (my Spanish professor lives and researches in Madrid for part of the year, and Mary Kate, the girl I stayed with, was interested in her research). Anyway, Mary Kate was very welcoming and friendly; it was nice to make a new friend right when I got here and have someone who could give me advice on life in Madrid, since I didn't really know anyone else here when arriving.
Starting my first day, I had appointments to visit apartments. I visited one neighborhood that I didn't like, so I decided not to consider that apartment. My next appointment fell through, so I wasn't feeling all that hopeful. However, luckily, the next day I visited two apartments, both of which were pretty good. I decided I liked the second one a lot more, and although it was a little more expensive, I felt that it was worth the extra money. The apartment itself is pretty nice for what I'm paying; the room isn't too small, there is a good amount of closet space, there is wireless internet included, the kitchen is equipped with everything I would need, there is a nice living room and balcony, the bathroom is fine...basically everything I really need. And, its in a really nice neighborhood (called Arguelles). There are lots of supermarkets, bars, restaurants, everything you could want basically, right nearby. It's very close to the center of the city and is on the same metro line as my school, so the commute shouldn't be too bad. Also, while there is a lot going on, its not the absolute center of the city, so its not quite as hectic, loud, or crowded as the very center of the city (Sol/ Plaza de Espana/ Callao area...for those of you who know Madrid).
Also, I really like my roommate, Ruth, and although I've only known her for 2 days so far, I feel like we will live together really well, which is obviously really important. She is originally from Bilbao but has lived in Madrid for a year or so now. She is 24 and recently graduated from college and is working as a headhunter in Madrid. She's really sweet, and she's already introduced me to a few of her friends who live down the street. So, I think it will work out really well and I'm relieved to have settled a bit. There are still some logistics I need to figure out- like how to open a bank account here, how to get my money to the woman who owns the apartment, etc, but hopefully, I'll figure all that out poco a poco (little by little), as you say in Spanish. My next task is to try to find a gym nearby to join...I've heard there are several so hopefully I can find one that I like and is somewhat affordable.
I've also heard from a few of the other Fulbrights who recently arrived in Madrid, so maybe I'll meet up with them at some point soon. Anyway, I think that's all to report for now.
Hasta luego :)
Monday-Weds I stayed with another American girl who is living in Madrid. She was actually in the same Fulbright program last year that I'm in this year, and she's staying for another year to do a Masters program. I actually didn't know her before Monday, but a professor of mine put me in touch with her, because they had met while they were both in Madrid (my Spanish professor lives and researches in Madrid for part of the year, and Mary Kate, the girl I stayed with, was interested in her research). Anyway, Mary Kate was very welcoming and friendly; it was nice to make a new friend right when I got here and have someone who could give me advice on life in Madrid, since I didn't really know anyone else here when arriving.
Starting my first day, I had appointments to visit apartments. I visited one neighborhood that I didn't like, so I decided not to consider that apartment. My next appointment fell through, so I wasn't feeling all that hopeful. However, luckily, the next day I visited two apartments, both of which were pretty good. I decided I liked the second one a lot more, and although it was a little more expensive, I felt that it was worth the extra money. The apartment itself is pretty nice for what I'm paying; the room isn't too small, there is a good amount of closet space, there is wireless internet included, the kitchen is equipped with everything I would need, there is a nice living room and balcony, the bathroom is fine...basically everything I really need. And, its in a really nice neighborhood (called Arguelles). There are lots of supermarkets, bars, restaurants, everything you could want basically, right nearby. It's very close to the center of the city and is on the same metro line as my school, so the commute shouldn't be too bad. Also, while there is a lot going on, its not the absolute center of the city, so its not quite as hectic, loud, or crowded as the very center of the city (Sol/ Plaza de Espana/ Callao area...for those of you who know Madrid).
Also, I really like my roommate, Ruth, and although I've only known her for 2 days so far, I feel like we will live together really well, which is obviously really important. She is originally from Bilbao but has lived in Madrid for a year or so now. She is 24 and recently graduated from college and is working as a headhunter in Madrid. She's really sweet, and she's already introduced me to a few of her friends who live down the street. So, I think it will work out really well and I'm relieved to have settled a bit. There are still some logistics I need to figure out- like how to open a bank account here, how to get my money to the woman who owns the apartment, etc, but hopefully, I'll figure all that out poco a poco (little by little), as you say in Spanish. My next task is to try to find a gym nearby to join...I've heard there are several so hopefully I can find one that I like and is somewhat affordable.
I've also heard from a few of the other Fulbrights who recently arrived in Madrid, so maybe I'll meet up with them at some point soon. Anyway, I think that's all to report for now.
Hasta luego :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)