Six year olds and Pointy Scissors???

So the first week of school has come to a close for me. My school, CEIP Hans Christian Andersen, is a primary school (basically 3 years olds to 12 year olds) located in Rivas-Vaciamadrid. The commute is a little long but, for this week atleast, I liked the flow of it. There are two other Auxilares at my school, Lisa (who was at this school last year) and Steven (who is new like me). Lisa has helped a lot with getting to know the teachers and remembering their names, as well as filling us in on the school and how it works. Steve and I seem to commute around the same time so we always meet up on the metro/bus. We spend most of the time talking about the kids and what they did that day.

I only worked Wednesday and Thursday this week because orientation was Monday and Tuesday (which was a waste of two whole days) and I have Fridays off. I'm actually quite disappointed that I don't get to go in tomorrow because I LOVE IT! This is a probably a huge shock, because it is for me as well, but I really like everything about the school and even the kids. I mostly have the 8 years olds or 3° and the six year olds or 1°. They each have about three different sections and the profes (professors) teach them Castellano and Math and then they rotate within their grade and teach English and Science in English. My role is to assist them with whatever they want. Basically, this is the layout of my days:

English class:
For the younger kids there are a lot of songs and seeing as though I have such a great voice I always chime in. The songs are about certain characters that are in their books or about expressions of greeting. It's a little creepy to ask the children how they are and in robotic tone they will always reply "I'm fine thank you, how are you?" But you get around it. Its interesting to be the new person in the class because you get a lot of looks and a lot of tugs on your shirt, "who are you?" I am supposed to talk to them in only English so I tell them that I do not understand Castellano. However, they are too young to realize that when they ask me a question in Castellano and I respond in English that I really do understand their language, and that I'm only pretending not to. In my first 1° English the teacher walked out for the first two minutes and I was left alone. One little boy asked if I was going to speak to them in Castellano or English and when I said only English he groaned and nearly fell out of his chair. He made this big dramatic scene about it and how he couldn’t take it. Pretty hysterical. He tests me now, he'll say "Profe Melanie…" and then start rambling in Castellano. He waits for my reaction and then goes " Entiendes" really slyly. ("You understand") Denial is key with him. In the 3° classes I'll help them with their reading and help them learn important nouns through pictures. Most of them are pretty excited but that could be just because I'm a new interest, I'll wear off my "newness" soon enough.

Science:
These classes don't cover exactly what the US does but some things overlap. Today was my first Science class so I just observed but went around to ask them questions about what living things were. Hand signals are very key so it’s a pretty good thing I generally talk with my hands. Try explaining a stone with hand gestures and while in a classroom, not so easy. I'm going to have to think of some creative games about the date, weather, and season because that will be my task at the beginning of every class. I have more of these classes next week so I'll get into it soon enough.

In general, kids in Spain are quite different. They don't raise their hands and just walk around the classroom a lot. They play with anything and everything and just talk talk talk. It is probably really frustrating to a teacher but for right now I think it is hysterical. The teachers use a lot of clapping and snapping games to get their attention. I'm wicked surprised that I can tolerate their behavior but its just so interesting to observe their commotion. One interesting thing is that they segregate the bad child very obviously. He (I say he because obviously its always a boy, and also because the classes have very few girls) has a desk or table to himself and is either in the front of the class or the very middle. I knew within seconds why those kids were where they were. They just talk more and instigate the others. Also, kids ask to use the toilet every two seconds. I know its been a long time since I was this age but wow, talk about tiny bladders. Once I start learning their names (rather then just writing notes down about what they look like and what their backpacks have on them) I'll be able to single them out. For now I have one little boy who was a little terror for the teacher. I walked over and smiled at him while I demonstrated her game in front of him to make sure he was always paying attention. This turned into a game for him and he'd always wink and blush. Pretty great because when I saw him after class in the hall he got all red and had a huge smile on his face when he waved.

Arts and Crafts:
So far I've only had the 1° but they make flags of other countries or trace their hands and color them. However, now the reason for my title, six year olds use scissors. I'm not talking the plastic dull ones that I remember using, but sharp pointed scissors, all by themselves. I can not get over this, since when do six years olds know not to run with them or stab each other? I already had an incident with some hair being cut (I just told her that it looked beautiful and made him apologize). Funny though, I'll tell them "cut cut cut" using my fingers to demonstrate and they always look mischievous and then say "cortar". Clearly they are correct but its so funny how they try to get me to admit I understand.

P.E.
Well first I have to keep myself from saying Gym because that's what I am used to, but they call it Physical Education that they have in the gym. I pretty much love it. Yesterday was my first time with the P.E. teacher Elena and they showed me how to play a few games. One 3° girl would always ask me to sit next to her in the circle and I finally figured out why: She was to my left and finally goes (in great English, also remember she's only 8) "You have a PIERCING!!" She was referring to the one in the middle of my ear. She loved it and showed her two friends. From then on, game over, she was attached to my hip. I can't get over why an 8 year old would know the world for piercing in English, but I assume I'm in for a lot of surprises. Today I was supposed to have three P.E. classes but the first two were cancelled because the teacher was out. In the last one I was with Elena again and she let me run things, amazing! I just repeated the games they taught me yesterday but hopefully later I'll be able to teach them some others. Really, I spent the whole time in hysterics because the kids are great, they build up such a sweat and take it so seriously.

1°B
This class needs special recognition for being the WORST children I have ever seen in my life. At this point I've had them twice and they are known throughout the school for being notoriously bad. They don't listen and don't care. The teacher even told me yesterday that it was hopeless. She spent the whole time telling them that they were acting like little kids and belong with the 3 year olds in Infantil. She didn't do it in a mean way but as a way of explaining to them that they need to act their age, or try at least. This class has taught me that bribery does not work on Spanish kids, you have their attention for about five seconds and then they realize that they'd rather just do their own thing. I spend most of the class wrangling them up and making sure that no one is punctured from the scissors. I leave there having built up a sweat running after them. Lisa and Steve know when I've had them because I come back to the office and plop down with a ridiculous look on my face. There really is no explaining just how bad they are, it has to be experienced. However, they all have angelic little faces that you can't help but smile at (while behind you four kids are gluing their hands together). I'll master dealing with them yet.

On a different note, I absolutely love what I am doing. I enjoy the people at my school and I love the kids. Today all the kids who I had yesterday ran up to me and hugged me (shocking, I know) and remembered my name. The little girls love my jewelry, usually about half the girls during class will turn and point to my earrings and say that they want them when they are older. The boys are a little nervous around me but in P.E. I think they like my enthusiasm so they'll get used to me. One boy asked if I was 32 today and for the record I'm going to say that it is because he only knew that number in English and couldn't think of anything in the twenties.
The other teachers are great as well. Everyone is really nice and want to get to know us. However the scenario will usually go like this: "Where are you from?" Me: "Rhode Island" (blank stare) , Steve "California" (ten billion questions about LA and San Francisco and how they want to go there). I even tried saying that I was near Boston, or the I went to school in DC and still CA wins out. This is how the conversation went with two of the Profes today, Raul and Juanma. They are great and I'll probably feel the most comfortable around them. Raul is about my age and teaches the Infantil classes, and Juanma is probably about thirty and teaches all different levels. He's going to help me with my Spanish through what's called an Intercambio. Basically, some time is allocated to just English speaking and the rest to Castellano, that way we both get practice. I'm really excited about it because maybe I'll finally stop being so shy. They laugh because they know I understand what they're saying but they think I try to hide so I don't have to contribute.

Since my hours are a little crazy the school provides free lunch. We're only supposed to work 16 hours as an Auxilar, however I'm at school from 9:30 to 4:30. They don't count the TWO HOUR lunch break we get and the 'free time' allocated for meetings. I can't complain because I really like it there. I'm not used to such long lunches but the second hour we all eat in the cafeteria and talk about the day. The food is great, I just have to pick around the meat. Yesterday they had breaded fish wrapped in cheese and ham, I passed. The first dish is usually a really great soup and then I pick out the meat in the next course. It’s a great environment to converse in Castellano with people I haven't met yet. I can't wait for next week because I'll have a full week of classes and meet some new kids and teachers.
In summation, I'm on cloud nine and in a little bit of shock of just how much I love it there. I don't mind waking up before the sun rises because I just can't wait to start. Actually, I'm starting to scare myself…

Negative: Being left-handed and writing on the chalkboard. (ie: erasing everything)

Positive: Loving my work.