So, I’ve been teaching for a week now. I’ve finally seen all of my students at least once and I’m getting a feel for how the classes are run (or not run). The Spanish school system seems a little more chaotic and unorganized than the American one. Students are not controlled as well here as they were when I was in school. They don’t behave well at all. I’m supposed to teach two 5th grade classes, 5A and 5B. David, the English-language coordinator and teacher of these classes, has decided that as “punishment” for 5B, I won’t be going to their class. He wants to taunt them by showing them that I go to 5A and not their class because they don’t behave well enough to have me there. The other day he was late to class and the other teacher left me with them (it was only 2 minutes). I managed to get them all into their seats and have them tell me the date and weather. When David arrived, they jumped out of their chairs and started acting crazy again.
While the students are poorly behaved, I’m convinced that part of the problem is David. He’s not a great teacher. Yes, the students do things like run across the classroom and talk at the same time as David or each other. However, he doesn’t establish enough rules or enforce them. It’s common for Spanish teachers to threaten the students and never follow through. Often the teachers tell them that they’re going to make-up wasted time by staying in during recess, yet this almost never happens. There’s no threat of being sent to the principal’s office because she teaches math and isn’t in her office much. Teachers are also fond of putting one student on the spot or yelling at only one student and telling them they are holding up the class. This generally gets no result from the student and others often laugh. When a class is loud, a teacher will take the eraser or some other object and smack it against the wall, board or desk until students quiet down. This usually works for a few minutes.
These are just general statements about teachers. The girl who teaches English (pre-school to 4th grade) is awesome. She’s only 24, but she gains control of the students with her 1-2-3-silence rule (she counts and they shut up). The woman who teaches science to 1st and 2nd grades is pretty good also. She maintains control and command of the classroom.
I like my students. The three year olds are hilarious and repeat words and talk to me in Spanish (I don’t understand half of it). One girl cried because she didn’t know me and was afraid of strangers. The first graders are awful. There’s only ten of them but they fight like crazy. They’re constantly screaming and using their safety scissors to “cut” each other. They steal markers and glue from each other and write on each other’s papers. One girl, Andrea, has such an attitude. On the playground, she’s pretty bossy, but in class she doesn’t do anything she’s supposed to do. She just does whatever she wants and ignores the teacher. She gets pulled out during the day for special classes. Erin and I love to check out what she’s wearing. She’s always pretty fashionable. Most days she’s wearing patterned tights with either a short skirt or shorts (tights and shorts are very fashionable here). We also love checking out what the twins in 5A are wearing. They’re always dressed alike and look adorable. However, the biggest fashion statement here is the rolling backpack. All the kids have them and it’s hilarious. Even the pre-schoolers have itsy-bitsy ones. They help each other carry them up the stairs.
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