Midyear Reports

29 Jan 2012

As part of our Fulbright experience, we are required to fill out a midyear report--so that Fulbright can see how our projects are going, but also so that we can reflect on our experiences so far. In filling out this report, I realized how much progress I ACTUALLY have made.

The first part of the report asks about our primary goals for our projects. I'll admit I had to actually LOOK at my project proposal in order to remember precisely what my goals were. I wrote those goals over a year ago when I submitted my application. These goals have changed some since I received my placement, and I discovered what would be possible in Alicante.

There were two parts to my primary goal. First, I wanted to become a better teacher--through practice and collaboration with another teacher (in this case two teachers).

If you've been following my blog, you know that I've learned a ton about teaching since I arrived in Spain. I've studied educational theory and methods for teaching languages. These theories are helpful guides for figuring out how to organize a class, but they don't take into account the actual practice of being in a classroom with 25 noisy 1st graders.

My host teachers have given me a lot of leeway in trying new activities. I'm also getting advice for ways in which I can improve an activity or my approach.

Second, I wanted to use what I've learned about Spain and its culture in a Spanish classroom in the United States. 

This will mostly be a goal I fulfill later in my career as a Spanish teacher. However, I feel that there have been other ways in which I have been sharing what I've learned about Spanish culture--namely this blog and a pen pal project.

Next week, my students in 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade will start writing pen pal letters to the United States. I'll write more on this later! I'm hoping that I will be able to establish a connection between the Spanish and American schools such that they will be able to write letters next year even though I won't be here.

Picture of the Day:

Barcelona, Spain!