We are not yet back at school, but already
I am having sleepless nights and nightmares about arriving to school on the
first day with not a single lesson plan nor worksheet nor any type of
fascinating game up my sleeve. I have
always suffered with stagefright and the first week back to school is always
the week for nerves, upset tummy and a totally blank brain.
I am a TEFL teacher (Teaching English as a
Foreign Language) in Spain and am entering my third teaching year already. Where on earth did the last two go?
I had fully intended to do my TEFL
qualification seven years ago, when I first came to Spain, but owing to life’s
many vagaries - see my last blog: “Three Westies, two laps, one bed” it did not
happen immediately. Nothing happens
immediately any more. Instead I only
managed to do it three years ago and on completion was offered and took the
first job that came my way. That did not
work out so well. I stuck it out until Christmas and then had to quit as my
stress levels were rising exponentially and it was either that or have a
nervous breakdown. Luckily for me, at
that very moment, Gail, of the Alhaurin School of English (ASE), was looking for a part-time teacher. I explained
my lack of experience and I was gently introduced to teaching there under the
guidance of Rose, from whom I was taking over, as well as other kind teachers who let me shadow them as I gained confidence and tactics.
The past two years have been a rollercoaster
of hard work, study and personal successes and failures. The academy itself is an organic entity which
ebbs and flows with life. Teachers come
and teachers go. Teachers have crises
and adventures. We have very little time
to chat within school hours, but endeavour to arrange a TNO every month. That is, a Teachers’ Night Out. We find it to be relaxing, relieving and
downright fun. Often there is
no breath drawn between one story and the next.
I have learned that teachers are notorious for being able to talk and
talk and talk. I include myself in that. I try to force myself to listen as much as possible too, though some may say
that I do not succeed very often. It is
an opportunity to let our hair down amongst our colleagues. At school one has to ‘behave’ but on a girl’s
night out – currently there are only female teachers – one can be as blue as
one wishes…and one often wishes.
…and so, the lesson planning slowly cranks
into gear in the Gregoriy household, very slowly, as I seem to have encountered
a rather nasty recurring virus, which leaves for a day or two only to return
unannounced with sharp headache, joint aches, a tummy upset and an overwhelming
urge to sleep all the time. Today I had
to have three naps! Still I plod on and
have purchased a month’s supply of high strength Echinacea to try to overcome
my illness.
I am not helped by the Westies…yes, they’re
still around, who try to entice me, cajole me, bully me and downright order me
to either rub their bellies, walk them or feed them. Lately they have developed quite a taste for
melon. So for our elevenses we all sit
down on the lawn for a nice, crunchy, chilled slice of Piel de Sapo, just after my first nap. We will all be in for a rude awakening come
Monday.
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| Looki noshes down on his piece of melon |
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| ...and Candy delicately nibbles on hers..... |
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| "Oy! Where's my melon gone?!" You ate all yours Kerry! |
Roll on year three!
