The fickle weather has finally decided to permanently welcome spring, although the Spaniards are still having a hard time letting go of their coats, scarves, and boots. I am not sure what kind of delusional world they live in, but personally when it’s in the 80s (Fahrenheit) you aren’t gong to catch me wearing sweaters, pants and wool scarves. I’ve been coming to school in shorts for the past couple of weeks or so (not very short shorts of course) and at first, when it was still in the 70s, I always got the same reaction from the older teachers: “Ay chica no haces fríoooo??? Que fríoooo!!!” Rough translation: “Holy crap aren’t you cold??? It’s so cold!!!” At first I just chuckled and ignored it. Now my reaction is this, “NO I’m NOT cold because it’s 80 degrees outside!!!” How am I the crazy one in this situation?!
Thanks to the sunshine, a couple of friends and I were able to enjoy a really fun weekend in País Vasco (in the north of Spain) in the coastal town of San Sebastián. It is a new favourite town of mine that I highly recommend anyone see if they are in Spain. But since I don’t have pictures uploaded from that trip just yet, I will talk about it in another post.
Lately I’ve been splitting my focus on school and soaking up Madrid. In the school department, everyone has been very busy gearing up for the big Trinity exam which is happening today. I have been training my second graders (who I’m with the most) for this stupid test for what feels like ages and I am SOOO ready for it to be over.
The test is given by the Trinity College of London and it’s more or less a way to assess the English level of ESL students. I don’t like the exam at all. I understand it’s important to get an idea of where the kids are at. But I can tell you that just based on class time. The test consists of a British examiner coming to school and having a four minute “conversation” with each student. The problem is that it isn’t so much a conversation as it is a series of questions which the children have been asked ten thousand times (by me) and have memorized simple answers to. For a couple of months now, each class I have been taking the children in a small room in groups of three to practice all the questions. For example:
Me: Isabel, have you got any brothers or sisters?
Isabel: Yes, I have one sister.
Me: What’s her name?
Isabel: Her name is Lidia.
Me: How old is she?
Isabel: She has four years old.
Me: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This has to be the most common mistake of little Spanish kids learning English. In Spanish you use the verb “to have” (tener) to say how old you are. So I would say, “Tengo 21 años.” (I have 21 years). Obviously that’s not how we do things in English. But something that fundamental is hard to change in the mind of a seven year old who has said their age in Spanish 500 times in their life. Sigh.
I can sense the nervousness among the kids and their awareness that this thing is a pretty big deal. I try to keep it light and make sure they know it’s just like any other conversation. The other day I was talking to a couple of them about what the day would be like and one of the girls in the class raised her hand and interrupted, ¨”Profe, estamos perdiendo el tiempo!” (Teacher, we’re wasting time!). Yeah, they’re affected.
You can imagine how bored I am of this constant line of questioning. But the one question I NEVER tire of asking is this one: Who’s your best friend?
The boys give it to me straight up. They don’t care who else is in the room or what they have to say about it. And their answer never changes. I can ask Jose Luis 100 times who his best friend is, and EVERY time the answer will be Rubén. Víctor will always pick Juan. Adrián will always pick Alejandro.
The girls are another story. First after asking who their best friend is, they look at the one or two other girls who are sitting with them anxiously, take a deep breathe, and respond, “My best friend is.... Salma, Laura, Adriana, Beatriz Diez, Beatriz Fiestas, and Isabel.” Wow. Way to cover all your bases there. But then I inform them that for the purpose of the question, they have to pick one. OH NO. What’s a seven year old girl to do? Well, if there is one other girl in the room with them, they will without a doubt say their best friend is that girl. And then the other girl will grin and whisper a little thank you. If there are two girls, things get tough. It’s decision time, baby. And someone ends up a little peeved. But of course, when you’re seven you let things go pretty quickly.
Then they have to describe their best friend, which is actually a bit of a challenge since pretty much everyone has the same features (brown eyes and brown hair). “Rubén has brown eyes, brown hair, and......” then I usually instruct them to say something different like “he’s funny” or “he likes basketball” or “he’s smart”. I think three adjectives is plenty for second grade.
I love my students. When everything else is weird or not going how I want, little kids help make the world make sense. They are so sweet, so fun, so honest, and have such big personalities. They never fail to say something everyday that makes me happier.
The other day in Trinity questioning, Celia interrupted me mid question to say (in Spanish), “Audrey! I saw the Hannah Montana movie this weekend!” I said, “Wow, Celia, that’s super cool. Did you like it?” “Oh yes it was phenomenal. And profe, you look just like Hannah Montana!!!”
Hahahaha WHAT?! Do I really? Now I could be put off by the fact that Hannah Montana is a 16 year old pop star who I happen to think looks nothing at all like me, but I’m going to take this for what it is: the BIGGEST compliment you could ever receive from a second grade girl. I would argue that Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus is bigger here than she is in the US. Miley backpacks, pencil cases, stickers, DVDs, hair bows, lunchboxes, I swear I’ve seen it all. So you know what? Thanks Celia. I’ll take it. Then Celia followed up, “Yeah and she’s from England like you! But she lives in New York City.” Oh no. I’ve tried to explain this concept a lot. “No Celia, Hannah Montana is from the United States like me.” “Oh but she speaks English.” “Yes we speak English in the US also.” “Hmmmm....” One day they will understand. When I got back from the States even my fifth graders asked me how England was. Yikes.
Speaking of Hannah Montana, I had a fun private lesson with two sisters I teach yesterday. The younger girl just got the Hannah Montana movie soundtrack so right when I got to her house Tuesday she said, “Audrey, que significa ‘hoedown’?” Excuse me? Turns out there were quite a lot of lyrics the girls wanted to understand, so we spent the class translating Miley Cyrus lyrics. She’s not so bad.
Equally as hard to master as the idea that America and England are separate countries, is that tricky concept of time. I don’t remember learning how to tell time, but I’m going to guess it was rough. Of course, we teach the British way. Meaning, it’s half past nine, it’s quarter to one, it’s twenty five past eleven. That’s pretty wordy. Especially when all those words are in your second language. It seems I can go over time on my fun clock a thousand times and there is still confusion. Beyond reading a watch, a lot of them just don’t get the big picture. For example:
Me: Laura, what time do you go to sleep?
Laura: Nine o’ clock.
Me: Great. What time do you have dinner?
Laura: mmmm half past ten.
Me: Oh dear.
But for all their struggles, these kids are really smart. I feel pretty confident that all or nearly all of them will pass the test.
First graders don’t have to take the Trinity. So they get to do fun stuff. Yesterday we were talking about things they can and can’t do. I can ride a bike. I can’t fly. Etc. Visi asked one boy named Mateo if he can sweep the floor. He said, “No, I can’t.” Fair enough. Then I heard another boy, Iker, say to him in Spanish, “Yeah because that’s for women!” Oooooh boy you should have heard the Spanish tongue lashing I gave him. Keep in mind, he’s six. Where do you think he acquired that concept? Parents!
I’m sure you can tell that I love the kids I teach. I only wish I also loved my school. Throughout the year I’ve had a lot of conflict with one of the teachers I work with as well as with the principle and vice principle. I won’t go into detail but I disagree with a lot of things that take place here and I’ve had a pretty difficult work experience. Really it’s my own fault for waiting so far into the year to voice my grievances. But I’m happy to say that I did, and better late than never. I think I’ve learned a lot about how to work with people you don’t like, or in less than ideal circumstances. And after all, I am going to be an attorney right?
I’ve recommended this program to some USF students who have asked me about it but with a lot of caution and honest criticism attached. The program is terribly organized, somewhat dishonest about the requirements, and a huge part of your experience is based on which school you’re assigned to: dumb luck. I know plenty of people who work far less hours than I do, have less responsibility, more benefits, friendlier co-workers, and generally love their school. I know I also could have done worse. I know one girl in the program who works at a school where the kids are frequently physically violent with each other and with her. I’m grateful for the great kids I have and the experience I’m taking away.
Beyond school I’ve been spending a lot of time enjoying Madrid with the great group of friends I’ve established here. We’re trying to squeeze in visits to restaurants and bars we’ve been meaning to try all year, and we all enjoy quality time soaking up the sun in Retiro. With just over a month left, I’m having a lot of fun, travelling, and more and more feeling like I’ve really gotten to know Madrid (and Spain) well. I’m also very excited to go home!!!
For anyone who I haven’t told, I ended up choosing NYU for law school. It was a very hard decision but I’m looking forward to the next adventure before I (hopefully) permanently set up camp on the West Coast.
I’m leaving for Munich, Germany tomorrow with my friends Eimear and Anna and it’s sure to be loads of fun! My next post will be about my weekend travels and I swear it won’t be so long!
P.S. pictures are random ones of my lovely friends and me having a good time in Madrid!
Besos
Besos
