Hola hola a todos!
I wanted to take a minute to write a post about how things are going at school. I really like all the other professors I work with. They have helped me a lot in getting acclimated...and they have invited me to so many cafés con leche that I don't think I'll ever be able to repay them. School is much more laid back here than in the states..as you may imagine, like everything else. The teachers do not have their plans for the week all ready a month in advance. They plan on their way to class. They only come to the school building when they have class. So if their first class is not until 10:00, they don't come until 10:00, or 10:05. If their last class ends at 1:50, they leave at 1:50.
This, for me, has proven a bit difficult because I like to have everything planned out, and with two teachers in my family, I have always heard about the great amount of work it is preparing for a week in the classroom. But we get by! Since the kids don't eat at school, they don't have a cafeteria. They do have a type of coffee/snack bar, however. And for the teachers, they have anything you want really. You can get sandwiches (that many of the kids order during recess as a snack), coffee, even beer! Of course, they even sell beer at McDonalds here.
Today I went with my kids on a field trip to the Science Week at the University of Castilla-la Mancha here in Ciudad Real.. It was very neat. They had stands with students and professors from the university doing experiments and showing the kids all aspects of science. It was nice to see many of the kids that may not engage themselves much in class very interested in science and the experiments they were performing. There was also an exhibit on the effects of smoking...hahaaa, that to me seemed like an oxymoron in Spain. EVERYONE smokes here. I hope my students don't start, but I'm sure many of them will soon.
When we got back to school, I had my English class of the 3rd level...so 13-14 years old. They said they had prepared me a song...and then sang the theme song from Spongebob Squarepants...in English! I died laughing...but they sang it very well.
This weekend I am going to Cadiz, a city in southern Spain, that has a beach! I am going with my two roommates, Noemi and Madeleine, and our other friend Ada. Can't wait! Chao!!
