Several times I wished to disappear from earth but I don’t know why this is happening to me with frequency lately. If I have to be honest, I have to say I am not as brave as I thought (well…at least in some cases). The thing is that I got angry with myself because I don’t know how to fight with this feeling. I think I have gone through so many situations that were very difficult for me to face, but the things that I consider difficult to face are the easiest for any human being, and it is to socialise.
Since I was a child I used to do the things by my own and if I had to play alone, I did it. When I was at high school, I was in three different private schools which made me the things difficult; I felt I could not establish a very strong relationship among my classmates. Even once, I spent five months without talking to any of my partners.
At university the situation got worse. Although meeting the typical competitive students who barely spoke to you or who rejected to lend you their notes if you missed one class, I met friendly people who helped you in everything. But my point is that I did not know how to go on in the conversations we had.
Here, at the institute, the things got better. I met people who I consider now as great friends but I noticed I still have that feeling of running away and hide under a rock when things do not result as I want, what I think it is frequent to happen, but what I don’t think it is frequent is to be so coward about so common situations. And this worries me because in an upcoming future I will have to make good relationships with my future colleagues and I do not know how to overcome this.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Learning to teach
Last year I had my first experience in front of a real class. I had the opportunity to do the teaching trainings in ninth and eighth year with my classmate and friend, Monica. The first group was a big one and the second was a smaller one but with a higher level of the foreign language.
The thing is that we started with the students of ninth year. It was a class of twenty-three girls and eighteen boys and they seemed not to be very interested in learning the language. We observed the class during almost two months and then we began the practices. The English class began at half past seven and it was not easy for us to catch their attention at that time as they were still asleep and it was also difficult for us to encourage them to get involved with the language. Besides, they misbehaved and we had to do a great effort to deal with all these difficulties but fortunately, we had a great teacher who helped us to carry out with them.
The second group was completely different. Personally, I have to say that it was a pleasure working with them. They were twenty-one students who seemed to love English and they were willing to participate in all our classes (which is the dream of every teacher of English) and although the level they were working with required a lot of effort from us, I felt incredible comfortable with them. When I was in front of the class I felt as if it would be my own, and my classmate and I had the opportunity to choose how to work with them.
We share extraordinary moments with these groups and although the difficulties we had at the beginning, all this helped me to realize that I have the ability (though I still have several things to learn) to teach. Because perhaps you sometimes doubt about your choice and this experience helped me a lot to appreciate this career. Every time I was giving my class in front of the students and teachers I never felt judged about what I was doing. Of course I made a lot of mistakes being there, but our teacher facilitated our job and exploded our minds to prepare creative tasks for the students. Now that I believe I have the capacity to teach, I decided to improve in what I do everyday and try to do my best.
The thing is that we started with the students of ninth year. It was a class of twenty-three girls and eighteen boys and they seemed not to be very interested in learning the language. We observed the class during almost two months and then we began the practices. The English class began at half past seven and it was not easy for us to catch their attention at that time as they were still asleep and it was also difficult for us to encourage them to get involved with the language. Besides, they misbehaved and we had to do a great effort to deal with all these difficulties but fortunately, we had a great teacher who helped us to carry out with them.
The second group was completely different. Personally, I have to say that it was a pleasure working with them. They were twenty-one students who seemed to love English and they were willing to participate in all our classes (which is the dream of every teacher of English) and although the level they were working with required a lot of effort from us, I felt incredible comfortable with them. When I was in front of the class I felt as if it would be my own, and my classmate and I had the opportunity to choose how to work with them.
We share extraordinary moments with these groups and although the difficulties we had at the beginning, all this helped me to realize that I have the ability (though I still have several things to learn) to teach. Because perhaps you sometimes doubt about your choice and this experience helped me a lot to appreciate this career. Every time I was giving my class in front of the students and teachers I never felt judged about what I was doing. Of course I made a lot of mistakes being there, but our teacher facilitated our job and exploded our minds to prepare creative tasks for the students. Now that I believe I have the capacity to teach, I decided to improve in what I do everyday and try to do my best.
Oral Presentation
I would like to give my opinion about the topic I prepared for my oral presentation. The topic I talked about was The Argentinean’s war veterans. From the very beginning I knew it was going to be a very hard issue since all the difficulties and miseries the veterans have gone through and also the indifference they have been treated with during these years. But I could never imagine that apart from being ignored by the state, they have been ignored by the media, and I say this because when I was searching for information for the oral presentation, it was difficult for me to find recent news about them.
One of the issues I focus on was the massive suicides that have happened among them since the Malvinas war ended and there was not many websites dedicated to them or even to the current situation of the veterans. What I do found was an article in La Nacion online, in which the most significant information was the fact that our president was not present in the act of the 25th anniversary of the Malvinas war and there was only one paragraph mentioning the suicide of the veteran number four hundred since the war ended. And my point is not to dedicate a whole article to this worrying situation, but the media support them as they have not been supported by the state.
While I was looking for information for the presentation, I read an interview made to one of the soldiers which made me realize of how frustrated they feel about this war. This soldier says many of them feel disappointed for not being recognized and besides that, they are susceptible. He told that for the 24th anniversary of this war there was going to be an act in the most important square in Rosario in honour of the death soldiers, and one of his partners committed suicide when he learnt about this because he thought they were going to reunite to come back to war. The thing is that he was asked what we could do to help them, and he answered that with only keep them in our minds was enough.
One of the issues I focus on was the massive suicides that have happened among them since the Malvinas war ended and there was not many websites dedicated to them or even to the current situation of the veterans. What I do found was an article in La Nacion online, in which the most significant information was the fact that our president was not present in the act of the 25th anniversary of the Malvinas war and there was only one paragraph mentioning the suicide of the veteran number four hundred since the war ended. And my point is not to dedicate a whole article to this worrying situation, but the media support them as they have not been supported by the state.
While I was looking for information for the presentation, I read an interview made to one of the soldiers which made me realize of how frustrated they feel about this war. This soldier says many of them feel disappointed for not being recognized and besides that, they are susceptible. He told that for the 24th anniversary of this war there was going to be an act in the most important square in Rosario in honour of the death soldiers, and one of his partners committed suicide when he learnt about this because he thought they were going to reunite to come back to war. The thing is that he was asked what we could do to help them, and he answered that with only keep them in our minds was enough.
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