About me (redux )
So here we are again, reading another section about me… well the first one really didn’t dive enough into my personal background and interest and how all these relate to how and why I’m here for the language assistants program.
Personal background and interest
I studied speech communication as a major in the Philippines
Some lessons I learned in university are less pragmatic in the teaching setting than what I thought they would be. I’ve learned these concepts in theory, and they are very useful but truth is, in language learning, our first languages have these rules that are very firm. When you try to learn a new language it gets difficult to have all these language rules agree with each other. There are syntax rules to learn and unlearn. The way I approach things now is to keep the nuanced aspect of bases of speech and language handy ONLY when it’s appropriate and tailor my teaching more to the fundamentals.
The ultimate lesson I’ve learned in university that I’m always grateful for is learning the value of looking at things from an anthropological point. It’s never enough to be just critical, you need to be critical AND be empathetic. The theories and data that were always there during my undergraduate years are of no use if I don’t empathize with the subjects (in this case, the students) and would be of no practical use. Put yourself in the shoes of a language learner and of a young student!!
I love food, film, travel, and art. So Spain is on top of my list of travel destinations. I spent a lot of time admiring Spanish culture. From the Adria brothers & Andoni Arduiz's cuisine, Luis Bunuel & Pedro Almodovar's films, and the overall art scene in Spain. I have adored all these from afar and now that I'm in Spain, I get to observe the Culture up close!
the Language Assitants Program
The program
the program is a great opportunity to travel to Spain. It's the main reason I came here, I thought teaching would be a task. Was I wrong!
The networks built
A thing that's not mentioned in the flyers for the LA program is how wonderful it is to build a network not just for the locals you'll meet in Spain but also the networks you build with fellow language assistants. The unique shared experiences of Language assistants naturally draw us together.
Spain's culture
The LA program is really an all-rounder view of Spain's Culture. You get to interact with Adults who know and can let you in on the traditions of Spain. The children, who will be forging what Spain's future would look like. Fellow Transient people such as tourists and fellow LAs that you get to bounce around ideas of how your world view contrasts with their world views.
Teaching
Teaching under the LA program is a blast! The collaboration with other LAs and teachers sets us Language Assistants for success.
Reflections
If you asked me five years ago if I thought of teaching as a viable career path, I would’ve said no. The LA program helped open my eyes to loving teaching. It’s not exclusively the whole big picture of
"creating good and competent people for the future of society" that I have fallen in love with. It’s also the little things. I have fallen in love with being called a profe in that cute little student voice, fallen in love with the tiny timid nudge a student gives you when s/he’s having a hard time understanding a concept so you help them and that thanks they give, and the way their eyes light up the moment you step in the room ready to get into the playing, dancing, and studying that happens in the classroom. These little things make the homesickness feel worthwhile.
It was in the midst of a pandemic that I decided to join the language assistants program. The world is a little bit confused about everything during this time, so I decided to change scenery. A scenery 11,850 km away from home.
I had no expectations coming into the program of what school and life are like in another country during the pandemic. The thing is, I wouldn’t know what is normal for Spain even now that I’ve lived here for 3 months. Things fall either in the pandemic-normal or normal-normal, which can get confusing.
I am in love with the "Spain" I experience now, but I can’t help but feel cheated when people would describe how normal-normal was.
For teaching in Pinocho, pandemic-normal is getting up in the morning on your mask draped over your mouth and nose. Classroom interaction would be limited as we should keep our distance. We couldn’t play as many interactive/ group games as we wanted to. Next is hanging out with the teachers, right now our teachers’ lounge is inaccessible for us, and we barely get to interact with other teachers that aren’t in our grades and also the other language assistants in the school.
I don’t blame anyone. These are confusing times. It’s the things in the very first paragraphs of this section that I fell in love with, the other things I criticized can be fixed (as a bonus!) when and if we ever get to become “normal”
Teaching Reflections
Know what they like, it’s easier for them to retain lessons in their mind if you relate it to something they know (or better: something they like!) in one of my classes I keep showing clips of Fortnite video game dances in costumes then I explain what the words are for the costumes to expand their vocabulary. “This one is a pumpkin, this one is a vampire, a skeleton…”
letting the kids teach you. I’ve learned that for the students to get comfortable they have to see you as human. Kids tend to see teachers as this entity that watches over them, schools sadly don’t value making mistakes. To get the kids to a comfortable position, I deliberately make mistakes in front of them. Most times it’s me messing up some Spanish translations for them, this way they can see it's okay to make mistakes and that they would be more comfortable in trying once the fear of making a mistake is gone.
Oh and one last thing, the students don't trust people who don't know about football so at least gain a little knowledge on it (if you don't already have!)