July 21, 2016: 6pm-8:30pm
International Institute of the Bay Area
Sam Bianco
sbianco@iibayarea.org
My 3rd visit to the International Institute went very well. Having some previous experience teaching the class helped a lot, although my Spanish was still not up to the level I had hoped for. We spent the day talking about the branches of government, material that is almost sure to be tested during the citizenship interview. While I still struggled finding the Spanish words for "executive" or "judicial", I was helped immensely by my co-teacher that day. I managed to get through the lecture, and my students did reasonably well when we tested them afterwards. This was my first lesson where I felt like I was actively teaching, as opposed to observing another person lead the lesson.
Before going in to the International Institute, I had thought my Spanish was good. I learned that there is a big difference between speaking Spanish in class and in real life. My students speak so fast I often have to ask them to repeat themselves.
I think this lesson in particular was very impactful. The branches of government is a key idea potential citizens must grasp, and is often tested in the citizenship interview. I definitely felt like I was teaching something useful, and that my actions would have an impact. I was effectively preparing my students to pass their citizenship test. It was great to have that feeling of accomplishment as a teacher, which is something I've never had before.
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