MY SCHOOL AND TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Where do I teach? What do I do?

The school I am placed in is called ‘CEIP Virgen del Cortijo’ which is an Elementary and Infant school. It is a great school, a bilingual school situated in the neighbourhood of Hortaleza. It is separated into two buildings, the infant school and the elementary school. The ages of the children range from ages 3-12years old, but we only work with the 5-12year olds (1st – 6th grades in Primaria a.k.a elementary).

The way the lessons are separated is as follows: there are two teachers for each grade, a Spanish teacher and an English teacher (generally a qualified native Spanish teacher who can speak English). The English teacher is responsible for teaching their subjects, Natural Science, Social Science and of course English and must deliver the content all in English. This is where we come in. Alongside the English teacher we LAs assist the English teachers in delivering these lessons, which can range from preparing activities to do within the class or pulling out groups from the class to do speaking activities. Sometimes we even work with certain students one-to-one, usually the weaker students who are behind in their English skills. You supplement the children’s learning by helping them improve their comprehension and speaking skills. For example, in my school I have a consistent schedule every week: first graders and second graders on Tuesday, Third and fifth on Wednesday etc etc. Depending on which classes I am working with that day, I may bring in some material to work with the students and because I have a fixed schedule I’ll have an idea who I’m working with and what topic we are working on. Sometimes the teachers require for me to undergo the speaking tests, in which case I’ll pull students out and practice the required questions with them. Sometimes I am needed in class for specific activities, for example explaining the functions of certain grammar rules and the pronunciation of the words. At other times, I will work with a specific weaker student from a specific class whilst the main teacher works with the entire class and so on. These are a few of the responsibilities we have as language assistants, but of course the responsibilities you are given and what the job entails although is the same in principle, would vary and depend on what age range you are assigned to, you may even be placed in secondaria/secondary education.

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Another important factor is to remember to maintain a good and positive relationship with the teachers you work with – I mean, they are your colleagues overall and you will be working with them throughout the whole academic year. Remember to work together with them, and that its okay to share ideas and opinions with them – most of the time teachers appreciate a fresh outlook on what to do in a lesson. Everyone at my school is very friendly, and there is a general positive and good energy which creates a good and healthy atmosphere not just for us but for the children as well so do take the time to get along with your colleagues if you can. You can learn a lot from them too.

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You will also have a bilingual coordinator who will act as your guide and mentor at the school to help you with your integration into the workplace and will also help you with any concerns relating to the programme. Remember to voice any concerns or queries with them; communication is key.

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One last thing, it is important to remember that your role as a Language assistant is to assist the English teacher in class. You are not the teacher, so you should not be given the responsibility of taking over the entire class. You and the teacher are a team and although you should be trying your best to do all you can do help them, (providing activities to supplement their lessons is okay) you should not be left to teach a class entirely on your own.

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Being a Language Assistant can really be a great experience, you get to gain experience in a classroom, live in a new country and meet new people. It will be challenging at times but it can also be very rewarding and lots of fun.