So earlier this week, I {Kelly} received an e-mail from one of the schools I will be working in. The language department has been in communication with me and informed me that even though I am supposed to start work on Tuesday, the teachers are striking and so I should not plan on coming into school until I hear back from them.
We had heard bits and pieces through facebook and on the streets {lots of green t-shirts!} about the teachers striking but
assumed it wasn’t a big deal. Well we were
very, very wrong. Apparently the
government enforced a rule just last
month that states, instead of teachers teaching in Castilian (the Spanish we know)
and Catalan (the island’s native language), evenly throughout the day, they are
being forced to teach in Castilian, Catalan, AND English equally. So 33% of the day they will have to teach in
English- a language that many of them do not know or only know the basics
of.
Ummmm, what? For me, I guess I'm wondering, how can we
blame them for striking? Do you know Castilian? Do you know Catalan? What if our government suddenly told you that
you would have to spend 33% of the day teaching in Castilian? Could you effectively teach math when you are
only able to teach it in Catalan? I know
I would not, could not, be an
effective math teacher like that. The
amazing thing is however, the teachers are totally fine with having to do
this. It’s just that it was enforced last month. Where’s the training? Where’s the support? Apparently there is none. Give them time and they can adapt. However, time is not being provided and thus
teachers are striking.
The other side here is the students. Not all students have been raised in homes
that speak English. So even if you were
trained in Castilian and walked into your classroom and gave a rockin’ math
lesson, in perfect Castilian, would all of your students understand the
lesson? In order to implement something
like this, teachers and students
need time. They need to slowly be immersed
into this. They need to learn together,
not separately or all in one month.
There needs to be proper implementation, which it seems there is
not.
As of now, not all the schools are on strike and Will is still good to go to his school- we believe! It will be very interesting to see how this all unfolds and plays out... What are your thoughts on this? Anyone?
As of now, I'm not too upset about not having to go back to work quite yet :)
XO! Kelly & Will
As of now, I'm not too upset about not having to go back to work quite yet :)
XO! Kelly & Will
