Profe. Teacher. Bictoria.

These are the faces that I run into almost every other day from my students!! Motivated, can't you tell???

Have you ever walked into a room full of people and all of a sudden the talking and laughing stops,you seem to hear every pin that drops,the room feels just a tad bit warmer than when you first walked in, you try to find your place in the room and suddenly every pair of eyes are on you! That has been my story for the past three weeks. The Tuesday after my arrival in Spain, I jumped head first in to the role as a Language Assistant. Prior to coming to Spain, I struggled with coordinating with the teachers at the school to figure out my schedule. I struggled for the simple fact that making the attempt to call my school from the U.S, the secretary doesn't speak English, I for sure don't speak Spanish either, so at the attempt for success in that, it ended up being an EPIC FAIL! Anyway, I gave up with the calling, and I sent an email, another email, and more emails, and not one single response. Silly me, it took me almost a month to realize that schools in Spain are closed in mid July to the first week of September. The obsessive calling began again, until I was able to reach someone, the secretary wasn't available, no one else really spoke English, and the teachers of the English Department were MIA. I was just one girl who had to wait, I was mortified with the idea of waiting to arrive in Spain to have my work schedule in a disarray. The only thing that I needed to do was just be patient and wait.

I tell you patience is a virtue! Trust, Belief and Faith in God is everlasting! Despite, the distance from my family we have found ways to stay close, and in the loop with each other. In light of that God, has been the captain on this ship for me, and HE works wonders. Now, going back to that Tuesday, October 1st to be exact, I woke up at seven on the dot, prepared myself physically and mentally for what I was about to do. I always start my day reading the 91st Psalms, and that day I did just that. I had a light breakfast, my nerves were out of control that morning, and I walked the 20 km to work. The walking was great for me, I needed that time to myself to think, think about what I will say, how the teachers and students will receive me, and I needed that extra talk-time with God, so HE can tell me just one more time what my purpose is. I tend to lack confidence in myself when I'm nervous or I over-think the things that I need to do. Shame on me! I know, it's a bad habit that I have adapted to lately, and I'm working on that. I know exactly what I want, and FAILURE just isn't an option for me, so I am very hard on myself.

This is where I work. I.E.S Las Lagunas 

Anyway, I finally make it school and BOOM, its like the twilight zone. The school looked exactly like it did on it's website. The students however, looked and sounded like a group of swarming bees in the main entrance of the school building, before the first bell rang for the morning. School starts promptly at 8:30, there is no free period/home room, so these groups of swarming bee students stand,talk, laugh, and are extremely loud mind you right smack in the middle of the entrance of the school. Surprisingly the school has been patiently waiting my arrival. The guardia (guard) at the desk asks me, of course in Spanish...Estas Ms. Taylor? (Are you Ms. Taylor?), I smiled one of my bright smiles and said, Si, Senor. I watched as he phoned someone, and I was then introduced to Virgilio. He is one of the teachers that I am working with, as well as Felipe, MariAngeles, and Patricia. 

Everyone has been waiting for me to arrive, and I was greeted with open arms and excitement. Right away I am sent on the quest to locate my classes and introduce myself. I met four classes that day and they were all interesting. I'm taking you right back in the moment when the talking and laughing ceases, and the attention is brought right back to me. I found myself stuck in a trance, gasping for air, and looking for someone to hand me the end of the paddle stick so I can get myself from the depths of the sea. I think back for a second on that walk that I had, and that conversation that I had with God, and I felt cool again. My skin wasn't moist from the nervous sweat that I worked myself into. The first thing I did, was smile at everyone. I realized I was one of them, two years ago when I was struggling in my Spanish II course. 

The night before,  I prepared a presentation about myself, which included pictures of my family and I, Brooklyn (my favorite places in Brooklyn), The Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square and a poem that I wrote about NYC, and my boy Jay-Z's Empire State of Mind played in the background. Unfortunately, due to the difference in power-point packages (the school's is the latest version BTW), my song wasn't able to be heard, but my voice made up for that. I talked about myself, and I enjoyed it! The students were so intrigued by me, they asked questions, we made jokes, and it flowed effortlessly.

I realize that learning any language has to be the most difficult yet challenging thing that anyone can sign up for. English is not the first language of many Spaniards. What I have discovered thus far in teaching my high school students, there are some students that are eager to learn and then you have students that look like this (Check out the girl in the Blue Sweater). It is a bit challenging and also this language barrier KILLS! First of all, I am not allowed to speak Spanish to my students at all (the little that I do know), then I have to pretend like I don't understand Spanish (which is so hard to do because I understand very well). Solo Ingles! I have been challenged already with some classes that just lack motivation, but that's OK. It only makes me work harder to reach my students the way I need to, so that English will be a language that they develop a liking to. My face has become quite popular, and my students run up to me in the hall way to say Hello! (in their cute, thick Spanish accents). It amazes me how my name Victoria has suddenly been changed to Bictoria. Despite the difficulties with my older groups, ages 16-18, it warms my heart to know that my younger students (11-14) have a level of respect for me. I enjoy hearing "Hello, Profe" as I make my way from class to class!

Un abrazo y besitos!

V. Artess