Advice and Tips from the 2022-2023 Aux
As the year comes to an end I want to leave some advice that I hope the next aux will find helpul.
Getting to school...
Mairena del Aljarafe is a neighborhood outside of the city center. The commute is very managable if you live in Triana (maximum 30 minutes).
Working with the students...
You will find that many of the students do not have bilingual backgrounds. Don't be discouraged! I found that I was able to use strategies like TPR (total physical response) to reinforce vocabulary. You may need to teach basic vocabulary related to the classroom and instruction before you move on to vocabulary related to the class topics. You will have access to all of the lessons that I made. Feel free to use them.
Due to the fact that many students do not have a bilingual background, you may notice some aprehension toward English. This honestly makes sense. Be patient. I found that classes like PE and technology were valuable in building rapport with the students. It is easy to think that "just talking" to students isn't a great use of your time, but it may be the best use of your time. It teaches students real communication skills and allows them to practice speaking and listening simultaneously which will improve L2 comprehension. It also makes students more comfortable with you. Ask them about their weekends in PE. Help them with tangible tasks in technology. When they see that you can and want to help them (not only with English but with the tasks at hand) they will be more receptive to the English lessons.
Working with the teachers...
We may not work with the same teachers. So I will give general advice. Some teachers will allow you to plan ahead. I do this in art class. The teacher gives me a subject or content she wants me to focus on, and I plan the next two or three lessons (which last about a month on a rotating schedule). Other teachers will not be able to do this given the nature of the course. They may not know what they will be teaching the following week. Our job is to assist teachers and students with English content. Sometimes this means that a teacher will give you the worksheet or activity because they don't have time to include additional content. You can communicate with teachers about the following class:
a) After class
b) Between classes (teachers may have breaks that align with yours)
c) Via WhatsApp
If you haven't heard from a teacher be sure to send them a message on WhatsApp. Sometimes students have exams and excursions. The teachers are busy and sometimes forget to communicate this with the aux. When this happens you can:
a) Be put in a different class if a bilignual or English teacher needs you
b) Work on the blog
c) Plan for a different class
d) Assist bilingual teachers in the teacher's room
My last bit of advice is to simply remember what it was like to be in high school. It's a hard time for many students. Students may have things going on at home that you will never see or know about. Don't take behavioral issues or lack of interest personally. Focus on building appropriate bonds with the students. Listen when they talk. Encourage them to use the language they have to communicate to you and be receptive to whatever they are able/try to do. Some of them really want to practice and improve their English! Some do not. You'll often hear "Es que no sé inglés..." I like to respond (always in English) "It's okay! Just try. I can understand you." and leave them with some encouragement like "That was good!" or "See, that was easy, wasn't it?" at the end.