HIGHLIGHTS

A recount of some of my favorite memories and experiences in the classroom as a Language Assistant

• Discovering my passion for the intersection of education and health during a Natural Science class with my 6th graders

• Being with two experienced, thoughtful and amazing teachers who I highly respect

• The 6th grade Spanish teachers, who I don't work with, talking to me and making me feel welcome in the whole 6th grade hall

• Talking to one of the 6th grade Spanish teachers in Spanish

• Watching one of my teachers out-sass his students

• One of my students brought me a slice of her grandpa's homemade cake. 

• A student in another class told me she was heading an investigation into my missing/stolen iPhone. It'd been over a month since my phone was stolen and I'd already gotten a replacement, yet she was still trying to figure out who stole my phone. It melted my heart that she still cared so much to look for me.

• I had a student who, in front of his whole class, called me "the most beautiful girl in the world". Now that's a compliment.

• I got to make luminaries with all of 6th grade as a Winter Holiday project! I loved explaining how Luminaries are used to bring light to a home on the darkest day of the year. It was important for me to do a project that wasn't Christmas based in order to make sure no children were excluded if they didn't celebrate Christmas. It was really amazing to be able to share this experience from my childhood with them, especially since a lot of people don't usually make luminaries in their school careers. 

• My students have really loved the Secret Pen Pal activity I came up with for them. At the beginning of every week they turn in their letters, and a lot of them immediately ask afterwards, "When will we receive our letters?" I have to explain to them every time that not everyone turns in their letters on time, so I have to wait for all the letters to come in first. But the excitement they get from receiving letters is so adorable!

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Contributions to LA Program

During the LA Program, I mostly helped prepare the 6th grade students for the Cambridge Preliminary English exam. I would work with the students two at a time and practice the speaking section of the test most days. 

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To help the children practice for the writing part of the exam, I came up with a Secret Pen Pal letter exchange. I used subjects that they could find on the PET exam. This project was helpful because they would be writing "letters" doing their exam. I ran this project, coming up with topics, collecting and distributing letters. They also got to practice for the reading section by reading the letters.

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I also guided a couple of classes through some activities. Sometimes I would play a game to help refocus the class. I also taught a few classes related to Natural and Social Sciences, which I found really fun and engaging. I also did a couple art projects with the classes for the holidays, like making luminaries for the Winter Solstice.

Personal Background and Interests

I grew up in Oregon before moving to Southern California. As stated in the above section, I graduated with a degree in Social Sciences (emphasis in Psychology). I am passionate about psychology because of the way it has made me think about the world. Psychology allows people to look at the actions of others and think that there may be another explanation behind what they are doing, which allows for greater understanding of people. Outside of studies, I was an active participant in Camp Kesem, an organization for children with a parent or guardian affected by cancer. Camp Kesem is another passion of mine, and I dedicated my senior year to growing the chapter at my university and making the best summer camp possible for our campers.

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My interests include volleyball, going to the beach, hiking and photography. I also love to travel and see new places and meet new people along the way. One of my favorite things about traveling is eating!

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I didn't quite know what to expect going into the LA Program. I had heard horror stories about assistants being placed in schools that mistreated them, where they didn't get paid on time, or were given the role of "teacher" instead of assistant. Because of these rumors, I was a bit nervous going into the program. At the same time, however, I was really excited to be in the classroom as I had just finished a Teaching Fellowship. I knew I could teach if it really came to it, even though I didn't have any experience teaching primary school children English. Thankfully, my worries were erased by my school and my teachers. I am so lucky to have ended up with two amazing teachers. They both know the material, have great classroom management, and have good relationships with their students.  They have been a great support to me during sickness, family issues, and even when I didn't have hot water for a week! Because of my teachers, students and my school, my actual experience with the LA Program quickly erased any anxieties I had before coming (I even get paid on time)!

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The last thing I expected about the LA Program is a little more personal. I hoped that this experience would really help me determine if I wanted to pursue education as a career, or if I wanted to pursue something else like international student affairs. So far, the program really is meeting my expectations here. Thanks to my participation in a couple of Natural Sciences classes, I do believe that I want to keep pursing education, but with a health promotion aspect to it. That's more than I could have hoped to find while here in Madrid.

Me and the Auxiliar Program

Kim Corey

Bienvenidos! 

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My name is Kim Corey, I am from the United States of America. I graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Social Sciences (emphasis in Psychology). My interest in education started in high school, where I took child psychology courses. In university, I pursued my passion for being in the classroom and working with children by volunteering through different organizations, notably the Joint Education Program at my university. Combined with my love of travel, I decided to apply for the Auxiliar de Conversacion program. The summer before the school year started, I worked as a Teaching Fellow at Summerbridge in San Francisco, cementing my passion for education and teaching, making me more excited for my upcoming year in Spain. I am so fortunate to have been placed at CEIP Felipe II in El Escorial. I have found myself surrounded by amazing teachers, a supportive environment, and lovely students. I work only with the 6th grade students, helping their teachers prepare them for the Cambridge Preliminary English Exam in May.

In my spare time, I take Spanish classes, give private English lessons, play volleyball, and travel. One of my favorite finds in Madrid as been El Rastro - a weekly market of venders that fill streets in Embajadores. I highly suggest simply wondering around Madrid's cobblestone alleyways - maybe you'll find another one of Madrid's hidden gems, or at the very least a delicious new coffee spot!

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My teaching philosophy centers on the idea of support. Everyone has the right to education. However, not everyone can and will take full advantage of the educational opportunities that come their way. School is not always a positive experience for many students, so it is my personal goal to always be there for my students. To me, school should be a safe place for students to learn and forget about the worries that plague their normal life. While I would like to be a goofy teacher, I know that is not my teaching style - but at the least I can be honest with my students and make sure they know why learning these ideas and content areas are important. I can be the adult they go to when they need help. My goals for myself include maintaining patience and understanding with the actions of my students. Students are not simply "bad" or "good", they are people experiencing life and sometimes LIFE interferes with their scholarly performance. The question then is, how to help your student succeed despite the obstacles they face. I once had a student who stopped turning in his class homework. After checking in with him, I found out that he wasn't getting enough sleep at night because he was now living with his brother, and hour and a half commute away from school. Here, my student understood the importance of school and turning in his work, however he was so tired whenever he got home that he immediately fell asleep until his next morning wake up call. This is where my goal for students comes in: my goal for students is to always ask for help when they need it. It's so easy to blame a student for not behaving or doing their work, but if students can reach out to a trusting adult at the school, a level of understanding can be reached and then hopefully they can get help. Education isn't possible when studentss basic needs aren't being met. That is why I believe that for everyone to fully have access to and to fully take advantage of education, understanding needs to go outside of academics. It needs to be a two way street between teacher and student so that both can learn how to help the student succeed. As I said earlier, everyone has the right to education and has the potential to learn. Without the right support though, not all students will be able to take advantage of those opportunities, and that is why my teaching philosophy is about more than just being in the classroom, but being there for your students even when the bell rings for lunch.