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Published: October 21st 2009
Ok I know this is really long so if you want to skip down to the asterisks toward the bottom you will read more about my classes instead of my first weekend in Spain. I won’t be offended…go on….
I arrived in Spain on the 8th of October in Malaga after leaving from Boston. I stayed with my friend Kristina and she got me to the airport without any problem (Thank you Kristina!). When I arrived in Malaga, I had to get on a bus to get to Almeria which is a two hour bus trip without any stops (my bus had many stops so it took more than four hours). I was able to rest on the bus until I arrived in Almeria, then I walked the short distance to my hotel, with all my bags in hand, and got ready to explore the area for the night and get a bite to eat. Almeria is a very cool city by the sea, and the night life around the port, the bars, and the clubs is always very active. I had to get to bed early though because I was meeting Carmen Soria (a bilingual teacher at la Mojonera)
the next morning so she could get me caught up on what I missed during orientation. La Mojonera is a small school about eight kilometers (five miles) from Almeria in the middle of nowhere, no exaggeration. It is completely surrounded by greenhouses as far as the eye can see, and they stretch out among a labyrinth of small roads that will eventually lead you back to civilization. The locals call this “plastic town”, and that makes me laugh and think of LA. Check it out on Google Maps, all you will see are the white plastic tops of all the green houses.
So I joined Carmen at the school on Friday just to meet the other teachers there and to view some of her classes to see how things were done. All of the teachers were very excited to meet me and almost all of them want to learn English better so they can use it in their classes more often. Some teachers have studied English in Britain, Ireland, and the U.S.A. for many years and can speak well, while other teachers are still learning some of the basics but always trying to learn more. After forgetting about 25
of the 30 names that I had just heard, I got a few papers about possible apartments, my schedule, and other class information and followed Carmen to her classes. In Spain, the teachers have a large meeting room (as well as individual department spaces) to prepare their materials for each class, and then go to the classroom where they are teaching next. The kids leave the classroom between periods but have to return to that same classroom when the bell rings and wait for the next teacher to arrive. The kids are very talkative and always talking out of turn, but we still get through the lessons without too much difficulty.
After we finished with class, one of the other teachers Mari Angustias brought me to her house in Roquetas de Mar to have lunch with her family and show me the apartment that her husband owns and has rented out to other teachers in the past. Long story short, I moved in on Saturday afternoon. It is fully furnished and has everything that I’m going to need during my stay here. There is one bedroom, one bathroom, a small kitchen, a large living room, and a balcony from
which I can see the mountains and the sea. I live in Roquetas and am very close to many different teachers that give me rides to and from school each day. Another teacher, Encarni, picked me up after lunch that day and brought me back to Almeria with her younger sisters (Silvia and Vicki) to snack on some tapas and grab a drink with Carmen. Encarni and Carmen are the two primary bilingual teachers at the school and both speak very good English. After we had a few tapas, Carmen went home and Encarni, her sisters, and I took a tour of the clubs in Almeria. I headed back to the hotel that night and got my things together so I could move in my stuff on Saturday and finally shake off the jetlag.
Encarni and her sisters picked me up at the hotel on Saturday afternoon and I moved in without any trouble. Afterwards we grabbed a quick coffee at a nice place in Roquetas to relax for a bit and then they drove me back to my place and left me to unpack and settle-in. On Sunday I did some exploring around Roquetas to familiarize myself with
the location and to enjoy the beautiful Andalucía weather along the coast. That night I met up with Encarni, her sisters, and Francisco (another teacher) and we went out to Aguadulce to see what was going on and enjoy the night life there. We all went out on Sunday because Monday was a national holiday in Spain, so everyone had the day off and took advantage of Sunday night. On Monday, I met up with Encarni’s sisters and we went to the beach to catch some sun. It was a great first weekend in Spain and really prepared me for my first week of classes.
***This paragraph will explain the classes/program better***
My official position is an Auxiliare de Conversacion which roughly translates as an Auxiliary Conversational teacher. I am employed by the Junta de Andalucía which is the governing body for all public programs and works in Andalucía and elects a mix of teachers each year to work alongside of other professors to teach English. The Spanish government gives each English teacher a livable stipend and basic health insurance each month for the duration of the program. In Spain, children start learning English around age seven in
all subjects, not just an English language class. The children with whom I am working are around 13 or 14 years old and in two distinct groups separating those that speak English better than others. Each of the classes I have entered has had around 20 to 25 kids in it. My work schedule is very flexible and light, and has about 12 hours of actual classroom time and another 10 hours of preparation. The school day runs from 8:15 in the morning until 2:45 in the afternoon, but my first classes usually don’t start until 9:15 and I have (at least) two, one hour, breaks plus a half hour snack period per day. It is a very easy schedule, so I offer to help out other teachers in their classes if they want extra bilingual help because I don’t like to just sit around. Did I mention I don’t have class on Friday? I think I’m going to cry when this job is over in June. I teach a History, Mathematics, Natural Science, Physical Science, and Art classe each to two different bilingual groups every week (ten classes in all). And I have to prepare with each of those
teachers each week so we can get activities ready and lesson plans set. The teachers do the majority of the planning and I work on the English translation, punctuation, and pronunciation. When we are in class, I am there primarily to read English text and to work with the students on their pronunciation of the words. My rule for the class is that they try to ask me a question first in English, and then if they still don’t understand, they can ask me in Spanish. However, I always respond in English first and then in Spanish so that they can hear the translation. The majority of the students can speak English but choose not too because they can ask questions easier in Spanish (now I know what it felt like all those years in high school and college), but they are trying and so are the professors.
I know this first entry was a long one, but there are a lot of things about this program that many people don’t understand and need to be made clear. There have been many more things that have happened since my first day of class too, but those things are not
as important. The main points for this entry are that I arrived here with all my bags, have met some incredible people that I speak to on a regular basis, I love my job, and I am having amazing time enjoying the scenery and Spanish lifestyle. Even with all of this great stuff, I miss my family and friends more than I have on any previous trip. I think about everything you guys are doing, but I know I will see you eventually so I will wait patiently for that time to come. Until then, keep your eyes peeled for my emails and pictures about my life over here, and (if you are feeling like you need to get away) get your passports in order and I’ll be ready for you!
Un beso,
Jimmy
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Nancy
non-member comment
Hi Jimmy
This sounds like a great job, and it is wonderful to hear from you from far away Spain. Wish I could join you! I am working part time this fall . . . and am very busy with work at St. Camillus, too. Had a wonderful spiritual experience this summer at a camp for teen moms and their babies. I went as a baby sitter, care-giver (paid to go, of course) but what a marvelous experience . . . in every way. Mike is going back to Guatemala in Feb. I think I will pass, but I have been doing the local Habitat builds all summer. They are one day events, but very cool! I am becoming a good builder. Vicki and Jim are now both on the Parish Council at St. Camillus, so I see them regularly. Both are fine. Older, tall Jim is singing in the 9:00 choir with Jean; but we usually go to 10:30 Mass because Alcine sings in that choir. We had a shower not long ago for Megan and Todd who getting married this week end. Malinda is pregnant and expecting in November, I think. Soon! That's all the news from Maryland. But thanks for keeping me on your email list. You will be in my prayers. Come see us! You are always welcome here. Nancy