Last Day

I can hardly believe we are leaving Barcelona in the morning. I have learned so much about the culture of the region, using my music skills to teach other subjects, and so much more. I can't wait to use my experiences here in my own classroom one day. Here are just a few pictures from my amazing and bittersweet last day in Catalunya.

This is just one of the 4 classes I worked with while at RMSI and I couldn't have loved it more. These kids were the sweetest and it really was amazing how well they responded to being taught in English. Music was really an asset when working with this age group, it became a kind of universal language that we could all enjoy. I got to share so many English songs from my childhood and they even taught me a Spanish song or two :)

This is a bag and book that my students made as a surprise. The book is filled with drawings of me and their favorite things. I have no idea how my cooperating teacher put together this project without my knowledge but it meant so much to me and I know that I will keep this forever as a reminder of my time in Spain with these amazing kids.

Finally, RMSI was kind enough to host a going-away lunch for us and our cooperating teachers at the school, complete with pizza and gifts. This small gesture was so simple but so meaningful. The teachers and administrators here were so welcoming and kind to me and my peers, so it was only fitting for us to all be able to share our last lunch together. My teacher in particular, was absolutely amazing and worked so hard to include me in every aspect of the teaching experience at RMSI. I feel so lucky to have been placed with her and I know that we'll stay in touch for years to come.

As I prepare to leave Barcelona, I can only hope that one day I might be able to return to see all the great friends I've made. For now, I'm looking forward to seeing my friends and family in Kentucky and I know that whatever happens, this experience has helped me become the teacher I want to be. 

Goodbye Barcelona, I'll miss you so much.

Hello Kentucky, we'll see ya soon!

First Day of School

Jet lag... Definitely. All the traveling yesterday got to me but I was determined to have a good day. I got up and walked with my host brother and sister to school, which only took about 15 minutes. The school is bigger than any school I've ever seen and houses all grades from P-1 (1 year olds) up to 12th grade. It's also trilingual meaning they teach in Spanish, Catalan, and, English and most students understand quite a bit of each language.

I'm with the P-2 (2 year old) group on Wednesdays (today) but every other day I'm with P-3. I was honestly surprised to learn that kids start school that young in Spain but my teacher said this isn't always the case. We got to do a lot of singing and movement classes. Mostly we try to expose the kids to different languages and to help them build psychomotor skills such as running, jumping, balancing, crawling, etc... 

Today was a very unusual day in the school because it is a Catalonian holiday. Sant Jordi, or Saint George, is a big holiday here where the kids dress up as either a knight (Saint George), a princess, or a dragon and traditionally, the girls give boys books and the boys give girls a rose. The kids had so much fun and it was awesome to get to participate in such a unique cultural tradition. 

Around 11:30, I got a 3 hour break in my schedule for lunch (the kids get 2 hours and many go home for lunch) so I went to explore Barcelona with some other student teachers on the trip.

After school, I went to La Ramblas to see all the Sant Jordi festivities with my host mom and brother and sister. My host dad stayed home with the two younger kids who wouldn't enjoy all the crowds.  

I got roses and books from my host dad and brother and I had so much fun with my family touring the city. 

What an incredible first day :)