What a week 🙏

Had an intense week here in Gandía.. The school, so immense, I went the wrong way and floors a few times. Teachers very welcoming. Students, sometimes curious and sometimes not interested at all. One thing that I found interesting and scary? 

Spanish teenagers!! They can really be loud 😂 so full of energy.. Looking forward to see how this week will go, hopefully a bit better. 

India is in Spain  🇪🇸

Sunny People, :)

Tangerine trees blossom, birds sing and the sun shines. People around me smile and try to help even if they don't understand me. These are my first impressions of Spain. I feel welcomed and cared for.
On my first day at school, the School Principal hugged and kissed me and all the children were buzzing around trying to ask my name. Now, when they see me, they say, "Hi Natasha" and it melts my heart.
Teaching my first two lessons tomorrow. :)

Flowers

What a lovely week. The first thing I fell in love with was the smell of the orange trees, everything else soon followed suit.

Still in bed.Its10.21 am.The view from my window treetops,block of flats blue blue sky.The sounds,clapping,the Spanish are never silent,the excuse on this occasion a bike road race.Men in lycra ,in my opinion not worth stirring from my duvet cocoon to view.Other sounds dear Natalia mopping the floor.Jem still in bed as well.
Effing phone doesn't stop vibrating beeping and flashing what's apps.My teacher mentors sending me timetable updates and lesson material at gone 12 on Friday night.My fellow TT,s photos of their latest yummy meal,encounters with dogs or just simply themselves looking stunningly young and beautiful ( I delete those..bastardos ).
Highlight so far kid at the front of the class conducting the rest singing 'We are the champions ' at the top of their voices.All about the kids, although, of course, I couldn't resist joining in on the sidelines! I have been asked to do a reprise for my first class tomorrow at 8 am which means a 6.00 am alarm.School an hour commute ( thanks uklc )
As I said I am still in bed galvanising myself for a 6.00 am start !

One week in Montcada

Having now lived in Montcada for almost one week, I can say with confidence that I’m going to enjoy my time spent living here with the wonderfully like-minded and talented teachers as well as the extremely welcoming, patient and genuine local inhabitants. Streets awash with oranges from trees that hang heavy in abundance; azure-clear skies help provide an environment conducive to balancing a mind - unbalanced - with the prospect of cramming in lesson plans, warmers, activities, fillers, lesson plans, CCQs, first-time introductions in broken Spanish and lesson plans – I’m not sure I’ve mentioned those already, forgive me if I have.

I taught my first solo lesson last Friday, March 22^nd, as the student's usual English teacher was absent with flu. I enjoyed every minute of the lesson and truly believe the students benefited from and enjoyed it too; however, upon reflection I can see where I’ll need to slow down, take my time and exploit various methods and techniques in the future so as to really teach the students, and not the lesson.

I’m not one for writing these types of things, I don’t ever feel that it’s a true representation of my thoughts nor do I feel it is organic and so hope whomever may read this – and my future writings - can forgive me for my brief and ineloquent prose.

BREAKING NEWS!

I'm the new football coach of Sant Jaume Apostol. I've just signed a 4-week contract 😉 and have agreed personal terms with the school.

I have an interview with the local news paper to mark this auspicious occasion. The locals are calling me a a football genius and an inspiration to Veganos everywhere. Others say I am visionary who's shaping the future and openings doors for my vegano brothers and sisters everywhere.  Who am I to disagree 😃

Who knows what the future may hold. I do know that these next 3 weeks are going to exciting.

Some comments from my first week

The school's very big, it has over a thousand students and it's very old as well. It's got a massive playground and they've actually recently lost a bit, which has been taken over for a park. The school is owned by nuns apparently. It's a large building, it's got lots of floors and stairs, students go there from primary to baccalaureate level.

The teachers have been friendly and the ones that can speak English have been trying to chat to me. My tutor took me to lunch with her on the first day, which was nice of her and it was good to meet other teachers at lunchtime. The staff room I go to is just for some secondary teachers, it was good to have the chance to mingle with other teachers at the school. The school's got a small staff dining room which serves hot food.

One surprising thing is, there are students with special needs in the normal classes but there's no teaching assistant or extra help. There's one student in one of my year 1 classes who has different work set for him to do, my tutor said he has the mental age of an 8 year old. Another student in the same class seems content playing with a scientific calculator while the others work. Will ask my tutor next week about him.

The students' level of English seems to be fairly low. My tutor asked me on the first day if I spoke Spanish. I said 'no' and she said 'well I give the instructions in Spanish!' :) This is for secondary students. They know 'hello' , and how to answer to 'how are you?' and if I ask or speak about anything else then they're a bit stumped. It could be my accent that they're just not used to. When I've been talking to them about what they're doing and correcting their writing, I get a sense at times that they might be copying from books and don't understand what they're writing. But anyhow, these are first impressions, will get to know a bit more next week.