Today has barely started but it´s already seemed like one of ´those days´. I anxiously glanced at my watch as we ate breakfast this morning, worrying about whether I would get to my class in time. I usually go to school with my host sisters, but they arrive about five to ten minutes before school starts. That´s great for the days when I have late classes, but today I felt like a frazzled mess! My heart raced as I rushed to set up the projector, organize my books, and do the million little things I like to do before class.
I´ll have to take the bus next time!
To be honest, I have felt like a frazzled mess lately! I try to breathe deeply and tell myself that it´s normal. It´s just culture shock and it will eventually dissipate. The thing is, I honestly could not ask for a better situation, but I know that I will still have ´those days´. My host family has astonished me with their kindness. The school climate is welcoming and the English department, a group of twenty and thirty year olds, seem ´hip´ and full of great ideas. The school has an excellent English curriculum from Cambridge, the teachers speak almost 100% in English in their classes, and the school has resources that my schools in the states never even had! (I can´t describe how pumped I am to have a projector!).
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| My host family is the best! My host mom, Eliana, and my two host sisters, Evelyn and Natalia. |
Culture shock comes in waves and the things that you love at first can turn into little annoyances that grate on your nerves. Wow, people are so friendly and family-oriented here! It´s nice that they´re not so rush rush rush like in the United States. And they don´t eat dinner? Well, you don´t really need a huge meal at the end of the day, anyway. Bread and tea will do. And school lasts until 5:00? It seems like the school has more of a sense of community here and that the kids actually like staying after school to participate in clubs!
But then.... Oh my gosh, can I get a moment alone!? I love talking to everyone after dinner (here that has a name - la sobremesa), but how in the world can I get anything done? I have clubs at school and don´t get home until six or later, then we have once (tea time), everyone talks, and then it´s time to go to bed! How does anyone accomplish anything!? How can I break away without being the cold American - la gringa fria? And what I would do for an American dinner! will have to propose the idea of an American dinner day to my host family. What should I cook? (Or rather, what can I cook? Ramen?).
Overwhelmed is how I feel, but I know that´s normal. Since my school has trimesters, we are in the midst of preparing students for a debate competition and public speaking. I have a colleague who actually did the English Open Doors program a few years ago and she´s been a huge help iin introducing me to the different initiatives that I will be involved in. But everything still seems like a lot! I also have to organize some sort of a club (I´m thinking something with music in English), I also need to take a speech pathology course online to have the pre-reqs for grad school. And oh, I should probably brush up on my Portuguese since I´m going to teach in Brazil next year. Brain exploding in 3...2...1...
I know that preparation and better time management can help overwhelm, but it´s really difficult in a culture that isn´t time-centric! I´m afraid of seeming antisocial when I´m trying to be productive.
I just have to remember to not take it personally. Feeling frazzled doesn´t mean that I´m not cut out for Chile or teaching, or that I´m doomed, or anything like that. But I also try to remember that I create the climate of my classroom. If I´m all spazzed out and stressed, my students will feel that too. I don´t know what I need to do to not feel like that. Yoga? Meditation? Regular exercise and mindfulness? I think I´m making life harder than it needs to be- having the right attitude is really half the battle.It´s important to acknowledge your feelings and let yourself feel them, but if you let them pull you in, then everything goes downhill from there. If you can feel those feelings and let them go, your day can do a 180.
I´m trying to be more mindful of my doubt and insecurity as well. I doubt myself way too much and have a habit of fatalistic thinking. Oh my gosh...what if something goes wrong! But what if it goes right? I don´t exactly know how to build confidence but I´d like to start doing that. My collegue keeps saying, ¨You are so creative! Your students are going to have so much fun!¨¨. As silly as it sounds, sometimes I take myself too seriously and I forget Hey, this can be fun! This can go well!
Later
I was in a much better state of mind for my later classes. My students reminded me why I wanted to do this program :) I showed them photos from Ohio and did the O-H-I-O chant with them. It works surprisingly well to catch their attention when it's too noisy! I poured more energy into my lesson and you would be surprised what a difference it makes in the students! I left the classroom feeling energized and inspired.
Also, a little girl from fifth grade pulled me aside and asked me, ¨MIss, when are you going to work with my class?¨I told her that I wasn´t working with the fifth graders, and she looked dissapointed. ¨¨You should talk to my teacher! Come in for a day! Miss, I want to learn English so bad!" Another student on the debate team popped in my room too. I thought she was confused on where her practice was, but she said, "No! Just to say hi, Miss!" Their interactions really made my day and lifted my spirits. I realized that I can have a positive relationship with these students and inspire them to learn English.
The classroom
I´m pumped to have my own classroom and I put a lot of thought into the set up. I learned from student teaching that the classroom layout and the rules and procedures are crucial to the classroom running smoothly! (I wish I knew that beforehand!). I have a behavioral management system related to soccer and even though it might seem a bit babyish for high school students, it sets clear expectations and gives them opportunities for positive reinforcement. I realize that during student teaching, I didn´t provide students with enough opportunities for being rewarded for ´being good´, so some acted out for attention. I´ve learned my lesson!
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| Sorry Hawaii. Forgot you... |
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| No texting in class! ;) |
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| Trophy- did an outstanding job in class. X3 = prize Yellow card = warning red card= kicked out of class |
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| Learning objective |
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| Tyler representing in his pink robe... |
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| 400+ students so....NAME TAGS! So many name tags... |
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| Behavior management- if the class does well, they get to move their push pin soccer ball ahead one spot. The first team to get a goal gets a prize. (Ignore the basketball....I ran out of soccer balls!) |
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| Numbered chairs- each student gets a number for the semester. This way they have assigned seats, but I can switch them up! I have all of my students listed in a notebook with their numbers beside them. The numbered seats are quick for taking attendance. (Chair 5 is empty. Marcos must be absent!) |
I have lots more pictures to show and this weekend, I'm travelling to the North of Chile to a city called Pica with my family! I have lots to do, so hasta luego!
