First of all, a big thanks to Marcy :). This year it would have been easy to think that I had blogged off for good! Despite the best of my intentions, and the *whole of last summer spent thinking/fretting about and planning the gargantuan task before me, i.e. setting up an MFL 'team' (with one principal member, moi!), I just could not make the time or find the energy to keep on blogging! I'm hoping to be more disciplined about it in MFL Year 2 because I miss having this beautiful outlet in which I can 'talk' shop and just shoot the MFL breeze. See (*) to understand why I am writing this little misiva from Nueva York this year! I have enjoyed confounding some of the Latino shopkeepers in Brooklyn, who have not expected me to converse with them in Spanish! It's the little things... :)
A little re-flu-ction
Being knocked out last week y the flurry of fluey stuff flying about gave me a much-needed space and time in which to do nothing (very painful at first! The doing nothing, especially!) and reflect on the year. With more than a little help from my friends and colleagues in teaching, out of teaching, and from my life BT (Before Teaching), as well as the valuable input from the most amazing group of Year 7 students - who articulate the wwws and the ebis of their language learning experience with such reflection, depth and insight - I have been able to put together a programme, which like all Key Enquiries/Schemes of Work will need new life injected into it as we move forward, which has enabled every child to feel like he/she can achieve, learn and attain and improve academically in Spanish. We all know that the next step is building on this! No mean feat with sixty minutes a week, in which to teach in groups, as opposed to sets. It's a good thing that no excuses and high expectations probably form part of the structure of my platelets. Science teachers chastise me now!
Teatro y CulturaThis year it was the turn of students from my new(ish) school to join in with JAGS on their Latino Day and get actively involved in some aspects of culture from the Spanish-speaking world. Miss Sanchez and Miss Martin put me in the Peruvian dance group, I wore a headdress with a feather in it and joined in wholeheartedly, learning about some of the rites and worldview of some of the peoples from rural Peru. All of which gave us a formidable platform on which to learn and dance the ANACONDA! We shared our experiences with the rest of Year 7 during assembly and the participating children wrote gushing, heartfelt reports of their outing, at least 25% of which pertained to the fiesta latina, during which Miss Budd, Consultant Subject Leader for Music at our academy, and my esteemed trip companion, tried to demonstrate a bit of restrain. Oh, I do like a bit of good food and music, and I am sure that the children have now realised this, too. Oh, dear! The art, tango, salsa and flamenco workshops were well-received and, due to the wonders of technology, we were all able to see what the others had been doing during their workshops, while we were having our Latino party. Well done to the Spanish team at JAGS. Perhaps EGA will take up this mantle for next year!
There was a big theatre buzz, too, this year. Myself, Mr McCabe and our high-level bilingual Spanish speakers went along to JAGS, which is just a few minutes away by school minibus, to watch 'El Visitante Desconocido', by Onatti Theatre Company and we were taken on a journey to an outpost of a hotel, populated by a host of strange characters, embodied by two, yes -TWO, highly competent actors! Kevin very kindly translated for Mr McCabe and the very physical nature of the theatre did the rest. Fab and started another language learning buzz throughout the school. .A very interesting, and oft-repeated observation by children on both trips, was that of feeling a kinship and equality with their peers at this amazingly successful fee-paying school and who, in the case of Spanish learners, were at least one year older than them. For me, very poignant.
Thanks, once again, to HEM and ALL!
This year, I have been fortunate enough to still, even though my physical presence was often missing this year, be able to draw on the support, camaraderie and expertise of the ALL network. Many, many thanks to Nick Mair and his team at Dulwich College, particularly the brilliant teachers of Mandarin Chinese (the main focus of my visit, I really wanted to learn more about what this can 'look like' and certainly did!). Not to mention (but I, of course, will!) an amazing day spent in the company of the one and only Miss S-S, who taught me SO much about building, creating and planning for a successful MFL team, offering the children the best chances of success and how to devise a challenging, engaging and stimulating curriculum, year on year.
Event for MFL PGCErs in London area, Monday 6th October, ALL welcome!I do look forward to this year's PGCE Event, again kindly hosted by the Institute of Education, taking place on Monday 5th October. Get any newbie MFL PGCErs to stick the date in their diaries and make the trip over to leafy Bedford Square for some useful tips, shared by practising teachers and the opportunity to do some (very!) relaxed networking, have a nibble or two and ask those all-important questions. ALL PGCErs from the London area are most welcome. More info to come, sooner the time, and always keep an eye onwww.all-london.org.uk
This summer I shall be studying TIC (ICT), practising the old
Spanish on the North coast, in Santander and - now that I am
endeavouring to be back on the blogging circuit - will keep you
suitably updated. Miss S :)
PS\. It's only 5:00 p.m. in NYC! See avatar with yellow school bus background. The last time I came a NYC teacher-friend encouraged me to momentarily invade one so that I could fulfil a (minor) dream and take a picture in one! That's what you get for ingesting too much SVH and Judy Blume as a child!
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