El primer día en Tomares

Without any instructions whatsoever, I arrived at school last Monday, excited to begin my year as an Auxiliar de Conversación, however my first week was definitely not what I had expected.

Maximum security doors

At first glance, the prison like gates in front of the school really threw me off. It took me well over 15 minutes to figure out how to get inside. I frantically buzzed the main office over and over again through the intercom without any answer. After realizing I had the schools phone number, I gave that a try. Again no answer, so I left a very brief message on the answering machine, “Me llamo Raquel, estoy a la puerta ahora” (My name is Rachel, I am at the door now.) After a few minutes of awkwardly pacing back and forth pondering my next move, a woman appeared and I sketchily followed her inside. 

View of my school from across the street

Lovely park I walk through every morning just outside school

I met my bilingual coordinator Carolina, and she sent me off to the auditorium. Carolina gave me a laptop to present the PowerPoint I had prepared about myself, but she failed to mention the password to unlock the computer, or how to connect the laptop to the projector. It took a lot of trial and error, but I eventually got it up and running! I guess I have to take this moment to reluctantly thank my brother Josh for forcing me to fix my technological problems on my own even when he knew how to solve them.

Unfortunately the teachers didn’t understand that they had to bring their kids to the auditorium to meet me. Apparently checking your e-mail over the weekend is a crazy notion and unheard of, so they never saw the instructions. For three days I sat in the auditorium for about four hours, and every hour or so a class would appear. While they didn’t understand much of what I was saying, I received cheers for showing them a picture of my favorite book Harry Potter, and all the pictures that I brought from home.

Fooling around taking pictures while I sat and waited

Auditorium eventually filled with students

This week is running much more smoothly. I am finally out of the auditorium and in the classroom. I teach science history, and PE in various classes from 1^st-6^th grade. 

Right before the mayhem at recess

I come into class and without any preparation I am told what I am supposed to lecture on. So far my topics have been teaching the names and the functions of bones and the history of the reign of the Visigoths in Toledo (I’m still not really sure what I told them on that one, since I’m not familiar with the history of the Middle Ages in Spain.)

The majority of my students talk over me and would rather play with their pencil cases than listen. They keep addressing me in Spanish and I am not allowed to respond to them in anything but English, which is adding to my frustration.

Starting to feel the love

I am not worried, as my roommates who are also teaching in Spain have reassured me that they are having the exact same experience.

As usual I am finding humor is every experience that I have and overall I am enjoying myself. Tomorrow I get to teach PE and nutrition, my two favorite subjects!