New Teachers Welcome!

Today I had the chance to meet the new teachers at the CEDEI (Centers for Interamerican Studies.) Everyone seems really nice! I was relieved to discover that some of the teachers like myself, have no teaching experience. So I’m not the only one jumping into this.

We received information about the different types of classes (regular, intensive, Saturdays, niños) and the new books that the school is transitioning into. As teachers, we’ll have our manual, and the students will have their textbooks and workbooks. We also received a sample class schedule for the whole cycle, so we can use it as a guide to keep on track with the course material. This cycle will go from September to December, and as teachers we also get to take Spanish classes. I placed in the Advanced Level (glad to know my college degree in Spanish paid off!) and I will have class for 4 hours a week. I’m excited for this because it will keep my Spanish in good shape, and I hope I will meet more locals to chat with. It can get tricky when you become so entrenched in your own little group of English teachers. Sometimes you need to remind yourself and shout, “Hey you’re in Latin America! Speak more Spanish!” 

I’m also glad that I’m newly certified, so all of this English grammar stuff is fresh in my head. It’s incredible how little we recognize grammar points in our native tongue. Present Perfect? Heh?

During our new teachers meeting, we went on a tour of all 3 school locations. The most convenient for most of us is the Centro location, which is situated in the city center. It’s about a 10 minute walk from my homestay. Another school is located across the river, which is a nice walk, but nothing strenuous. The third location is pretty far out and would require the bus, a taxi, or a bicycle. Sunday will be the big day when we all receive our teaching assignments; times, locations, levels. It’s difficult to wait!

Aside from the meeting, today was an absolutely gorgeous day. Blue skies, very mild, lots of sunshine. Oh, just one of those fantastic-weather days that you never want to end. It was VERY nice for Cuenca, where year-round one can expect cold mornings, midday rain, and afternoon sun peeking through the clouds on a typical day. I’m exploring more parts of the city, and finding Cuenca to feel small, but filled with things to see. And I can’t get over the mountains that loom in the distance. And I thought the mountains around my college were big!

Another little anecdote: last night I was invited to see a local band with my housemates. We were told the show started at 8:00pm, but things here usually get underway later, so we expected the show to actually start around 8:30. In true Ecuadorian fashion, the show truly started at 10:00, with the band taking a break about 20 minutes later. Being a morning person, I was pretty beat, so some of my housemates and I headed for home. The performance was very good though. They played music that was in the genre of pop rock, although the songs seemed on the slow and mellow side. They were enjoyable, and the atmosphere was cool. It was nice to be in a place where almost everyone else was local. I find myself being very eager to converse with the Cuencanos, but finding it harder than I expected. For some reason it seemed easier in Spain. Perhaps it could be that here the people are more reserved? I’m not quite sure, but I do know that I am looking forward to meeting my new students!