Spain

Right after Fulbright orientation ended, I began my job as a teaching assistant in Boadilla del Monte. My official title is auxiliar de conversacion, but it's very versatile. It's a lot easier just to say that I teach English instead of going into the specifics of my exact role.

Boadilla del Monte is a separate pueblo west of Madrid of around 50,000+ people, located in the Community of Madrid but outside of Madrid the city. The village has old roots with an old palace alongside a small stream. However, Boadilla del Monte is a growing community, akin to what many Americans would call a suburb. The older section of Boadilla boasts the town hall, tiny shops located on the bottom floor of 3-4 story high residential buildings, and a walking street with little cafes. The newer sectons of Boadilla are primarily residentail and consist of chalets - rowhouses, duplexes, or detached homes. In general, Boadilla del Monte appears to me to be quite a luxurious place to live: lots of social services, low crime, near to a big city but also far enough away to avoid urban issues such as pollution, noice, poverty, and immigration.

When I began working, I was commuting from one side of the city to the other and beyond! In order to arrive at school at 8:30am, I had to leave Kerbin and Yeison's house on the eastern edge of Madrid at 7:00am in order to arrive on time. For a couple weeks, the metro was also under repair so I took a bus, then two metros, and then another bus. Now that I've moved to the southwest center of Madrid, I can arrive in less time, although it still takes me quite a while (a little over an hour). I figure though, that for one year it's worth it to live in Madrid the city and commute, especially since I'm only working four days a week for a total of 16 hours!

At school in Boadila del Monte I work with Primero, Segundo, and Tercero de la Eso, which roughly translates in 7th, 8th, and 9th graders. The bilingual program is only in its third year which explains why older students are not involved since the school adds one level each year as the students progress. I have a fixed schedule in which I either attend classes with various teachers (Marcela, Gonzalo, Carmen, and Maria), or have hours in which I help them with preparation. In my free time I often find myself wandering down to the cafeteria where Pascuala serves up delicious cafe con leche or a bocadillo de tortilla - a sandwich made with fresh bread and Spanish tortilla, similar to an omelette with potatoes...

But back to work! In prep time I plan activities jointly with the teachers (such as a question and answer round robin on the universe for a science class), answering English language questions (such as the English pronunciation of the Euphrates River), or do tasks like make photocopies or correct assignments. When I'm in class sometimes I describe parts of the lesson to the students (such as physical relief terms for a geography class), listen to students do presentations and correct their English, or sometimes even substitute! (Of course, these occassions have improved my classroom management skills vastly!)

While I'm not sure that I want to be a classroom teacher in the future, I am enjoying this opportunity to work in an academic setting and see a little more of what it's like to be in front of the blackboard instead of behind a desk.