Erasmus+ Leaders in Language February 2022

  As I sit in my favourite coffee in Cardiff, enjoying a flat white (what would the Spanish make of that?) rather than the café con leche, which I have become used to during the last month, I take a moment to think about the things I am missing most about Leon. Above all the Colegio Divina Pastora, the staff and its pupils, who with their oversized rucksacks, reminded me of baby turtles navigating their way through a sea of corridors (I never did manage to find my way to every class without help!). The school welcomed me like a long-lost relative and I will always be grateful for everyone’s warmth, support and humour. Certainly I miss the Leonites, that other surrogate family whose camaraderie, friendship and love of life enhanced the experience one hundredfold. Despite our different ages, interests and life experiences, I loved getting to know everyone in the group and genuinely miss every single one of them. Above all I miss the city, with its network of busy narrow alleyways...

  The final full weekend in Leon included a guided tour of the city’s main attractions, the jewel of which must be the gothic Cathedral. We learned that it contains over 1800 metres of stained glass, some of which dates from the 13 th century, creating a light—filled, ethereal space, full of beautiful and unusual reflections. At the other end of the spectrum we watched the England v Ireland encounter in the Six Nations Rugby Championship in the Harley Sports Bar in the Plaza Mayor. Despite having a dozen or so TV screens, the staff always seemed reluctant to show the rugby matches and it usually took several attempts to persuade or cajole someone to change the channel from basketball or football, by which time the first quarter had gone. With representation, in some shape or form, from all the home nations amongst the Leonites, there has been plenty of tension and friendly rivalry during these encounters. My final observed lesson with Class 5A fell auspiciously on St. Patrick’...

  We are now into the second half of our placement and I am conscious of how quickly the remaining time will pass. With Caro’s words, echoing in my head, I wanted to ensure to enjoy every minute. Whether it was singing Karaoke in a local bar with “the Leonites” until 4am on Saturday morning, joining the school choir under the direction of Carlos the Colombian countertenor or sampling local delicacies such as morcilla (unappetisingly translated as cow’s viscera), I have tried to immerse myself in the school community and Leonese culture. The rehearsals with the school choir were an uplifting end to the school day. They are held in a former side chapel within the school with excellent acoustics, enhancing the exquisite voices of Carlos and his small band of enthusiastic choristers. Together with other schools in the region they are planning a concert of world music in June, so rehearsals typically involved practising a range of pieces spanning the globe, from Japan to South Afri...

 So Laura the Explorer has returned home. I am not sure what life has in store for me now.  Teaching was very rewarding, but finding a path to make it career is unclear. Especially as I have a dreaded "gap in employment", due to being mentally ill. Who wants an employee like that? Still, I am back. I am motivated. And finally, I have hope 

We’re sat in the flat on the last Saturday listening to the Welsh 6 nations match on the radio before going into town for the remainder of super Saturday so I though I’d jot down all the little things that have happened that haven’t merited a whole blog. *** Both Iain and I sing in choirs so we enquired at school if they had one, which they did. We had three very happy sessions with their little choir led by Carlos, who came from Columbia and who has the loveliest counter tenor voice. The choir were practicing for a concert of consolidated choirs singing a variety of international songs, so we joined in singing Japanese, Portuguese, and Zulu songs along with Spanish from Spain and Argentina. Carlos was really chuffed to have us there, particularly Iain who has a much more distinguished singing background than I do. We were really touched when he gave us a CD of his music on our last session. *** Last week the school had a live conference with a Spanish peace-keeping force in Lebanon. S...

Who knew four weeks would go quickly? Well, to be fair, Carolyn did warn us!! It's been such a pleasure to meet everyone who has been part of this incredible adventure. I've learnt such a lot both professionally and personally, and am looking forward to what comes next. So a big thank you to everyone who made our placement possible, it was worth the two year wait! And good luck to everyone on the programme, I hope we will keep in touch x

  The weekend began well, with a pancake party (albeit a belated one) at La Casita, as Tracy and I affectionately refer to our bijou flat. The whole Leonite gang joined for a relaxing Friday evening, which ended with a visit to our local, where a glass of vino tinto costs 1 euro, including tapas.  On Saturday a group of us hired a car and headed for the Picos de Europa, to the mountain village of Ria ň o. It was my first time driving in Spain, but after leaving the city, the roads are surprisingly empty and we easily navigated small, sleepy towns and villages, into the foothills of the Picos.  Ria ň o is stunning, surrounded by jagged peaks powdered with snow, reflected in the still, turquoise waters of the reservoir below. This body of water was created in the eighties, as a result of flooding the valley beneath. Poignantly old Ria ň o, along with 6 other villages, lie submerged beneath the water. Knowing how important “el pueblo” is in the Spanish psyche, the pain of lo...

Thanks to the Andreas for organising our leaving party yesterday. It was lovely to get together and hear more about everyone's experiences. Due to everyone living so far apart, and having different teaching hours, it was harder than I expected to meet up with each other during the week. The time also seemed to zoom by, so before we knew it we were at our leaving do yesterday! It made me wonder what it would have been like if we'd been placed differently. But hopefully in the future we'll have the chance to teach difference age groups in different settings. Maybe back in Valencia.....??!! Thanks again Andrea and Andrea for all your help in sorting out our accommodation and placements 😍

I thought I would re-read my blogs - wow, how things have changed! At the beginning I had so many questions, which I have now answered ...   Who will I teach? The students at CSB ages 11 - 18  How will I do it?   It has taken me a little time to find my style, to adjust to classroom teaching instead of Zoom based teaching. It also has taken me time to find the confidennce to have my own style that was different to that of the CSB teachers and that worked with the students.  How do I make it fun and engaging? Lots of different activities, lots of competition and games, lots of team working, Mentimeter, Bamboozle, lots of fun.  The only thing that was more difficult to make fun and engaging was the hard grammar point of the passive.  What is different about a Spanish school versus a British school? Firstly, the noise level is much, much louder! No uniforms, informality and a closeness between the students and teachers.  Will they really trust m...

It's been a tough few days saying goodbye to students and fellow teachers. My experience at The Colegio San Bartolome has been amazing.  They describe themselves as a family, and their school as their home. I felt this from day one - which has made it all the more difficult to leave. So what have I learnt?  - Firstly that even basic resources like printing were a challenge, so I got used to having a Plan B, or writing activities out and photocopying them!  - That it takes a constant effort to encourage students to talk in full sentences and to talk in English when doing activities in pairs / groups.  - Having quiet confidence and a calm approach help with classroom management.   - Emile suggested that planning a lesson shouldn't take more than 30 minutes. This was my biggest worry  - I remember talking to Fran about how this was possible on the journey here! So learning how to do that has been one of my biggest wins.  - Having a flexible plan has ...

 Had a great weekend. The girls threw a surprise birthday party for Isaac with plenty of food, balloons and of course a birthday cake. But I guess it was so much of a surprise that Isaac didn't realise and never showed up. (To be fair I think he had a valid reason why he couldn't come). But it's the thought that counts I guess. Still had a good night even without a speaker and managed to get a decent nights rest ready for the castle on Saturday. The castle was even more satisfying considering the failure we had last week. Like the one pilgrimage we said we would do finally ticked off the list. I've attempted to upload one of my favourite pics so hopefully that's worked. Was lovely to get out of the city and get some fresh air although I don't think we managed to top the pics the Leon group got of their mountains (looked absolutely unreal, although I'm definitely not jealous...). Saturday night was a bit wild; beers for 1 euro, a "firework display" ...

 Yesterday, I removed my "fitting in" mask throughout the day. I went to a cafe for food in Valencia, then covered my ears when the loud booming noises began. To find a solution, I went to a large department store for ear defenders. Until now, I rarely want to wear ear defenders in public as it makes me look different. However, the noise is just too much. Unfortunately, the ear defenders are 90 euros meaning I just can't buy them. In school, I could hear the high volume bangs coming from the park outside. It was so loud, it distracted me from teaching for brief periods. As an explanation to my adult students, I told them that I disliked sudden loud noises. Even a few days ago, I would never share such a weakness.  Many of my fellow trainees went to see the fireworks in Valencia at midnight. I didn't join them after giving a honest reason as to why. Today is my last teaching day. I will miss my school, my lovely mentor and each unique student.

Bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang! And finally: bang, bang, bang! Welcome to Valencia during Las Fallas. It is sudden, relentless and everywhere. From the city centre to the countryside, there is no escape. The fireworks and firecrackers are set off by everyone. From a young girl throwing firecrackers skipping between her parents. To large groups, with cheers accompanying every bang. I hate it all. My noise tolerance has been pushed beyond what I can cope with. I enjoy Valencia, I love the weather and it is fun teaching. However, I just wish I could press the mute button. 

 Hmm, it's been a reflective few days. I had an experience in the classroom that has really hit my heart and made me very reflective on teenage students, their experiences and all the other things in life that they are dealing with. The situation was that there was some "misbehaviour" on Mentimeter which was unacceptable.  This resulted in the school disciplining the class with some students receiving severe punishments including suspension. Everyone in the class had to apologise personally and collectively for the behaviour.   I've been thinking about this a lot.   It's been too easy for me to forget that the students are teenagers first and foremost, going through all the stuff that teenagers go through...finding out who they are as individuals, what they stand for, who they want to hang around with and what they want to be known for.  Learning English is probably nowhere near the top of their list of priorities most days.  It's probably more important to...

I thought it was about time I mentioned the beaches as they have been one of my highlights of being here. Today is truly foul weather, really windy and rainy, but yesterday.....what a day!  19 degrees and blue skies.   I hoped to go to the beach every day when I first arrived, that hasn't quite happened.  I have made it many times during my time here in Valencia and it is my go to place to phone home and relax whilst upping my steps.  My favourite beaches are Marvarossa and Devesa which are both pretty clean and nice sand, although like anywhere there are bits of plastic on every beach.   There's something about walking along a beach that I find really relaxing after teaching and clears my head before I go back and write lesson plans and create content for the following days.   We managed to find lovely ice cream on Cabanyals beach too - my personal choice was pistachio and yoghurt which was truly delicious, even if eaten in a large puffer coat!  

As we’re entering our final week I thought I’d talk a bit about the wonderful food and drink here in Leon. Before coming I wasn’t sure how easily decaf coffee would be to get, but I shouldn’t have worried. I have had the most amazing 'cafe descafeinado con leche de machina', particularly from the cafe across the road from the school where we all pile into at break time. Break time is a great time to get to know the teachers a bit, to get all their recommendations for the best places to visit, and exchange stories. Georgi, who owns the cafe, knows all our orders off pat and the tapas that go with her excellent coffee sees you through until lunchtime. Iain and I are not at the university residence so we find our own food. At lunch we sometimes eat in the incredibly noisy canteen. We usually start with soup, as much as you want. It’ll then be followed by a meat or fish and salad, along with bread. Pudding is usually fruit or a yoghurt. We then stop in a cafe on our way home for a ...

 It has been a tough week for Laura the Explorer. From Wednesday, I have had stomach problems. I will spare you all the full details, but it has involved urgent and frequent toilet trips. I had to leave work early on Wednesday as I felt so unwell. In reality, I had no option to leave but I still feel disappointed with myself. I had to drop the "fitting in" mask in my placement when I was ill. Being seen without my mask in a professional setting makes me feel very exposed. Despite my health issues, I have had positive experiences this week. My final observation on Tuesday went well, considering I was teaching young children. Yesterday, I went on an excursion to a local beauty spot. In El Palmar, I had a tour around the village then a sunset boat trip. Very romantic, so it was a pity I was on my own! On Friday, I went to the Bioparc. It was brilliant seeing the animals. Even better, it was quiet as it was a weekday. As my final week begins, I hope I can optimise my time.

Ninots?? Don't worry, it's not a typo or anything rude!! But it was a word I'd not come across before - so here's what it means: For many, the main focus of Las Fallas Festival in Valencia is the creation and destruction of ninots, which are huge statues made of papier-mache, cardboard, wood, or plaster . The ninots are extremely lifelike and usually depict bawdy, satirical scenes and current events. At the end of the Fallas festivities the ninots (stuffed with fireworks) are burnt on huge pyres, apparently hot enough to melt nearby windows (according to one of SJ's students)!! Only two are saved, which are voted for at an exhibition at the Science Museum. Which is where SJ encouraged our household to visit on Friday afternoon - when it would have been all too easy to snooze away the rest of the day after a hard weeks teaching! It was so worth a visit. There were hundreds of ninots, and we were lucky enough to see some of the Fallas queen's dressed in traditiona...

  The town of El Palmar was like an old Hollywood western town. Very sleepy and insular, used to tourists in the summer months, but in winter? Only us.  We strode down the main, and seemingly only, street jubilant at having arrived. So far, our luck had held out.  So, we’d heard there was the best paella in the region in El Palmar, and decided to find it. Seeking out a Falles volunteer, we asked her where to find the best paella. Roughly, the conversation was like this:   “Hola! Where can we find the best paella in El Palmar?” I asked.  “Hola! The best paella? My mother’s restaurant! But it’s shut right now.” We looked disappointed.  “De nada, de nada. Where else can we get some?”  “Wait one minute…”  At this, the woman dialled on her phone to a number. Me and Hamish waited awkwardly. She had a brief conversation and then came back to us.  “The restaurant is closed, but say you saw Teresa and the chef will make you a paella Valenciana. I...

Today I got to teach a class of 4 year olds, the youngest I have been with yet! I definitely want to be a primary teacher in the future; the kids were all so lovely and energetic. They were also, embarrassingly, better at English than I am at Spanish! The idea of someone having lived literally just 4 years is mind-boggling to me; I still get surprised when they speak in full sentences because I think 4 is much younger in my mind that it actually is in real life. 4 years ago I was at university, and most of them weren't even born yet!  The teacher Juan-Carlos was very kind and helpful and I felt I learned a lot from watching his interactions with the children. They want me to do the same class next week with another group of the same age. This means I will need to spend another 2 hours cutting out ears, mouths, noses and eyes for their Picasso paintings again; I ran out this time and had to cut more as they were making the pictures. I also played a video on my speaker and very awkwa...

Week 1 pt. 1 We arrived at our flat in Moncada to find the red carpet Schola had clearly laid out for us 😂 but I cannot complain about our commute as it is only 2 doors down! The location is brilliant, less than 10 minutes to the Mercadona and 5 minutes to Bar el musical (our favourite).  It has been a mission settling in to the Spanish timetable as I only start teaching at 5pm and finish at 9pm. With not living at home anymore, I have found it hard to eat properly (mainly bocadillos and pasta😂) and not go out for food all the time, especially when it’s not good food. But it has been amazing getting to know everyone and the Spaniards are very friendly - but maybe not a few of the locals who handed us erotic poetry… That said, the teachers, and students especially, are lovely at Schola, and although I feel more like the TA at the moment, I’m excited to get stuck in and teach lessons I have prepared. Week 1 pt. 2 Venturing into Valencia has to be the highlight of the week. The city...

This evening I found myself chit chatting to three Spanish women on a bench, under a tree, as we waited for our yoga teacher to arrive. We were talking about the weather, who spoke Valencian and why, and about various aches and pains. Nothing that unusual or exciting you might think? But it was all in Spanish, and I was managing to understand quite a bit! In fact they were all laughing at me and saying I was getting two for the price of one - yoga class + Spanish lessons!!!  It was a great way to unwind after a busy week teaching, plus the extra 'stress' of our final observation! It was great to see Fran again, and share what we've been learning over the past few weeks. I had a class who are probably at risk of been excluded, or at the very least struggling to pass any exams. So I went for a pacy lesson with lots of short, engaging activities that would keep them active and involved. We started off going for a skydive, which they seemed to really enjoy. Then we did a mingle...

 So our final observations got put forward a week because of... Fallas? or something? Not too sure but either way, it is now complete and I'm pretty glad about it as it's one less thing to worry about. Feels like I've already finished after just over 2 weeks which a bit strange.  Luckily for me I had it with my favourite class, a level 5 group (age 10-11) who are all amazing and don't get too out of control. The lesson went pretty smoothly - pre-taught some vocab for a reading task about different types of stories and a game to finish up. Was worried it wouldn't all fit in to a 55 minute slot but I underestimated how good they actually are at English so the final task went a lot quicker than I thought. Got some decent feedback from Fran at the end. More boardwork, less handouts, make the game more educational and a few other pointers. But overall it went well. Not sure what would've happened if he'd observed one of the other classes though... Classroom manag...

 So to follow on from the previous blog, the weekend didn't exactly go as planned. Friday was meant to be a quiet one with the intention of feeling fresh to visit the Castell de Xativa and for the weekend in general. But a quiet one it was not, as suggested by the noise complaint we had from neighbouring flats. In our defense, the complaint was absolutely not true (that we were singing and being loud from 2-6am), as we were out in Russafa before midnight. But admittedly it was pretty loud before that and we won't be doing it again (sorry). I found myself feeling extremely hungover and tired Saturday morning but we still attempted the Castell. We made it all the way onto the correct train and all was going well until *somebody* saw the word Xativa at one of the stops and insisted we all got off in a hurry, only to find out we weren't even half way to the destination and the next train wasn't for another 55 minutes. So back to Valencia we went, apart from Harry and Hamish...

I t’s true to say I have had teething problems here.    But I must say I have really loved it from the start ( and I now have WIFI which has helped things a lot !).   I e specially love my school (Colegio Discipulas de Jesús) and also the beautiful city of León itself.    I may go home still unable to properly say the name of my school (it’s still my mission, I haven’t given up!) but the experience will always stay with me.    These are incredibly special young people - full of vitality and enthusiasm.    I was almost knocked over by one of the secondary lads yesterday, as he was mucking around on his way into the lesson.    I told him to be careful (because he almost knocked over a boy on crutches as well!) and he came up to me and (in rather broken English  🤦🏼‍♀️ !) profusely apologised for being a 'stupid boy'.    He had been pretty stupid but he seemed genuinely remorseful, which impressed me.   I...

  After the long weekend, the first day back at school was tough. A reading and listening lesson with a group of 10 year olds, based around a folktale, didn’t quite go to plan, so by the end of the day I was feeling dejected. I have quickly realised that there are so many variables contributing to “success” or “failure” in the classroom, that it is impossible to predict or fully determine the outcome. The important thing is to cultivate a Positive Mental Attitude and take away some learning point from each classroom experience, moving onto the next one, with just a wee bit more wisdom and kit in the armoury. My first observed lesson took place the following day and I was much happier with it and received some constructive feedback from my mentor, who is always prepared to make time to listen or provide some advice.   I have learned an interesting technique for facilitating group work. It is called “pens to the middle” and involves the students (seated in groups of 4) putting...

  Saturday 5th March   A plan to visit a castle, forty minutes out of the city, come to an abrupt end when a group of tired teachers get off at the wrong train station miles from anywhere. On the way back towards Valencia, Hamish had an idea.  “Why don’t we get off at the next stop, Silla, and find a way to visit the lake, Pobles del Sud, that’s a few miles away?”I was interested. Hamish had mentioned the lake a few times; a lake you could see the sea from and vice-versa. Reputedly, the area had some of the best paella in the Valencian region, too.  Nobody else was interested, but me and Hamish jumped off at Silla station. Leaving the train station, we came to the sleepiest town we’d ever seen - not a single shop was open, and the quiet was unsettling after the constant noise of Falles-time Cabañal. The sound of firecrackers and explosions intermittently broke the silence whilst we worked out our next move. It was a 25-minute drive to the town of El Palmar beside the...