13 Oct 2011
As I've written about previously, at the beginning of October, the school schedule changed to make the school day longer. Instead of going to school from 9 AM to 1 PM, now students are in school from 9 AM to 12:30 PM and then 3:30 PM to 5 PM. Or so I thought...
In reality, students are basically in school from 9 AM to 5 PM. Originally, I thought that a majority of students went home for lunch for the three hour break. However, in talking with one of the English teachers, I've learned that actually only a small percentage of students go home for lunch.
The rest of the students stay at the school and there are classes and other activities planned for them. Students get a longer period of time to eat than students get in the States as well as some time to play out on the patio. During the rest of the time, they have what I would call a study hall--which is good for them. I've gotten the impression that they get more homework than I think students in the US get. They also have classes in technology, music, etc...
Apparently, in other Communities (by Communities I mean other Autonomous Communities), the schedules are different. In one region, school goes from 9 AM to 2:30 PM. I've talked to a number of teachers who think that such a schedule might be better for the students. Since the school day is so long, students are exhausted by the time afternoon classes begin. I know this because I have two classes of 1st grade on Thursday afternoons. It's hard to motivate them to learn in the afternoon, and they are often crabby and prone to getting into arguments with other students.
However, since I don't teach any classes during the break, I have started going over to the beach--just 10 minutes away from the school! It's a really beautiful beach. It's pretty small, but it looks like a small bit of paradise. Usually, I bring a lunch from home and I sit on a bench in the shade of a palm tree (so I don't get burnt or get sand all over me). I'll post some photos of the beach soon!
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