Truco o Trato! Happy Halloween

Trick or Treat
Smell my feet
Give me something
Good to eat!
If you don't
I don't care,
I'll pull down
your underwear!

Of course I taught that to Violeta, but unfortunately, time today did not permit me to teach it to my school. Thats because today was a super busy, super exciting day at Seneca Elementary... they day we celebrated halloween!

decked out in black and orange for the occasion! 

Me and my co-workers planned a bunch of fun events for the students. We planned and prepared "Pin the Nose on the Witch", "Pin the Tail on the Cat", "Build a Skeleton"  which involved sort o a relay race and vocabulary photo matching, and of course my personal favorite: Sensory Boxes! In each box was some sort of everyday food/product that tricked you into believing it was something else because you can't see it! Pumpkin seeds= finger nails, Peeled tomato= heart, spaghetti = guts, wet sponge= a brain, and my favorite: peeled grapes= eyeballs. QUE ASCO!

testing out pin the tail on the wtich

sensory boxes

We prepared almost all week for these events, and in the morning we had a rough start, but after one or two groups we got into the swing of things and each figured out our niche and how to work each game with each age group.

In the end it turned out to be a huge success despite time restrictions, and language restrictions.

Please look at these 1st graders faces... they made my day!!!

We were congratulated by the other teachers in the school for putting so much work into this day. We were told normally that they just try to scare the children for 15 minutes and there weren't any activities.

This year they were still scared by AMPA, the "PTA" of the school (this lead to lots and lots of screaming and shrieking and of course headaches)

But I believe we had a nice combination of fright and fun!

Change is GOOD!

So I know I said that I was living with a family this year composed of a girl and a boy.... but things have changed!

I am still with a family, but I have changed families for reasons I will not disclose here on my blog except for saying that I am 24 going on 25 and I prefer some independence rather than being a slave 7 days a week. =)

So I am now with a WONDERFUL family composed of 2 young girls of 2.5 years old, and 5 years old. The 5 year old attends a bilingual Montessori school and the 2.5 year old is in public preschool.

They are wonderful girls who love to have fun, laugh, sing, play, and not cry!

Today I really worked the 5 year old on her english and she amazed me! She is really picking it up quickly! We read some books, play games on my ipad, and play in the park

As for the 2.5 year old, thats going a bit slower because she is just learning things in spanish such as colors, numbers and nouns, so when I say things in English, she gets confused or upset.

Example:
(in the car, noa has a red balloon. the word for balloon is globo)
Noa: Un obo!!!!
Chelsea: a balloon!!!
Noa: Balloon no!!! obo!!!!!
Chelsea: yes, its red, a red balloon!
Noa: balloon no!!!! obo ojo! (red=rojo)

Violeta who just turned 5 and whose favorite color is purple! (does it surprise you?)

Noa, she's 2.5 and knows she's cute

Re entering the realm of primary school

 Today I had my first day of school in Madrid! Now, for any avid readers, you may remember my first day of school went a a little something like this. It included playing the nurse to a student and rubbing cream on his jammed finger, and me panicking (do i use gloves, or risk catching a disease?), a lot of a language I don't understand, asking to teach the teachers, and being expected to work a 40 hour work week.

This year went a little different. I went in feeling a lot more confident, and more prepared for the unexpected. I can not lie,  I had low expectations. I expected the children to not speak a lick of English, and for them to treat me like an animal in a zoo, wanting to pet me and wave hello. I expected the teachers to not know what to do with me, and I arrived equipped with a first aid kit in the case of any jammed fingers. Ok I wasn't THAT prepared, but you get the point.

My schedule this year is pretty awesome. Monday and Thursday, from 10am until 2pm. And Tuesday and Wednesday 9am until 2 pm. Fridays off. This year I am sticking with 1st and 2nd grade students (6-8 year olds)) for the first semester. I will work with them in English, science and arts and crafts (all conducted in English).

I was pleased to see that many staff members in the school speak English, and many teach in English as well. The students are also used to seeing Americans and foreigners, so I wasn't treated like a circus act. I was not in physical education  so there were no major injuries (however one student did loose his tooth at the ring of the dismissal bell!)

Other positives from the day:
-free fruit, coffee, biscuits, and tapas during break at 11:45! (food is always a positive, especially free food!)
-I think this year will allow me more opportunities to teach since I stick to one age group of children, that way it is easier to follow what is being taught in the class and I can help plan more lessons!
-The students have a higher level of english, so they won't look at me like I have 11 heads when I ask them: "how old are you?". They can even respond in english to the question: Which organ pumps blood to the rest of the body?" (second graders... who speak spanish!)
-Other positive, is that I am blessed to be able to work with 3 other Auxiliars in my school. 2 other American guys, and one British lad. I think we're going to work well together and have a lot of fun!