We are all wide-eyed (or in some cases, just barely open-eyed after a two week vacation) and wonderous about meeting each other for the first time. I am still reeling from my transition from Portland's heat wave to landing in Chillán's mid winter chill, compounded by the lack of central heat in my new school. This is my first class of the ten I teach each week and my first group of the 400 students I will interact with each week. They are lovely, curious, edgy, worried, distracted, accepting seniors. This class is one of three who are all girls, the remaining seven are co-ed. All of my students are seniors on a wide spectrum of interest and ability in English. Language barriers are transcended by a genuine desire to connect. I am in the unique position of teaching English in Chile while not being fluent in Spanish. There is something magical in sharing the same learning curve with my students. In many ways it levels the playing field and heightens the receptivity from both ends. Welcome to Chile, Miss.
Monday, July 31, 2006
First day of second semester and who's this new English teacher?
We are all wide-eyed (or in some cases, just barely open-eyed after a two week vacation) and wonderous about meeting each other for the first time. I am still reeling from my transition from Portland's heat wave to landing in Chillán's mid winter chill, compounded by the lack of central heat in my new school. This is my first class of the ten I teach each week and my first group of the 400 students I will interact with each week. They are lovely, curious, edgy, worried, distracted, accepting seniors. This class is one of three who are all girls, the remaining seven are co-ed. All of my students are seniors on a wide spectrum of interest and ability in English. Language barriers are transcended by a genuine desire to connect. I am in the unique position of teaching English in Chile while not being fluent in Spanish. There is something magical in sharing the same learning curve with my students. In many ways it levels the playing field and heightens the receptivity from both ends. Welcome to Chile, Miss.
