Starting Summer in the USA

Now that I'm at home in Indy with my mom and dad, I finally feel like summer has begun! The end of the year in Barcelona was quite frantic due to leaving school almost a week early - there was SO much to be done in my classroom before heading out, along with grades, paperwork, etc. It was also quite surreal to be in Washington, D.C. (a place that is about as "American" as you can get) with co-workers and friends from ASB, as well as surrounded by people who literally teach all over the world! Needless to say, last week did not feel like I was back home on summer vacation.

This transition to the US has definitely been easier than last summer. Although I still feel surprised to hear everyone around me speaking English, I don't automatically want to speak to everyone in Spanish, either. (And no, I am nowhere near speaking Spanish fluently!) I'm again amazed by the space and distances in the US, how cities are so not set up for walking, the huge portions of food, and the wonderfully large glasses of ice water you get at restaurants without even asking.

There is something about being able to understand everything around me, knowing where to go for what I need, and being with friends and family that is instantly relaxing. My mom's amazing meals, sleeping in my old, old bed, having coffee with my dad - some things will forever be "home."

I look forward to spending the next two weeks with friends, family, and Indy, as well as trying to do as many "American" things as possible. With the barbecues, baseball games, fireworks, and happy hours planned, this should be easy!

Year One of International Teaching - Complete!

Wow - I can hardly believe that my first year teaching at ASB is over! My kids and I were reminiscing about our year together, all of us shocked that it could already be finished. I was happy to see that it doesn't matter where you are or what group of kids you are working with, the end of the year is always crazy! I was consistently asked if we could have a party every day for the last week and saw many shocked faces when I told the kids they would actually have to do a little bit of work.

However, our last day was full of movie-watching, sharing letters with one another, yearbook-signing, and lots of junk food - it was perfect! Some students gave me gifts which were just incredible. It's clear how well they know me - I got multiple pairs of sparkly earrings, a beautiful summer scarf, a beach bag, and more. However, my favorite gift was definitely the power point describing why I was the "BTE" (Best Teacher Ever). I teared up as a few students read the sweetest letters to their friends and when one of my most favorite students waited until he was the last one left, hugged me, and told me how much he would miss me over the summer. Luckily, I know I will see all but one of these students again in September - it's amazing how much easier that makes the end of the year!

A few friends and I have talked before about how one of the best and worst things about teaching is the fact that you have such a concrete end and beginning every year. There's something refreshing and motivating about getting to start over each year, yet it can also be quite emotional to say goodbye to kids and teachers each summer. (I think the emotions that go with this are quite dependent on the group of kids you have!)

After spending the past week at the AERO conference in Washington, DC, I'm already feeling excited to start a new year! I think one of the best things I could have done professionally was to be a "new teacher" again. It's amazing how easy it is to get used to philosophies, systems, resources, and kids when you stay in one place for a long time. I feel like so much of this past year was about me finding my way, learning how to incorporate what I believe in and know to be good instruction into new systems and structures. Now that I know how ASB "works," I think next year will be even more productive for both me and my kids.

Although I'm excited to begin a new year, I'm even more excited for a vacation! No more teacher talk - look for posts about summer adventures coming soon!

Visitors, please!

As my first year in Barcelona is drawing to a close, it’s hard to believe how much has happened! A new city brought with it a new job, a new relationship, new challenges, and so many new memories – what an amazing year it has been!

After spending my year in Sevilla truly living from paycheck to paycheck, I finally feel like I am starting to get somewhere financially. It will take a while to pay off my debts, but at least I now know that it’s possible. It’s amazing how much a steady paycheck, a beautiful apartment, and a job that I love make me feel like I’m living a “life” again. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret my year in Sevilla one bit. However, it felt more like I was living the life of a 21-year-old again, not a 30-year-old. It was fun at first, but not for long!

Although it might not always seem like it, I do feel like an adult again! I’m excited to be making travel plans, moving into a new apartment with Tessa (which means a much anticipated trip to Ikea), starting my second year of international teaching and preparing for another year in a city I have fallen in love with.

Because of all of these things, I am feeling desperate to share this life with the people I love! I realize how spoiled I was last year – I had SO many visitors! I was so lucky to have so many great friends and family members come to Sevilla – I know it is not an inexpensive trip. As wonderful as those moments were, I now want people to see my life in Barcelona even more because it truly feels like my life. I want to show off the city, my school, my friends, Matias.

So, if it fits in the budget, please make Barcelona one of your travel destinations this year – I promise it will be a great trip! And, we have an empty bedroom, which means no paying for accommodations. Hasta pronto!

"Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder?" - yikes!

I never expected to be quite so sentimental, but I was really sad to leave Matias this morning, knowing I’m not going to see him for three full weeks! When we first met, we had only a few days together, then I left for the US for two weeks over the holidays. That seemed like awhile at the time, but it was a completely different situation. Just the thought of it seems like a lifetime!

We spent most of Friday night and Saturday together and if anyone had been watching us, I’m sure we were nauseating to witness! The amount of love I feel for this man is just incredible. There was lots of hand holding, and “I love you,” and staring into each other’s eyes. At times, I did laugh out loud at the extent of it. But wow, nothing could have made me happier. If my heart grows any fonder, it might burst!

I had been feeling really anxious over the past few weeks about being gone for so long. However, with the end of school and the realization that I would be seeing friends and family soon, made most of that anxiety turn to excitement.

So, I am currently missing him, but feeling SO excited to be “home” for a few weeks, especially to see my mom and other loved ones. I hope these next three weeks go slowly enough to fill them with as many memories as possible, but just quick enough that I’m not too anxious to get “home” to the other one I love.

Delta del Ebro or Cal-Wood?

I recently returned from ASB’s annual 5th grade trip to the Delta del Ebro. Having been the coordinator for Crawford’s annual trip to Cal-Wood for three years, I was so excited to go! I was very curious to see what would be the same and what might be different. It was definitely an experience!

One of the main differences between this trip and the ones I was used to is that this trip was a full week. It was an amazing time, but 5 days and 4 nights is a long time! However, we did get paid 300 euros for chaperoning, which is quite a nice addition that didn’t exist in APS!

At the Delta, we were able to take advantage of our location near the water – we went to the beach, kayaking on the Ebro River, and biking near the sea. It was beautiful! However, we had to take a bus everywhere we went, which was a big change for me. At Cal-Wood, once you were there, you were there. Everything you did was in walking distance, which sometimes could be up to nine miles round trip. In addition, everything we did was in the mountains. Completely different scenery, but equally beautiful.

We spent a fantastic day biking along the Ebro River!

I have to say, nothing at Cal-Wood compared to the

rice planting/mud fight at the Delta!

Another difference was the food. At Cal-Wood, the food was amazing! We had a healthy lunch of sandwiches, hummus and vegetables, and fresh-baked cookies for dessert. Breakfast and dinner were always delicious and balanced. The food at the Delta left a bit to be desired. Although the café con leches were perfect and we could have wine and beer with every meal (a nice perk of life in Spain!), the food was awful. We only had fresh fruit and vegetables twice and the fact we had French fries with every meal became a running joke. For our vegetarians, one meal consisted of white rice, potato chips, and ice cream. Not exactly the best when doing active things all day.

Finally, the accommodations were quite different as well. At Cal-Wood, the kids slept in actual log cabins. This meant that ideally an adult would need to be in each one to prevent any trouble, but they were lovely. At the Delta, we were basically in a dorm. The teachers had their own room, but the walls were paper thin and at times we didn’t even have enough water to shower.

At Cal-Wood, our guides were trained in outdoor education – the kids (and me!) learned SO much while there about history, nature, and survival. Although our guides were great at the Delta, it wasn’t the same.

Clearly, these trips were very different. Each had their positives and their negatives. However, I have to say going to the Delta definitely put Cal-Wood in a new perspective for me. I appreciate the quality and level of teaching even more than I did before. Is it possible that ASB’s 5^th grade trip could move to a new destination? Well, that would mean breaking with 20+ years of tradition . . . an ASB battle I’m not prepared to fight quite yet.

Digital Book Trailers

Our super-amazing librarian, Courtney, showed me something new she learned at a recent conference - digital book trailers! It's the exact same concept as a movie trailer - short and sweet, created to grab the attention of your audience and make them want more.

As my class finished their Newbery Award-Winning book study, this seemed to be the perfect final project. And, as usual, these kids could hardly contain their excitement! In hopes of being better able to help them create their own, I made one as well. It's for our most recent read aloud book - The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg. I have to say, it's REALLY hard to choose only a sentence or two to sum up your book, as well as find images that really depict the bigger meaning of the text. Here's my first attempt . . . I hope it makes you want to read more! (Thanks for the idea, Courtney! :)

The View from Saturday on PhotoPeach