See You Later, Miss Brandy!

I can't believe I am already sitting here writing this post. As they say, time flies when you´re having fun, and I have certainly had a lot of fun this year at CEIP Maestra Isabel Alvarez! I have spent this year learning and growing as a teacher and as a person, and each of my students has played a role in all that I have learned. I want to thank each of my classes for letting me share this year with them. We have all grown together and learned so much from each other about language, culture, communication and more! This school welcomed and supported me fully from the beginning and I have appreciated that so much. From the hello's in the hallway to all of my morning hugs, I have cherished each moment, and I am sure going to miss this place. I hope you all have enjoyed this year and our experiences together as much as I have. To follow in the footsteps of the previous Auxiliar, Destinee, here are my "see you later" photos to each of the classes I have gotten to be a part of this year!

My social and natural science classes with Fernando! 

See you later 3°A! What a silly and fun bunch! You guys can certainly be wild, but we had lots of fun times working on English together! It was great having you as my first class on Monday mornings!

See you later 3°B! This class is super smart and always kept us laughing! You all have grown so much this year! Keep practicing your English!

See you later, 2°B! This class can be wild, but was definitely one of the sweetest and most loving classes of the year. These kids give the biggest hugs, and some of the sweetest goodbye cards! I will miss these cuties so much!

My social science classes with Maria!

 See you later 2°A! This class was always eager to participate and try out their English. They loved practicing English with our daily warm-up songs! Keep up the language learning my friends!

See you later 1°B! I have loved sharing Tuesday mornings with you! I got so many hugs from this class, I will miss how sweet and fun you all are! 

See you later 1°A! This class chanted my name every time I came to class, sometimes I could hear it all the way down the hallway! I will miss hearing your sweet voices and seeing your enthusiasm for English!

My infantil classes with Maria Paz!

See you later Infantil A! These kiddos are too cute and have gotten so big this year! Their English always impresses me. I'm going to miss these friends!

See you later, Infantil B! You guys are so cute and always so excited about our songs and stories! Keep learning and growing little friends!

My social science class with Vanessa!

See you later, 5°C! This class is SO smart and curious! You all ask the most interesting questions and make me want to be more curious in my own life. I know you all have great things ahead of you!

My PE classes with Álvaro!

See you later 4°B! It was fun working to improve our vocabulary through games and exercise this year! Thanks for playing with me, even in the hot Sevilla sun!

See you later, 6°A! Oh man, look at all these dabbing children! You guys are a ton of fun and never afraid to try something new. Thanks for a great and active year!

See you later, 6°B! You guys are so great at English, and so fun to teach new activities! Thank you for adding so much fun to my year!

See you later, 6°C! This class is so funny, and always found a way to laugh during our games and activities! Thanks for adding so many laughs and smiles to my days with you!

**Not pictured** 4°A: See you later guys, and I'm sorry we couldn't get a photo! You all are such a passionate and competitive class. I loved getting to spend time with you and watch you put your all into every game we played!

My social science classes with Natalia!

See you later 5°A! This year you all helped me realize how much I love 5th grade! You all are so fun and ask the most interesting questions, and your English has really improved this year! Stay curious my friends!

See you later, 5°B! What a sweet class. I loved ending each week with your enthusiasm and smiling faces! Thank you for treating me so well and being so genuinely interested in all of my lessons!

I have a big "thank you!" and a big hug to give everyone who has been a part of making this year so special to me. Getting to know Sevilla through working at this school has been such an honor, and I plan to visit as soon as I can! This summer I am going home to America to work and be with family, and next year I will work my second year as an Auxiliar de Conversación in La Rioja! I welcome any of you to come visit me or keep in touch through writing or email. I would love to hear how your journeys continue through life and language learning. You are all learning so much, keep up the good work and keep making English fun like I know you can! See you later, CEIP Maestra Isabel Alvarez.

Besos and Hugs!
Brandy

East Tennessee Culture

Hello everyone! Since we are wrapping up the end of the year, I have been showing my classes some fun and exciting aspects of my culture. This week I created a presentation on an amusement park that is very famous in East Tennessee, where I am from! The park is called Dollywood, a play on the name Hollywood that you are all surely familiar with. It is named after the park's owner, Dolly Parton, who is a famous country singer and does a lot of great things for the community in East Tennessee. Below is my presentation, which includes photos of the park, it's roller coasters and other rides, as well as pictures of Pigeon Forge where the park is located, views of the mountain and homes that can be found in the town. I hope you enjoy!

Here are some interesting videos related to Dollywood. The first one is a video showing you all of the different rides and activities Dollywood has to offer!:

Here's a classic song by Dolly Parton so you can get an idea of the classic style of country music that she, and my home state, are famous for! This is Dolly Parton singing her song 9 to 5:

Fun fact!: Did you know that Dolly Parton in Miley Cyrus's godmother? Here you can see Miley Cyrus singing a cover of one of Dolly Parton's famous songs, Jolene!:

American Adventures and Feria Fun!

Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've updated, but as my year at school is coming to an end, I thought I would post something fun about America! I've been talking with 5th grade about my travels around America as well as some of my favorite aspects of American Culture. There is so much to see in my country, and I have only seen 25 out of the 50 states in America! I think it's so exciting to share my travels with my students. Here's a powerpoint I made to show them a little bit about the famous Route 66, a route the stretches from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California! I have been on different parts of this route 3 different times, and there is always something new to see and explore!

Here are the videos I included to learn a little bit more about Route 66, and also hear a famous song about the road from the movie Cars. The movie is set on Route 66!

Also, a special update from Feria de Abril!: I experienced the fair for the first time and it was SO incredible. I loved it and hope that I get to experience it again at another point in my life. While I was at Feria, I got to hang out with Destinee, the Auxiliar from last year! Here are some photos of us enjoying the amazing festival in Sevilla! She showed me around and we had so much fun exploring the casetas and (making an attempt at) dancing Sevillanas! :) I hope you all are enjoying spring time in Sevilla as much as we are!

In Celebration of Andalusian Culture!

Hello friends!

As promised, and with Semana Santa coming up, I thought now would be a great time to make a post on Andalusian culture! In a previous post, I discussed the landscapes and geography of our region, so now it is time to talk about culture, and what makes Andalusia such an incredible place to live! There is no way for me to cover all of the aspects of Andalusian culture in one post, but here are some interesting things that I love about this beautiful region in southern Spain!:

Flamenco!

This dance originated in Sevilla, so we live in one of the most amazing places to see a flamenco show! It is an incredibly passionate dance involving a dancer, male or female, as well as a guitar player and a singer. They work together to create breathtaking shows that are enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. It is truly an incredible thing to witness, and if you grew up in Sevilla, chances are you know the flamenco clap! I teach 4 year olds that have begun clapping the intricate flamenco rhythm in the middle of class!

Watch an example of a flamenco performance here:

Tapas!

The style of eating in Andalusia is very different than many other cultures, and it is especially something that I notice as an American. American portions are large and meal times are fairly short. In Andalusia, it is typical to order a variety of small plates, or tapas, to share among friends. You can enjoy them over the course of a longer period of time, even as long as a couple of hours, and pair them with a caña or a small, ice cold beer. Typical tapas include plates of cold meats like traditional jamón and chorizo, slices of aged cheese, Spanish tortilla, spinach with garbanzo beans, a cold and thick tomato soup called salmorejo, croquetas, and toast with olive oil and a slice of Iberian ham, to name a few.

Way of Life

I could do a whole post just on this topic! The way of life in Andalusia is much more laid back and relaxed than I am used to as an American. People take more time to enjoy longer meals or a nice long stroll around town with family for exampe, and generally seem less rushed throughout the day. The siesta plays a big role in Spanish culture, and in Sevilla, many businesses shut down daily between the hours of around 2pm and 5pm depending on the business, so that workers can enjoy lunch, down time, and maybe even a nap before coming back to work for afternoon hours.

Speaking of meal times, in Andalusia there are 5. This was very difficult for me to get used to and is still challenging to navigate sometimes, as someone that is used to 3 bigger meal times. These are the typical meal times in Sevilla:

Desayuno (Breakfast): 7am-9am: Typically bread with oil, maybe paired with ham or tomato

Almuerzo (Mid-morning snack): 10:30am-12:30pm: This is all children eat while at school. Typically a sandwich or milkshake brought from home.

La Comida (Lunch): 2pm-3:30pm: This is the biggest and most important meal of the day. Children leave school at 2 and this meal is typically enjoyed at home during siesta hours or out at restaurants in the sun with friends or family.

Merienda (Afternoon snack): 5:30pm-7:30pm: This is a snack to enjoy between lunch and dinner. I teach classes that end at 6pm, and parents are always waiting for their children with a merienda wrapped in foil. Merienda will usually be a sandwich or maybe a chocolate pastry. Merienda time for adults might be a coffee and a pastry with friends in a plaza, a great time to socialize and enjoy the afternoon breeze.

Cena (Dinner): 8:30pm-10:30pm: This is a typical time to go out and enjoy some tapas, or enjoy dinner at home. A lot of Americans are not used to how late dinner is here, we might not know about merienda so we get hungry and want to eat much earlier, and it is difficult to find restaurants that serve food at the time we want to eat. Enjoying a later dinner can be a fun way to spend time with loved ones and try some tapas together!

Bullfighting

Many people have different views on bullfighting, but regardless of your opinion, it is an important part of the Andalusian culture. The bullring in Sevilla is a beautiful building with so much history, and the dress of matadors is a common image in the minds of people when they think of Spanish culture. I toured the bullring recently and it was fascinating to learn about this unique and integral part of the culture in Sevilla.

Architecture

This is one of my favorite aspects of Andalusian culture. The beautiful buildings lined with vibrant colored tile and paints, as well as ornately constructed landmarks such as the Cathedral of Sevilla provide a remarkable backdrop for life in southern Spain. Every building is decorated and maintained with such beauty, I am constantly amazed at the artistry and care that goes into each detail of the architecture here.

Holidays

I still have not experienced the much anticipated holidays of Semana Santa, or Holy Week/ Easter, and Feria de Abril, or the famous Fair in April that takes place each year in Sevilla. However I was here for Christmas to experience mappings, or Christmas light shows, and I have seen smaller versions of the pasos that occur during Semana Santa! Andalusia is an incredible place to experience cultural events and holidays all throughout the year, and I am so happy to be a part of some of these traditions this year! Each year for Feria, a new colorful poster is made featuring a woman in a flamenco dress as well as typical symbols of the culture. You can see these all throughout the city, on the walls or even being sold in smaller versions as post cards!

These are only a few of the aspects of Andalusian culture that make it an amazing place to live and discover. I hope you enjoyed my explanation of Andalusia through the eyes of an American, and maybe learned something new! Please let me know if there is anything you would add to this list, or anything else you would like to know about this breathtaking corner of the world!