IES Barrio Loranca

PORTFOLIO

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IES BARRIO LORANCA

Bilingual Center of the Community of Madrid

IES Barrio Loranca website.

IES Barrio Loranca school from school's website.

IES Barrio Loranca's library from school's website.

I work at a Secondary school called IES Barrio Loranca in an area outside of the Madrid center called "Fuenlabrada." When I first arrived, I was shocked to learn that my school had so many assigned auxiliars regardless of subject. It signified to me that my school is well-supported and stresses the importance of learning English. As for the English department, there are a few of us and we work with four different English teachers throughout the week. In one day, we see four different classes of different ages, grades, and level of English comprehension. I work with 2nd ESO, 3rd ESO, 4th ESO, and 1st BACH. My main job for my classes is to create presentations, games, and activities centered around United States cultural significances and differences from Spain. For the 1st BACH classes, I am also tasked with helping them prepare for their Cambridge exams, where they would greatly benefit from working with a native English speaker. The different types of activities that I have produced include: PowerPoints with writing prompts, jeopardy games, Kahoot games, and videos to preface classroom debates.

Examples shown below.

Throughout the four grades, there are different levels of English proficiency in each class. Some of my 3rd ESO classes have more confidence with English speaking compared to the older kids in 1st BACH, which people may assume the opposite. I have been quite surprised to learn that every class is so unique and within each grade, every class has their own needs and expectations. I find this to be really rewarding, as every presentation I make is not only made with grade/age differences in mind, but as well as the collective English level of the class. Keeping in mind; one class may be highly-skilled in English speaking, but they need help with writing in response to open-ended prompts. Or that some kids in classes work better in groups (while socially distanced) compared to individually. Working with my teachers, we make note of these differences to better support the learning of our classes.

One thing that has helped my relationships with my classes is my understanding of the Spanish language. My personal goal while in Madrid, outside of teaching, is to be a student myself and learn Spanish. While I am not fluent, I do have a working knowledge to be able to assist them with word translation and any misunderstandings that arise. I never speak the language, but with larger classes, it is easier if the teacher and I can assist when they are given writing prompts. Another pro of learning Spanish before, and during, this work experience is I can see that when assigned group work, students who may know more are actually assisting their fellow classmates. For example, when a student asks the teacher or me what something means in English, a classmate will turn to them and assist them before we could.

Some Presentations

Introductory presentation about myself.

Presentation comparing/contrasting high schools in the U.S. versus secondary schools in Spain. Facts about universities in the U.S. are also included.

The story of "Frankenstein" adapted for some of my 2nd ESO/3rd ESO classes.

The story of "Frankenstein" adapted for my more mature classes (4th ESO/1st BACH). In this presentation, we discussed themes seen in "Frankenstein" (i.e. Nature vs. Nurture, ethics in science, and society's impact on the creature.)

Modified from original presentation made by

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-English_teachers-Pet

This presentation was made for my 1st BACH classes, because these tips would assist them in preparing for their Cambridge exams. After this presentation, each person in the class answered practice interview questions (slide 9).

This presentation was made for all of my classes to encourage them to speak about their own beliefs and partake in discussion with each other.

My goals for myself for this school year was simply-put, to be present. Having experienced a whole school year online last year when I was finishing college, I can empathize with them. I can't imagine quite what it was like for my students to have done school online last year amidst a global pandemic, and one that we are experiencing to this day. I am sure this year has been anxiety-filled for them, never knowing if, or when, school may be online again. That being said, my main goal was to be present in every class; physically, mentally, and emotionally. I wanted them to feel excited about learning things that they may have never learned about or thought of in a certain way. Therefore, my goal for creating presentations was for them to be filled with new information. I didn't want them seeing or hearing the same information they may have heard from previous auxiliars. I knew my perspective could be beneficial for them. Another goal I set for myself was to not just stand at the front of the class and read from a powerpoint for 50 minutes straight. I sought to conduct engaging activities that got me moving around the classroom to help and observe. Another goal for myself was to be learning things as well. Not only did I want to learn the Spanish language outside of school, but I wanted to be learning cultural point-of-views from my students. They have taught me just as much as I have taught them, and that is all I can hope for.

The goals I have for my learners is nearly identical to my goals, which I think is how it should be. How can we expect so much of our students if we do not equally put in the work? Therefore, my goal for them was to be present as much as they could, even if it was 8:30 am. I would say they met my goals by the attentiveness they showed me during presentations, their note-taking, and their asking of questions. Another measure of success for them was to encourage students who did not speak a lot to answer a question, instead of those who always answered. Another goal I had for them was to tell me things about themselves as well as traditions in Spain pertaining to holidays. It really interested them to discuss what they know and to teach me. Lastly, another goal for my learners was to be just that; learners. When they learned something new and we revisited the topic later on, I measured their success in what they remembered about the new thing they had learned. The main activities I created to foster these goals were presentations with engaging videos and thought-provoking questions to spark discussions. The next class after these presentations, we would often revisit what we talked about with games or activities that focused on speaking and group work.

Overall, I would say I have contributed to the LA program with the types of activities I am doing and by participating in program in general. I think every LA offers much to this program purely by sharing our experiences, so that those after us will some guidance. The activities I am doing are centered around critical thinking about issues not just in the U.S., but issues that affect many other countries and cultures. From my students, I learned that some teachers do not critically teach about the history of Spain. I exemplified how they can begin to do this themselves when I presented about the true Thanksgiving dinner and Native American history in the United States.

I have had various highlights during my experience as a language assistant. One experience was a student coming up to me before class one day to ask what "btw" meant. I was taken aback at first because in the U.S., it is assumed that everyone knows what this means. This was my first experience explaining something unique to the English language. It was really nice to see the expression on his face changed to complete understanding once I explained. Another great experience I had was watching their faces light up and be in awe when I showed them pictures of my high school, to which they compared it to High School Musical. Another recent positive experience I had was with my kids right before Christmas break, we were guessing the song titles of popular American Christmas songs, and it was truly a delight. Afterwards, a few students came and brought me traditional Spanish Christmas treats. This made me feel really special. Overall, every teacher I work with, and the other LAs, have resulted in so many positive experiences as well.