Finally Friday

This practicum here is agreat opportunity to learn skills and techniques otherwise would be difficult to see in Barcelona, I realise how lucky I am to live this experience.But not everything is 'as easy as a pie', for me there is struggles with myself and the people, "Am I doing fine? Should approach this issue to the teacher now? Why is he not really listen to me?". The week have been so far quite good, relationship with teacher and children is improving. Miss C. (tutor teacher) is asking me for help in different areas, I have a group of children that read with me at least 3 times a week, I keep doing individualised support to a couple of children, I may have for the next week a group five children which whom I will be doing some Math reviewing. I did already this week, one session of 15 minutes with some of them. Beside that I have been checking a few interesting websites related to the National Curriculum and resources for teaching, the last one is a magazine that beside the printed edition has an on line edition: http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachers/issue47/primary/news/
At my accommodation, finally I had the chance to talk to Ines, and things are sort out, She didn't realise that I was feeling unconfortable with the treatment I was reciving from some people.
I am feeling tired and a bit ill, I hope Sunday I will be fit for my journe to Oxford.

Hasta la proxima amig@'s!!!

Photos and Thoughts

Mainly every day is just about going to the school then connecting in the evening to the library's Internet to keep in touch with people and friends, a bit shopping and finally to the residence. About the residence I have mix feeling, so far I have meet a few interesting and friendly people with their little/big stories and hopes. I was talking few days ago here about a South African girl with Indian background, we have been having a few nice chats about education, politics, religion, etc. Yesterday I meet a 32 y.o. girl from Ghana that for the last 4 years have been working in London and wish one day come back home and bring the knowledge acquired to help in her country, or two women from South African of European background (maybe Afrikaner) that are as well since a few years here, or two Greek brothers quite energetic and charming, or a Polish boy who lived in Barcelona for many years and love to speak Spanish, or Andrew from Manchester (the boy in the photos I send here). But in the other hand I am a bit annoyed with some of the girls that comes from the Universidad de Barcelona (morning shift), they have comments and a way of behaving towards me quite odd, one day they talk to you, the next make a long face, the next just seeing me they would make unrespectful comments, I don't know actually why I worry too much...

With Ines and Maria is a bit funny as well, so far in the surface is fine, but deep down I know we will need to sit down and talk, I can't say that maybe part of it is my own fault, I have to admit that I am a bit chaotic and some people may get upset. But I need to tell you that in Barcelona already working together with Ines some times was not very easy, we both have strong characters and points of view that sometimes are not the same, still with all the difficulties I appreciate their friendship... Oh well Human relationships!

The photos posted are from this park:

http://www.barking-dagenham.gov.uk/8-leisure-envir/park-country/parks-c-ebrookend.html

Jenni is coming to London for the Holiday season (InshAllah!).We are going to spend Xmas with friends in Edinburgh and New years Eve here in London, still I am sorting out her accommodation here, but I hope she can stay in my residence (The people in charge didn't give me an answer yet). I really look forward :p

I got me a bike :)! Nearly since the beginning I fix a forgotten bicycle, that some people gone from the residence left behind in their way back home, really handy to go to school.

A new day starts

It is 4:50 in the morning but I can't really sleep, too much thoughts in my head. Lots of things are going on around here in the teacher's residence, sharing accommodation with people from different places, backgrounds and habits sometimes it is very rewarding, but sometimes as well difficult.
Last Sunday I was talking with a South African woman in her mid thirties called Devrani Moopanar who lives here, her family background is Indian, from the city of Madras. Her grandfather was already born in South Africa, but return to his parents' country to find a bride, so he married Devrani's grandmother when she was fifteen years old. Miss Moopanar follows the Hindi religion, more exactly the Shiva branch of the faith. We were talking in the kitchen about many issues, world economics, fate and free will, the Baghavad Gita, the many levels of meanings in the sacred books of the world's religions. At some point I mentioned about the Saints and that for example Catholic religious people when there is a thunderstorm they pray for their protection through Saint Barbara. She told me that when she was a child they would repeat Arjuna's name, the friend and personal archer of God's avatar Krishna, till the thunderstorm was over.
In the other hand there is an English woman that share as well kitchen with us, that is unbelievably unfriendly, always ignoring people when they greet her, and the only words that she will have with the rest are to complain about some cutlery left on “her” space, you really can feel her anger and frustration anytime she is around. Why is this that always have to be somebody that spoils the harmony of the places?
Yesterday in the school, I was doing different tasks, I try to summarize some of them:

1. Reading support for some children

2. Meanwhile they were in P.E. (Physical Education) I was cutting some laminated words and numbers related to clocks, time. E.g. “Quarter past”, “Half past”, 1 , 2, 3, ..., 11, 12 and 5, 10, 15, ..., 45, 55

3. Math support, working with a “virtual” abacus all about Hundreds, Tens and Units

The teacher was using the computer and OHP (overhead projector) to explain different concepts, for maths she was using a program called “Multi e-Maths. Primary maths Toolbox”.
After lunch break (12:15 – 13:15) the children were learning about what Britain was like before the Roman invasion. The main activity was developed through the website http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/celts. It was a entertaining and a very visual way to learn about it. After they did a drama-role play of life in the time of celts, groups were playing as if they were different settlements.
The last 45 minutes of the day were dedicated to watch a video about the Roman invasion of Britannia and some questions related to it. For those of you that may be interested about the issue, I give a wee bibliography (just one book): Invaders and Settlers, ISBN 060225146X, it includes the story of Boudicca, A celtic queen who fought the Romans around the year 150 C.E.
I spent the evening cooking falafel and chapatti bread, with the help of Ines and Maria, for around eleven people, It was quite nice and informal (we were expecting a dinner for just four or five people). To finish the day we had a film session with Jackie Chang and his film “Rush Hour”... What a day!
This evening we are invited to go to a party in Barking organised by a (or may I say “The”) teacher's trade union. See what comes.
Take care, all the best!

My first day in the school

The experience for first day in the school have been so far very positive, I am in a class of twenty eight kids 7 - 8 years old (K stage 2 year 3), beside the teacher there is a teacher assistant working most of the time together. The school is a quite big and bright one floor building and it is used by around 450 children. After the teacher introduced me as Mr Estevez, a bit difficult for them to remember, I was observing the work being done and as well taking part on the activities. All together we did lots of things. Learning about how to read the time on the digital clock and on the analog one "It is quarter past five, It is quarter to nine, It is eight forty-five, It is nine fifteen", about Judaism and its cultural aspects, singing a Christmas song, doing some reading. What I found interesting it was the use of a computerized overhead projector in most of the classes, it really does facilitate the teachers work, showing clearly graphics and photos, saving in the amount of photocopies to be done, I can see myself using that technology, as some of you may know my style of working in the classroom, I always try to be as visual as possible.
My mentor teacher Ms. C. it is a woman in her mid forties of Irish background, can't tell much more about her, but so far she has been quite nice and respectful with me, I had a few nice chats with a couple of teacher one in her late 50's (she was living in Gibraltar 40 years ago) and another in her early 20's (her mum comes from Bilbao in the Basque Country), both were quite enthusiastic about practicing their Spanish. And now back to the teacher's home, have some dinner and more chats with the people that probably have lots of stories to tell from their first day.

Peace Love Freedom

First impressions from London

• Third day in London, before yesterday evening I reached here, before landing off we had an interesting view of the city, all around was full of fireworks exploding in the sky. They were celebrating Guy Fawkes Night. I met Mary, an Irish friend from Galway I didn't meet since two years, She is as hippie as she used to be (she is becoming 24 y.o.), maybe a bit more down to the Earth, but just a bit... We were catching up with each other lives, the next day she was going to visit her boyfriend that at the moment lives in Poland. She is very much into the so called "against globalization" movement. On her squatter home were I spent the night (it seems they are going to be evicted in the next weeks) you could find plenty of anarchist and ecology books. Before reaching her place I came to leave my bags in the Teacher's accommodation here in Dagenham. So I met Ines, Maria and Ana. The place is comfortable enough, what I find a bit odd is that some areas of the building, mainly the ones near the kitchens smell not really that nice, the last place that I know that had that smell it was the homeless center in Cork.
• Travelling by bus late at night was a interesting experience, I feel sorry for the bus drivers because they get lot of shit from a small number of loud and weird passengers, there is lots anger in some of the youth. Being there with a friend gave me a feeling of security, so I even was having a entertaining time seeing all the quarrels around.
  We didn't start our teacher training yet, they got today our C.V., so probably based on that information they may decide which school and stage fits us better, I presume that tomorrow we will know something. The other students from UB, specially the morning shift girls, seems to have a busy time (and enough money to spend), for the last two days you can see them going to the pub and disco or to Nothing Hill.
• Money is going to be another issue for me in the next few weeks, being here everything cost money. I am trying to find the cheaper and /or free options around (e.g. Internet access from the Library). Let's see if I can get a bike or finally I need the Oyster Travel Card to move around.

See you soon!