Week 2 of school

Week three of school begins in the morning so it is about time I tell you how week one ended and how week two went. The first three of days of week one were great, as you can read in previous posts... and the last two were just as fun. Particular highlights included sending the 1st years (age 12/13) home saying that's boss.... I'll have a class of scousers by the end of the year. There was also an Irish kid in that class who has just moved here, so at long last I have found somebody who can say my name properly! That class was followed by 4th years (the lowest ability group) which was a class of all boys except for one poor girl. As their English wasn't as great as other classes I used a computer and loads of photos to describe myself and my city too them. On seeing my house they al asked could they be invited (everyone here lives in flats) and half of the class loved me when I showed a picture of me with former Everton/Real Madrid star Tommy Gravesen! Final class of that day was with another teacher who had done his Erasmus in Liverpool with the 4th years on the Bilingual Program, all of whom spoke excellent English but were loud and boisterous to say the least. This class went great until the teacher - who had a slide show of things about Liverpool - decided to play "You'll never walk alone" needless to say I was less than impressed! On Fridays classes I had a lesson with 2nd years on the bilingual program who again spoke great English and were very enthusiastic. My final class of week one was 2nd Bachillerato - Year 13. As expected they spoke very good English - and there were three girls in particular sat right at the front who seemed so interested in every word I said and asked tonnes of questions. Whenever anyone in the class spoke they shushed them... It was great working with the older ones as I was able to have a laugh with them. One of the boys who clearly usually messes around answered my questions about Everton correctly and when I called him teachers pet they all laughed. Then at the end the class nominated one pupil to comically sing along to Penny Lane - great fun! 2nd pupil to be able to say my name was from this class too - a girl who said she has an irish friend called Siobhan!

So now for week two, which didn't start til wednesday because of bank holidays. This week was a bit more interesting - the topic had moved on from me and liverpool to.... well pretty much whatever the teacher decided to spring on me before or during the lesson! For starters it was British Habits with 2nd years so we say please and thank you a lot, shake peoples hands, wait for cars to stop before we cross... and wait in queues - something which the spanish fully admit to not doing! I then moved on to teaching two lessons on Columbus Day (a day which I didnt even know existed!) and thankfully my lack of knowledge whatsoever about Columbus didn't really matter. The article told me everything - and the kids told me things they knew as well! Thursday started with 1st years - a listening activity which I had to read to them, and then giving them a topic each which they had to talk about for a minute. The teacher still can't get his head round my name, but lucky my irish pupil was at hand to teach the class how to say it! After 1st years I was due to have some 4th year classes, however they were off on a school trip... so I was sent off with them! We went to the theatre in Huesca to see Yerma by Lorca.... I understood most of it and it was a great chance to mix with some more teachers - the Spanish department are really nice too! After the theatre there was still time for one more lesson with the 4th years on the bilingual program. A reading aloud exercise for me... and they had to identify adjectives, followed by splitting the class into two halves for some exercises - they fought over which half had me which half had the teacher! On Friday I had this class again for some dictation work - the 4 different sounds the letter C makes - again I was the speaking dummy and they all copied me in glorious scouse accents! Last lesson Friday was the 1st years again and I gave them a speech I had been asked to prepare about Shakespeare (cue Wikipedia) and they did some activities and asked lots of questions about that!

As well as school I have also started some private classes - two one on one classes with teenage boys (to start we spoke about Liverpool, Huesca, the Beatles and Football!) and a class with three girls aged 9/10 - so much fun! Spent the hour singing heads, shoulders, knees and toes, teaching the body parts, left and right, prepositions, pointing to things and playing Simon Says.

So that was week 2 - lets hope week three carries on the way its been going so far!

Siobhan

x