My first experience as a teaching assistant began here in Sevilla approximately a month ago. I had been warned that the school system was slightly different than its American counterpart– especially regarding language classes – but I had not realized just how prevalent the Spanish culture was inside of the classroom until I was in it myself. Teachers show a level of adoration and concern for their students that would be seen as taboo in the United States. Today, even, I watched as one of the teachers I was helping comforted a distraught third-grader by hugging her and kissing her forehead multiple times. A hug can be quite common, but kisses are unheard of. American parents would have a fit if they thought their child was being coddled by someone other than them.
Another obvious difference deals with the students themselves. They are extremely eager to learn. Their smiling faces greet me every Monday morning, and when I explain what lessons we will be learning today, there is rarely a single groan in response. My past experiences of being in elementary school indicate that this is unique in comparison; normally, even the teacher walking in and sitting at her desk in the beginning of the class results in pouting faces and rolling eyes. Not at Rafael Alberti. This is a school where the children are eager to show off their English skills to anyone who will listen. I am thankful that I am able to be a part of this experience, which will ease me into professions in education while I grasp cultural differences between my home country and Spain.
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