Our fourth class: last Thursday 22nd October.

This class was supposed to be given by both of us. Howerver, I started and the activities I was in charge of giving took more time than expected. Therefore, I ended up giving the whole class.

This felt really good!! because when I looked at the watch, the bell was about to ring, almost 80 minutes had passes and I hadn't realized it. I got really trapped in the activities and students showed motivated and enthusiastic about the proposed tasks.

They made questions and "all" of them worked.

What Micaela and I got really fascianted at was that at the end of the class 4 students volunteered to read their written productions.

That was marvellous!! especially because they put up with their fear of misspronouncing and dared to enter into the risk of being laughed at and of feeling embarrased. That's why I took advantage of the situation to encourage students to participate telling them that the only way to learn is by making mistakes and accepting them as a natural part of the learning process. At the same time, I told them that laughing at their classmates' mistakes doesn't help for the learning process of the whole group and that, besides, and most importantly, showing respect and concern for my partner was a good attitude worth to be taken and exercised.

As a whole, the class was entertaining and active in that each member of it with its particular qualities, moods and possibilities contributed to a more relaxed environment and a friendly atmosphere!

Our second lesson but my first one!

Ok! Today was my first lesson in the sense that I was the one in charge of giving it!

I can say that it was an awesome experience! I felt completely relaxed though I was being observed by my University professor. I was grinning from ear to ear to see that students were all ears! I think, as a teacher, you will always rejoice in seeing students-favourable-answers. Maybe they are not the answers you expected but they are answers after all. Each boy, each girl, in their own particular way...that is what I feel delighted at because there is where I can see the miracle of each particular life with its unique personality and experiences of the world.

I felt confident and willing to do my best and that was certainly felt by the students. I saw them laughing, showing astonishment, showing a shy attitude and a not so shy one, trying to speak in English running the risk of being laughed at and laughing themselves at their own mistakes. Actually, expressing themselves as they wanted and feeling comfortable in their own seats (not wanting to escape from the class at the first chance they found).

The strategy used at the beginning of the class of giving students sweets served as a motivator at the same time that made them practice one of the grammatical structures learned. In fact, what I noticed they liked a lot was that they were given the candies one by one and they "were named and asked what sweet they prefered: a lollipop or a chewing gum". The sole action of calling them by their names, I think, was novel and catchy for them. I believe that learning the names of our students is quite a good strategy if we want to reach closer to them and make them feel comfortable and actively involved in the class.

Well, there are many other points I could refer at but I prefer leaving them for later when I had reflected deeper about them. As time passes by, the perception of events and of the persons involved in them becomes broader and richer.

Our first class: Blas Parera School

And finally..our first class at the school has arrived. It was last Thursday. And though Micaela gave it, I payed careful attention to the students and the teacher in order to comment something about it.

Ok!...students got really enthusiastic with all the visual material we took to the class, posters and flashcards, and they said to their teacher... "Miss, you never teach us this way"..we didn't know where to hide with Micaela because the truth is that the classes given by their teacher are very poor in terms of material and motivation.

Micaela felt really comfortable and students showed truly helpful.

There was a group of girls which appeared to be really shy. I think it will be one of the challenges for us: "to make them participate by making them feel they are able to do it as all the others!"


Boys are not shy at all, in general.

The class is balanced between boys and girls and they are thirty students. What I did notice is that they are not the same age. There are many who are repeating this 8th year at school and not for the first time. Their ages are between 13 and 17 years old. So, that is also challenging for us who will have to answer to the interests of a wide age span.

Let's see how we manage! I'm very optimistic and trustful about the students abilities and open attitudes to us and the subject itself.

I hope that time will confirm my positive feelings.