First up, a recap of my beginners class, as promised. Of the 42 on the list, 32 showed up the first day. There still weren't enough chairs for everyone, so some students had to sit on the floor in the beginning. After introducing myself and explaining the directions, I sent half of the students to the room next door. I spent the rest of the class running back and forth between the two. It was a little bit chaotic and my lesson was slightly too challenging for them, but we all survived. I decided to break the class into two groups for the next week though. It's a slightly longer time commitment for me, but easier to handle and more beneficial for the students since I can't actually be in two places at once.
This morning was the second time I met with them and about a third of the students disappeared. I think this may have been related to the chaotic nature of the first lesson and the fact that the material was too hard. oh well! It actually worked out really well because I had one class of 11 students and one class of 10 students, the perfect number for a language class. I also had a much better idea of their level this time, so the lesson was much more effective.
I really liked both groups. There is a large range of ages and backgrounds, from students who just finished high school to some retired ladies who are filling their days by learning new things. Of the 21 students, only 4 are men. typical. I am very hopeful about this class. I think it's going to be a great experience for me, and hopefully for the students too! In some ways I think it's a bit more challenging to teach beginners, but I also find it highly entertaining. I also like how it's so much easier to see their progress.
In other news, I finally had my observations for my SIT internship this week. Wagner Veillard from Brazil came down for three days to observe my classes, offer feedback and talk shop. It was great to have him here, a little touch of Brattleboro in Argentina! We got along well and had a lot of great discussions. He definitely gave me a lot to think about, some of which I am still processing, so I think I will have to save that for another post. For now I will go enjoy the new spring sunshine!
