On being an ETA...

I've thought about writing this entry for a long time. Just what, exactly, do I do here? With no prior teaching experience under my belt I've tried to branch out a little and try some experimental teaching methods to see what works best. The truth is, I still don't really feel like I know what I'm doing sometimes. My role is to engage students in English conversations or speaking activities, and to share with them whatever aspects of "American culture" I see fit. The biggest challenge to figuring out how to do this is the wide range of grade levels and abilities between my classes. Because I teach three classes each of eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh grades, I can't just repeat the same theme over and over again. For one thing, what works for some classes doesn't work for others. What's more is that my head would absolutely explode if I had to have the same discussion twelve times in the same week.

On an average week, here's the run-down on my classroom activities: Monday I have tenth grade and sometimes assign them projects to present on in class. Otherwise I usually have them watch a short video to get a discussion going. This could be on any topic, from current events to drug enforcement policy to technology's role in society. Tuesday I teach an elective course on American culture and then I have lessons with the 9th grade. For American culture I try to present broader topics like immigration and the civil rights movement on Power Point presentations, but I'm coming to realize that it might not be so useful for the students to learn the mundane details of American history. Rather, they find examples of culture in every day life to be more interesting. I probably spend far more time prepping for this class than I really need to. But I enjoy it and it gives me a chance to share something different with them. Ninth grade can be tough because there's a wide range of abilities at their level. But usually doing something interactive is what keeps them interested, and they help each other out if they need to. Wednesday is eleventh grade, and they're really great. I'm impressed with how mature and developed their language skills are sometimes. We usually debate some kind of issue or watch a video, like I do with the tenth grade, to open up a discussion. Thursday I have classes with the eighth grade. They are the most energetic grade level (which is no surprise, as they're all 13 or 14 years old- eek!) and because of this sometimes the most fun and frustrating for me. It's fun because they are so much more dramatic and creative at that age, but frustrating because it's so difficult for them to concentrate on a task for very long. For the most part we do role-play activities or I organize a game. If we're not playing a game they're usually asking me when we can stop doing whatever else we're doing and play.

As I consider my options for next year (one of which is staying in Bulgaria and teaching again) I'm trying to decide whether or not I'd want to do this all over again. I think that year number two would be much easier because I'll know what to expect and I already have a collection of lesson plans ready to use. But teaching is not really my chosen profession and I can imagine it getting pretty tiring after another year. I would definitely miss my students, though, and all of the funny/weird/rewarding experiences I've had working in a Bulgarian high school. I do enjoy my job and I think most of my students enjoy my classes (even if only for the fact that they aren't being tested and it's a break from the regular curriculum). But I'm also starting to miss home a lot and I'm looking forward to being back in Seattle this summer. Whatever I decide, I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to live in this fascinating and beautiful place and to learn more about another culture through first-hand experience.

What the future may hold

About a month ago, I took the Foreign Service Officer Test at the American Embassy in Sofia. The FSOT is the first qualifying stage to becoming an employee of the US Department of State. Ideally, I would like to work in the Public Affairs section. More info here. While I was away in England I received an email notifying me that I had passed the exam and I have been invited to complete the next part of the application, which is a series of short essays. I'm working on that now and should be ready to send it off next week, so wish me luck!

In other news, this weekend I had the pleasure of visiting a nearby village with my friend Dessy. Orehovitsa is a small village about 30 kilometers north of Pleven, towards the Danube River. As we approached on the bus I noticed that the landscape started to become more hilly and green (although there was still snow on the ground!). It is in a beautiful location and I plan to return when the weather is a bit warmer. The village is named for a walnut grove lining the main road, and there were lots of fruit and nut trees all around. Dessy's grandmother lives there with her aunt and we joined them, along with her mother, for lunch. It is always refreshing to get out of your normal surroundings, especially when you can spend time with good friends. Her family has been especially welcoming to me since I've been living here and I felt very much at home with them.

I also went to get another haircut in Pleven and I'm pleased with the results. The last time I had a cut it was to try and fix some damage I had done on my own, and thankfully my awful bangs have finally grown out to a normal length!  

England!

Last week was sort of a marathon, visiting cousins throughout England (in London, Yorkshire, Buckinghamshire and Sussex). But it was a great trip, with surprisingly sunny weather most of the time and no rain! Conor and I left early last Tuesday morning for a 6AM flight and then spent the next 5 days wandering around London, catching up with my relatives and experiencing the relief that comes along with actually being able to speak the local language.

We checked out Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, the Imperial War Museum and most of the usual sights... On Wednesday my cousin showed us this amazing bar at the top level of the only skyscraper in central London (Centre Point). The view was incredible, although a bit scary if you're afraid of heights, which I am slightly. Thursday and Friday I spent in Buckinghamshire and then Yorkshire to visit more cousins and my great-aunt, who was celebrating her 85th birthday. My grandmother was English and it's her family I visit there. Because I never met her, it's really special for me to be able to see her sister and all of the cousins. Even though she moved to America after the war, the family kept in touch and we still do today.     

My cousins who live outside the city are so lucky to have vast open spaces like this one. It's surprising that only an hour away from London you can find these quiet, pretty countryside villages. For being such a small island, Britain has a vast rail network that makes it easy to get anywhere. Because we spent a lot of time on trains, we got to see a lot of the English countryside, which is gorgeous. Driving through some of the villages in Sussex was like being transported to a movie set (and lots of them actually have been featured in films and television shows). 

We were definitely shocked at the prices, though, especially for trains but also for food. After living in a country where most things are relatively cheap compared to back home it was strange to realize just how little our American dollars could buy. But we still managed to have a good time. We also drank lots of tea, good English beer, got some fish and chips and even a nice curry.

The original reason for going to London was a basketball game. Conor had tickets to see the Nets vs. Raptors at the O2 Arena, which is this huge events center in Greenwich. It was awesome to see a live NBA game, something I hadn't done since I was a kid. The game went into triple overtime, which was very exciting. One funny part was that the announcer kept explaining the rules to the audience (the idea being that UK fans might not know all the specifics). Anyway, it was a sold-out event and definitely worth the trip. 

This was my fourth visit and I know now that I can never get enough of London. There's so much to see and do, and of course I love the fact that I have such a wonderful extended family there. For now, I'll be happy to relax after running around all week, but I'm sure I'll be planning a return trip someday soon.