The Joys- and Hazards- of Teaching

Lice shampoo? Really?! I haven't dealt with that in 10 years!

Everything in life has its joys, its perks, its aspects that make you smile and make you feel grateful for that job, that person, that opportunity, that connection. Then there's the things that come along with it that you'd rather just leave out, if possible... but if life were that way, we'd never appreciate the sunny days! Here's a few things from this past school week that capsulate those pros and cons of my job as an assistant in a bilingual elementary school:

Joys

Lots of laughter and creativity in my daily life at school

This past month we've been doing a lot of conversation activities in preparation for the students' Cambridge English test in April. We talk about photos, discuss situations, and debate questions. One of the prompts had a picture of a girl (who was theoretically moving to a new apartment) and a set of possible housewarming gifts you could get her. The students had to discuss and choose the best gift for her.

Nico and Jose, who are always very upbeat and enthusiastic about their speaking assignments, looked at the picture of silverware and said that it would be a good gift, but it's too expensive, and "We are in crisis!". They decided the best option was to buy a set of plasticware and spray paint it silver! I was cracking up, it was the most creative answer of the afternoon :)

Bea and Marta argued about whether the best gift was a microwave or a painting. They argued- literally argued- over whether the girl (who doesn't even exist) was moving out of her parents' house or moving from a different apartment and if it was possible bring her old microwave to her new flat! It became very heated, and very intense, as they laughed and continued debating each other. It's such a Spanish thing- to raise your voice over a small issue. I've often overheard Spaniards arguing, and you'd think it was a serious argument due to the tone and noise level- but then you listen harder and realize they're discussing the best place to go for dinner!

Natalia and Inés didn't know the word for silverware, so they called them "cuberts" (silverware is cubiertos in Spanish, hahaha! I usually know why they say the strange things they say)

Sharing my culture in small ways

I got to do this a lot last year, and I've forgotten how the simple things can shock or excite the students. This week we had a lesson on the EU and currency, and I brought in leftover English pounds, Danish krones, Swedish krona, and US dollars. (Those green bills that look strange to me now!). The students got so excited about this simple gesture, and I had fun explaining who the different presidents were and why there were different pictures on the back of the quarter.

One of my tutoring students, Alba, and I were talking about food and things we liked to eat. She told me she ate cookies with butter on them, and I thought that sounded strange. I told her about how I eat a thing called peanut butter with bread and bananas, and she thought that sounded weird too. So we made a deal that I would try cookies with butter if she'd try peanut butter. We made a whole class out of it! I brought peanut butter the next class and we put peanut butter and butter on cookies, compared the tastes, and discussed it. She actually loved the peanut butter (especially when I suggest she put it on a chocolate cookie!), and the "cookie" and butter wasn't that bad (because they were actually crackers here- cookies and crackers often get translated as the same thing, as they are both called galletas in Spanish). It was a fun cultural experience, and we even had Alba's mom and dad try some peanut butter   too! I'm spreading the creamy, buttery joy of peanut butter one student at a time!

I found good peanut butter in Spain! Such a novelty! Okay, it's not American,
it's Dutch- but it's fantastic! The Dutch know what they're doing too :)
Only 2,50 euros as well! (It's ridiculously expensive in most other places, and also hard to find)

My 6th graders have a big range of English speaking skills, and some of them speak so well that I almost feel like I'm having a normal conversation with native speakers! Sasha and Maria are like that, and I always have really enjoyable conversations with them. I can often expand and let them go off topic, because they need the challenge and practice. This week we talked about cheeses (goat cheese, french cheeses, eating cheese on sliced tomatoes or with marmelade, etc!) and how technology today is changing family dynamics and interactions. Sasha always shares interesting things about her culture with me, and never ceases to impress me with her language skills and maturity. Her mother is from Ukraine and her father is from Russia, so she speaks Ukrainian, Russian, Spanish, and excellent English. She's told me about the fresh milk from her grandmother's village in Ukraine, and how she'd like to visit the Red Plaza in Moscow. ("Reddish" was her translation for the Russian adjective red, which their culture uses to describe things as beautiful, since red is a highly valued color there and has come to represent beauty!)

One of my favorite students (shh!), Pedro, caught in the act- a priceless expression! They never cease to make me smile or laugh out loud, on a daily basis!

Hazards

I usually welcome hugs, kisses, and pats on the back, but not during flu season! This year there were several viruses infecting the student and teacher population. Some days there were 5-6 students absent, and half the teachers' lounge has been coughing up a storm! Mostly that was a thing of February.

But now, it's not just a bad cold thing- it's a bugs-in-your-hair thing! When I saw lice flyers being handed out around school, a sinking feeling hit my stomach. Lice!? ugh. Soon, boys were coming back to school with new haircuts or shaved heads, and you could easily tell who had gotten lice! There were 3 boys in my class at one time. It spreads like wildfire here, as Spaniards seem to be pretty lax about it here and don't take as many precautions with it. My other American English assistants and I are appalled at how un-seriously they take it here! It is good to be relaxed about some things in life.. but not when it comes to bugs in my hair, please! We've all been paranoid and if anyone even began to itch we've been checking each others' scalps immediately. Which is how we found out I had gotten it :( That night, as I doused my hair with anti-piojo chemicals and had my roommate comb through my hair with a special fine-toothed comb, I was taken back to my own elementary school days. I barely even remember the last time I had lice! Ahh, the side effects of teaching English in Spanish elementary schools....It's definitely been a memorable experience, both good and bad, thus far!