A "Typical" day at Carlos Aguilar

A “typical” day at my placement is anything but typical and everyday is fairly unique so I will try to give a general overview of the day and schedule and then talk specifically about some of the examples of the experiences I may have on a day-to-day basis.

            I volunteer at Escuela Carlos Aguilar every Tuesday and Thursday from 8 to 11AM, which means waking up at 6AM to take the hour commute to the school. The students have already been in class since 7AM and upon my arrival I am welcomed with a chorus of “Buenos Dias Leah!” and a large group-hug. Once the students are settled back into their seats from 8-9AM Profe Eli usually finishes up her lesson and leaves the stage to me to teach the English lesson I have prepared for the day. These children have never heard or learned English before in their lives so I feel very privileged to play the role as their first English teacher and introduction to the language. So far I have covered colors, some emotions and some parts of the body. I do not have many resources here to work with planning these lessons, but since Profe Eli speaks very minimal English, I know she is grateful with whatever I am able to prepare for the students.

During this time or at any point in the day Profe Eli may leave the room and leave me with the 26 students alone. Today the students proceeded to launch their hats up towards the ceiling and play with the materials on the board. Since I am only their for 2 days a week in the morning, and the students see me more as a friend when I am not teaching an English lesson, I do not have the same authority for discipline as Profe Eli has with her students. This is something I am continuing to work on so that I am able to keep the students under control when Profe Eli leaves me with the students.

            At 9AM the students have their lunches (probably when most of us are wanting to eat breakfast) and around 9:45 or 10AM they head out for recess. The students stay out on the playground until about 10:45AM and we head back to the classroom where I help Profe Eli set up her next lesson plan or activity before I leave for the day.

            This may all seem fairly smooth sailing, but we are 28 bodies in a very small classroom and the students are constantly pushing, kicking, shoving, you name it towards one another. There is also not a whole lot of structure and discipline in the classroom. Students can walk up and around the classroom when instruction is not going on and many students leave the classroom and head out to the patio. Additionally, last week we had a new student join our class who has been diagnosed with severe autism. This child cannot verbally communicate and does not usually participate in class discussion. We have to make sure the surroundings are secure at all times because if he escapes from our sight (as occurred today) I have to go wandering the school looking for him, chase him down and carry him back to the classroom.

            The experiences I am having at Escuela Carlos Aguilar are incredibly valuable and I am always in for a surprise every day I attend. Having to teach the English language in Spanish to the students who are 4 and 5 years old and can’t yet read or write in their first language is a challenge, but it is the reason I chose to do my practicum at this school. Overall, the “ah-ha” moments, when the kids remember and start singing the songs I taught them, or remind me that they know the word for something in English makes the harder moments more bearable.