With the lesson observation over, I'm feeling a lot more relaxed and enjoying my final few days here.

It's lunchtime so I'm sat outside on the beach, the sun is shining, there are dogs running about, some people swimming and a man even scuba diving! I wonder if he's spotted any fish yet.

This morning, I had my last English class with 4EPB and 7 students usually leave to have a speaking class with another teacher but none of them wanted to go! I felt so loved and even more so when they handed me the cards they had made for me. One girl had even used her mother's perfume to spray on it to make it smell nice.

Feliz San Valentín 💗

You Donkey.

•              Si sabrá mas el discipulo? (Might not the pupil know more?)

I saw this etching on Saturday, its by the famous Spanish artist Fransisco De Goya. The thought "Might not the pupil know more?" has stayed with me this week. When your trying to navigate 25 pupils, you can easily become overwhelmed and totally forget to appreciate the strange, beautifully expressive qualities of each child. You gotta ground your feet, keep your cool and enjoy the lessons your giving each other. What's it all about if not?

Some key lessons I'm learning:

1) Make it kinaesthetic. They need to move, so harvest that energy. 
2) Experiment with nomination techniques- give them alphabet letters and number cards. Keep them on their toes. 
3) Learn their names quickly. (I didn't and it would have made life so much sweeter)
4) Speak less. Gesture more! 
5) Don't explain....SHOW 

P.S. This experience has opened an exciting door for me. I will return to Spain in March and work with Language Kingdom as an activities leader in language immersion camps. That means teaching English via games and activities and spending springtime outside walking, surfing and chasing children. Enough said.

P.P.S I'm a big fan of donkeys, there affectionate and resilient. I reckon teachers could learn a thing or two from donkeys. 

La Burra es mi maestra.

2 days left...

Guys, I'm gonna be honest with you all.
When they told us back in UK at the prep week that "it's going to pass really fast", my left eyebrow was kind of brushing the ceiling.
I was thinking "How can 4 weeks pass fast?, God...if things go wrong, it will last forever!"
Well, when things go wrong, that's a great lesson to learn from ;)
So, if I could tell my previous self something, I would tell myself:
"Relax, time flows differently in Spain, and at the end of it all, you'll really miss it.."

The final week

I feel so sad that this whole experience is nearly over. This week, in particular, I have finally felt relaxed teaching. I haven't stressed myself out over planning each lesson in every detail, but allowed myself to see how the lesson is going and adapt some activities when needed. This is something I never thought I would achieve during CELTA as I have always been a big planner!

Another big positive this week has been the sun - we have really been able to see the best of A Coruna over the weekend. Its such a lively and friendly city, but without the overcrowding and high prices. This afternoon, Chloe and I had lunch and planned lessons together on the beach which made it not really feel like work.

Overall it has been a challenging but positive experience and I could definitely see myself coming back to A Coruna.

Before we leave we have lots of plans, mainly to enjoy tapas and Estrella.

Adios! 

Halfway through the final week

Buenas tardes!
I'm trying to mentally prepare for a lesson observation tomorrow with a secondary class, but I feel quite nervous about it all. I had a few last lessons with some students today and it'll be strange not to see their faces everyday. I'd grown quite accostumed to it (and them).

Here's a photo of the view from 4EPA this morning (before the children arrived of course). I think I'll miss this view.

Good luck to everyone with their observations this week!

I am quite sad to leave this place. It feels like I have just began to get to know it, the people and school. It is much more fun to teach when you know your class (and also more effective since they will be more receptive and you more engaged). The students can get a bit noisy occasionally (haha) and I still need to get better at managing it but they're a lovely bunch truly. A lot of them love me and I like being loved XD and I love them. Staying here has been a romance that has its inevitable end and it's painful to admit that. I will probably have to leave, unless I stay in a weird twist of fate. There's always the future I suppose... Anyway, good stuff and take your day as they come and all that.

Time flies - much like anything not tied down does in Moncada winds

These 3 weeks have gone by way fast. My time in here in Moncada + Valencia has been largely positive, whether it be punctuated by 20+*c heat or gale force winds, there has always been something interesting to see or do.

Highlights include:

-the impressive river bed park (ft. bulbous bottomed trees)

-the very sci-fi museums/centres at the south-east end of said park

-the natural history museum

-the fine art museum (ft. goofy renaissance era art)

-getting lost in the old town/northern part of Valencia 

-La Vitti for good live music but not for their watered down tinto!

-Cafe Berlin for good music and cheapish drinks

-La Fabrica de Hielo, where we inexplicably saw a very good mariachi band   

-La Paca, a quaint and cosy bar selling great tapas 

School wise, I've used silly voices, tried and failed to correctly pronounce any students' names, built LEGO-esque models that demonstrate simple infra-red technology, accepted half chewed sweets from 2 year olds, bumped into half of my students out of school (in this tiny, tiny town) and am currently working on a lesson that pulls from a dubious Welsh myth, that I may have entirely fabricated myself to work with the target language.  

(formatting photos on here is hell so here is a quick compilation)

(clockwise from top left - thicc trees, big legs, excellent painting of a historical event, the 'Hemisfèric', the park next to the science museum)