This week I began volunteering at a local school, El Colegio de San Jose. Aidan and I attended an orientation at the school a few weeks prior, but I finally got to start in the classroom this week. I am assisting as a teacher aid in the English classrooms, which I am very excited about. The school has several separate buildings, with students from elementary school to high school all in the same campus. I chose to volunteer in the secondary classroom, where I see students from ages 14-16. For my first day with the class I listened to presentations that the students did in English, which is how they start every class. Then I gave my own presentation to introduce myself and the students were very eager to ask me questions. Later I took groups of 3-6 students with me into a separate classroom to speak with them on a more personal level. The students were much more comfortable to speak when they were away from the large group, and I loved hearing about their lives and answering their questions. The most interesting difference that I found between students in the United States and in Spain is the expectation around working. They could not believe that I have had a job since I was 14. In Spain it is very rare for a student to have a job, and I learned that a big reason is because attending the university and paying for higher education is much more affordable here, so students do not have to worry about paying for their future. My first day in the school was wonderful and I am excited to get to know the students more!
A slide from the presentation that I shared with the English class
Aidan and me visiting the school for orientation