Week 1

Traveling to Spain has been an eye opening experience so far! Barcelona is a beautiful city with an abundance of things to do. There are shops and restaurants in walking distance of the apartment. It is easy to use public transport around the city, but it is also possible to walk to several places. There is a large variety of food and I have tried several local dishes already. The most interesting was the Paella. Paella is a rice dish. I have tried one with sea food and one without. They were both very tasty and different. The food at supermercados is similar, but slightly different. There seems to be less processed food. You can buy bread from bakeries and meat from butchers instead of purchasing it all at one grocery. 

It is incredible how many people are able to communicate with us in English. I have been amazed at the different languages I have heard spoken. I have also been surprised at how much Spanish I have picked up on. I took 4 years of Spanish in high school and 1 semester in college. A lot of the language I learned is coming back to me since I am immersed in it now. Some students have been helping me read it and translate it by looking at their children's books. I think it is incredible that they are able to translate. I wish I grew up with the opportunity to be exposed to multiple languages at such a young age. It must be so much easier to learn as a child than it is now. 

Each morning we ride the bus for an hour to school with the children. The schedule is different each day unlike the schools I have worked in in the states. I am placed in a second grade classroom in St. Paul's school. The students speak three languages fluently. They are kind and interested in learning about America. I observe their English teacher each day. The teacher has a relaxed manner of teaching and is very kind to the students. The teachers schedule is different each day; However, it is a much more relaxed work environment. The teachers have a break for second breakfast, an hour break for lunch, and plenty of time to plan during the day. Although the workday is longer than schools in the states, it seems shorter to me because of the low stress environment. 

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 28, 2019 at 2:48 PM

    Rebecca, I am so glad you are enjoying your trip. It sounds like you are eager to get your Spanish back and you will have many opportunities to do so! If you are on Twitter, tag me @WKUmartin. I would love to celebrate your experience for our local school districts. WKU is proud of you!

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