Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Welcome to Tuesday

Tuesdays are my Mondays because Spain thinks I should have a three-day weekend every weekend.  I can't say I disagree.

That said, every Tuesday I spend a total of four hours with three year olds.  If you know any three year olds (or, if you know me), you must realize this window is about three and a half hours too long.  Don't get me wrong, they're cute, and I have been pleasantly surprised with my ability to recognize their cuteness... BUT:

They're babies.  It's true.

During my urban fieldwork for elementary education, I observed and helped in a kindergarten classroom for seven weeks.  That was nothing.

Every Tuesday without fail there is pants-peeing, milk spilling, classmate pushing, and snack dropping.  All of these scholarly activities are accompanied by plenty of crying and whining.  Additionally, we have the weekly trauma of paper cuts, stubbed toes, and grazed knees.  Clearly we keep busy in the three year old wing.

Knowing my students only get older as the week progresses is the light of my work tunnel.

I really appreciate my middle and high schoolers.  I never thought I'd be saying that.  They're awkward and a little bit intimidating, but after my first couple of weeks, I'm past that and they are so much fun.  We listen to Michael Jackson and High School Musical songs and try to guess the lyrics.  And next on the agenda is staging a restaurant and practicing ordering from an American menu.  They get to bring snacks; it's pretty exciting!

Work is more stressful than I thought it would be.  Right now I'm working on balance because while I am a teacher and am here to teach English, I am also here to experience Spain.  And Europe.  So I'm working on doing--and enjoying--both.  I'm getting there.

1 comment:

  1. I love your comments about the little ones, and I would like to be a fly on the wall while the older kids are ordering from the menu. I'll bet you all have a blast. Hang in there!

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