Our Last Week💔

It is currently 7:30am and I’m on the Metro on the way to school. Sitting here I remember this is the last time I’ll be heading it to teach my Monday classes. Unfortunately, we have only 6 days until we have to head back to the UK, leaving sunny Valencia behind. Everything about this experience has been so rewarding and I have learnt so much. For the last week of teaching, I am teaching pretty much all of my timetable apart from a couple of classes who have exams this week. 

My mentor, Salut has been so supportive throughout always making sure I have whatever I need. The way she has gradually increased my teaching hours has been really successful in building my confidence. Prior to this experience I had no in person teaching experience, having done my CELTA online, so I was very nervous to start. I am going to make the most of this opportunity for the last week, trialling as many techniques and activities as possible to make the most successful lessons I can. 

For our final full weekend we spent Friday afternoon at the beach. Unfortunately, after I came out the sea I forgot to reapply my sun cream, so currently I have a very sore red back. This is added on top of the numerous mosquito bites and a dog bite (it was only a chihuahua)!🙈For the rest of the weekend,  we had two activities organised by Schola. The first was a cooking class where we made Spanish Omelette, Paella and a sponge cake ( I’m not sure what the name of it was?!). The second was an escape room. Although it was just three of us who did the escape room it was a lot of fun and we did manage to escape in the allotted time!

My cooking buddy, Kitty❤ (although she doesn't look too impressed with the way I'm cutting the courgette). 

This has got to be one of the most unflattering pictures of me but it was the only in focus picture.... WE ESCAPED!

It is now, 7:30pm and I am finishing writing this blog after an afternoon of lesson planning. I was the first person here in Valencia to have my observed lesson and I'm glad it is out the way. Up until now, I have surprised myself with how calm and stress free I have felt because I am not a very calm and collected person. For some reason, I found myself getting anxious about this observation (unlike the first one). I felt I had something to prove, to show Fran that I can teach. But I was worrying unnecessarily. For those of you who still have yours later this week, it is not scary and it really just an opportunity to get some feedback on both your strengths and weaknesses. 

I hope everyone else in Leon is having just as much of a positive experience that we are having here in Valencia.

We went out to eat with our friend Andrea, who was a trainee teacher with us at school for the first two weeks. She took us to a local burger restaurant with two of her friends who are also doing a masters in bilingual teaching with her.