Let's get to the reason I really came to Argentina, to eat-- errrr, work! I've been teaching for a few weeks now and have started to get into an everyday (or as my students would say, 'day by day') routine:
I shuffle into a sleek, 25-story office building downtown in my flip-flops and wave to the security guards. There is a rotating crew of six guards at the front- they all know me because my first day I did a bang-up job of awkwardly trying to walk through the gate without a pass card... None of them speak English, but everyday I get big grins, waves, and a resounding chorus of "Hola, chica!" as they beep me through.
This isn't the only company I work for-- some days I head upstairs in the same building to teach at an agricultural company, I also have private classes in a fashion company. One of my acquaintances describes the in-company job as "Taxi Teachers," going to our students rather than the other way around. However, my students come in for classes either before work (8am), during lunch, or after a nine hour work day at 6pm-- I may have to move around, but least I get to see outdoors in the daylight!
Teaching grown ups is a totally different experience from what I'm used to. My students are motivated and focused-- they need English to do their jobs (and get promotions) and the companies pay for a portion the classes. They work so hard, in class and out. So is it less fun? Not necessarily. Am I less of a goofy teacher this time around? Hi, have you met me?
Since I teach conversation we focus on pronunciation, listening and just trying to communicate in English. And communicate we do-- they love to debate hard-hitting topics and have strong opinions they are not shy about expressing. With hand motions. Half the time, I come out of class feeling like I learned more than I taught. And most days these grown up conversations are, quite simply, inspiring. Like when last week, one of my students was horribly stressed and confided, "You see, I'm trying to deal with the entropy of life and searching to find a balance."
My students are also quite concerned about me, they constantly question-- Am I enjoying Argentina? Do I live in a safe neighborhood? How do I like teaching? Mostly, I think they are trying to figure me out- "Hey, loud little bouncy teacher girl, what possessed you to drop everything and come teach in Argentina?"
And they don't seem to really believe me when I explain- "I wanted to teach you."
Love from,
Kerk
I shuffle into a sleek, 25-story office building downtown in my flip-flops and wave to the security guards. There is a rotating crew of six guards at the front- they all know me because my first day I did a bang-up job of awkwardly trying to walk through the gate without a pass card... None of them speak English, but everyday I get big grins, waves, and a resounding chorus of "Hola, chica!" as they beep me through.
I swap out my sandals for high heels in the elevator (one day, a businessman whispered-- "Ah, cambio. Tu eres Superwoman, no?"). I check in with the receptionists who call my students, and head to one of the meeting rooms. I work as an "in-company" teacher, which means I go into a workplace to teach, I have no classroom and my students are usually taking class during their lunch break. Most days, we study in the 'Captain's Room.' It's a shipping and trade company, and the conference rooms have a definite theme--
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My "classroom!" Class sizes range from private lessons up to groups of seven.
My "classroom!" Class sizes range from private lessons up to groups of seven.
Of course, all my students know about Busan because they do tons of trade with Hanjin and Hyundai. What if my Korean and Argentine students end up on the phone together someday?!
This isn't the only company I work for-- some days I head upstairs in the same building to teach at an agricultural company, I also have private classes in a fashion company. One of my acquaintances describes the in-company job as "Taxi Teachers," going to our students rather than the other way around. However, my students come in for classes either before work (8am), during lunch, or after a nine hour work day at 6pm-- I may have to move around, but least I get to see outdoors in the daylight!
Teaching grown ups is a totally different experience from what I'm used to. My students are motivated and focused-- they need English to do their jobs (and get promotions) and the companies pay for a portion the classes. They work so hard, in class and out. So is it less fun? Not necessarily. Am I less of a goofy teacher this time around? Hi, have you met me?
Since I teach conversation we focus on pronunciation, listening and just trying to communicate in English. And communicate we do-- they love to debate hard-hitting topics and have strong opinions they are not shy about expressing. With hand motions. Half the time, I come out of class feeling like I learned more than I taught. And most days these grown up conversations are, quite simply, inspiring. Like when last week, one of my students was horribly stressed and confided, "You see, I'm trying to deal with the entropy of life and searching to find a balance."
My students are also quite concerned about me, they constantly question-- Am I enjoying Argentina? Do I live in a safe neighborhood? How do I like teaching? Mostly, I think they are trying to figure me out- "Hey, loud little bouncy teacher girl, what possessed you to drop everything and come teach in Argentina?"
And they don't seem to really believe me when I explain- "I wanted to teach you."
Love from,
Kerk