I am exhausted. The two weeks that I had of a semi-vacation have sadly come to an end. I went to the school today to get my schedule and to figure out exactly what I am going to be doing. I was only there for two hours, but I got an over-abundance of information that my head hurt and now I am mentally and physically drained. I can only imagine what it's going to be like once the students come.
Colegio Jesus Maestro is a school that has children from ages 2-18. The infantil (preschool) is on the bottom floor, the office, chapel, and sitting rooms are on the ground floor, the primary school takes up the next two floors, and the high school, along with the sixth year classes are on the 4th floor. There is also a 5th floor but it is unused. It's a huge school! There are also three patios (recess areas), a cafeteria, and a cafe for the teachers. The cafe serves coffee, tea, and breakfast to teachers, free of charge, which is a nice perk that you won't find in any public schools in the states, I'm sure.
My tour guide for the day was Alberto, one of the english teachers at the school. There are 11 english teachers, including myself. The schools are set up a bit differently here. There is a teacher who is called a tutor, and their job role is that of the classroom teacher in elementary school. They deal with behavior issues and parents. The tutors are also teachers, but generally teach only one subject. Thus, all the teachers rotate classrooms. I am a "special area" teacher, as we call it in the states. I will be working four hours a day, five days a week and have 16 different classes! Each class has two english teachers at a time, but the class is split into two smaller groups. After 20-25 minutes, the teachers switch places so they can work with both groups. A little confusing, but I'm sure I will adjust just fine.
I met over 20 people today, and honestly, can only remember the names of about half of them. Of course, I spoke in Spanish with everyone and told them that I prefer to speak with them in that language. Elena told me at dinner tonight that many of the english teachers here are not good, because they pronounce things wrong and don't have a huge vocabulary in english, which was surprising to me. I will have to create my own lesson plans. I already know what I am going to do next week - create a power point to introduce myself and to tell the kids about Kentucky. Then we will play some type of introduction game. For the first week, I will be teaching with the other teacher at the same time, but after that, I'm on my own. One teacher had an english book and I asked where she bought it, because I was going to purchase my own copy - I'm so used to having to buy my own supplies. They looked at me like I was crazy and told me that we don't pay for anything out of pocket. Sure my wallet will appreciate that :)
I think I am really going to like the school. Everyone I met today was so nice and welcoming, which helps tremendously. Tomorrow, I am going in the morning to start working on my plans and gathering materials. The kids here, address the teachers by their first names, no title or anything. What a difference from the states!
Tonight for dinner, I fixed omelettes for Elena and myself. The kids had leftovers from what Elena ate at lunch. (They eat at the school.) I asked Elena if she had ever had an american omelette before, and she said no. I sauteed tomatoes, onions, and ham. Then I chopped up cheese (no such thing as shredded cheese) and tossed it all in the skillet. She loved it! I was so glad, because the foods we eat are different from the food they eat here. It's really fun to trade off cooking - they are introducing me to new things and vice versa.
I'm sure I am forgetting something, but I have to go to sleep and my brain is dead. I have to get up at 7, so I can leave the house by 7:45ish. I am allowing myself an hour to get to school. The metro will run more frequent, but will also be more crowded. Should be fun. Plus those who know me, know that I am not a morning person at all!
Hopefully, I won't have so many dead brain cells tomorrow and can write more.
Quote of the Day: "A Queen is never late. Everyone else is simply early." -Julie Andrews, Princess Diaries 2
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