Schools- No matter what I do I just can’t seem to stay away
from them. Less than one month
after graduating from the University of Oregon and leaving Eugene, I took my
first step into Colegio San Jorge as a new English teacher. San Jorge is divided into three
separate schools the Media (high school), the basic, (elementary and middle),
and the Jardín (Kindergarden and pre school). For some reason it goes 1st- 8th grade
and then 1st-4th media instead of 9-12th. Not only that, but it took me 2 weeks to realize why the
little kids school was called the Jardín- I’d never heard of a (kids garden)
before. I luckily would be
teaching 5th graders through seniors (4m) and thus would have a
great idea of what age I liked if I decided to continue teaching in the future. Lets just say the terrible twos don’t end
when you are three…try 19 or maybe 90.
As
I had been a student for 18 years, and a teacher for all of zilch years, I had
a lot to learn. Luckily the
professors and staff at both schools are great and have been helping guide me
the whole way. I am assisting
three great English professors: Rodrigo, Gladys, and Mariela. They all have treated me with great
respect and as an equal even though they understand the complexities of English
more than me. Even though I can’t
understand anything they are saying, they always seem to include me (and
laugh). Rodrigo has been teaching
for many years and is a very animated and fun. Apparently teaching is not his only means of employment; on
the weekend he and his wife are clowns and perform in front of up to 1000 kids.
Speaking
of kids, the students at San Jorge are something. The first day I saw more people wide eyed with dropped jaws
than I had ever seen. I thought
there must have been a beautiful woman walking behind me, ( I looked) but nope
it was just me… the gringo. Of
course the first thing that came out of the kids mouths was “Hello. You like
Justin Bieber? I made my first
mistake by saying I like him a little: a mistake that came back to bite me a
few weeks later (You’ll see). The
conversations improved to talking about sports, favorite foods etc. After only a couple of weeks nearly
every student knew my name and says Hello, How are you? Good and you? Fine…
awkward silence--- bye! Learning
their names for me however…another story.
I have never met so many Javiera’s, Cristobal’s, Fernando’s or
Valentina’s in my life. My goal is
to learn all 300 students names, first names first, I’ll work on their 3 other
names after.
In
general the students are really nice and polite to me… outside the classroom. Inside was a different story… people are
expected to and needed to learn. No
matter how “cool” you are, you are still the teacher and students automatically
start talking to each other when you have anything important to say. My task, however, was simple: teach
English in English to students who don’t understand English… run that one
through your head. Piece of torta
(cake)! right? I quickly overcame my fear of public speaking and making a fool
of myself. My acting skills have
come a long way from my time as the drunken bum in “Little Shop of Horrors”
Lets just say I can give anybody a run for their money in Charades.
All
in all the first impression of the school has been great. I have a lot to learn, and I hope that
I also have just a bit of wisdom to share with my students. It is strange being the one connection
someone has to another country. If
all else fails, the school and the students are only stuck with me for 4 months
and then I become someone else’s problem.
So far-so good. Buenas noches y Buena suerte!
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