my daily routine
I have officially made it to spring break! I've been in Spain for just over 2 weeks, and now it's time for a vacation. I had a very busy week since I was trying to finish up a lot of things before break so that I don't have to do anything school related. After school today, I did my daily student teaching journal, made sure all of my lessons were ready for our first day back (not until April 28- omg yassss), and left within half an hour of dismissal- which is so, so rare! We've also had a beautiful day in Camarma, so I went for a 6 mile run. Tomorrow I will be traveling to GERMANY for a conference and am not sure what my running schedule will get to look like with all of my travel plans over break, so I decided to take care of my "long run" tonight and see what I have time for tomorrow or Sunday. Pilar is going to bring a pizza home tonight. She told me she usually eats pizza twice a year because she doesn't really like it... This will be our second pizza meal in less than 3 weeks. Bless her heart.
I was looking at blog posts from my time in Sevilla to see what I hadn't talked about while I've been in Camarma. Honestly, I don't think about a lot of things being "strange" or "different," because they're somewhat normal or expected after having already spent a length of time in Spain, so I haven't had as many of those moments. Also, so much of my day is spent in American/English culture at school instead of with Spaniards, and my main interactions and cultural experiences are at stores and with Pilar. I haven't given you a very good glimpse into my "daily routine," so I thought I'd share what a typical day is like for me while student teaching in Camarma de Esteruelas.
7:30 am- I get up and get ready for school. I had to be at Alexandria by 7:30 am in my last placement, so this is so, so nice! I usually eat yogurt and toast with crema al cacao and maybe some fruit for breakfast. I also have to pack my lunch for school. Pilar usually makes a lot of things a few times a week, so then I pick and choose what I want to take as leftovers for lunches.
8:25/8:30 am- I leave the house to walk to school. The walk to ECA is about 15 minutes at a comfortable pace, but it seems shorter. It's not quite a mile one way. I have to be at school by 8:45, so I usually get there just before that time.
8:45 am- I arrive at ECA. I unpack my stuff and settle in. I never feel like I do quality work before school for some reason, so I mostly use the time before the kids get there to arrange my materials and things for the day or to make lists :)
9:00 am- The students arrive at school. So begins a busy, busy day! For some reason, the school day feels much longer even though it's exactly the same amount of time, there are more breaks, and we start later in the morning. Students have a 15 minute recess in the morning, 45 minutes for lunch and recess at 12:30, and 2 "specials" per day in the afternoon which each last at least 30 minutes. I've just been teaching math and science, so sitting and observing or helping out as opposed to teaching all day definitely makes the day feel longer; I'm ready to take on full-time teaching when we get back from break!
4:00 pm- Dismissal. We take the kids outside and have a "check off sheet," so once we see a student's parent, they're free to go. This is a fun way for me to see who my students' parents are and to talk with a lot of parents. They're all super hospitable and definitely go out of their way to make me feel welcome.
4:15-6:00 pm- I usually stay at least an hour and a half after school to lesson plan or to work on my portfolio. I don't get any work done at home here whatsoever (even though the wifi has been 100% lately!), so I always set a goal for the afternoon and don't leave until I finish. I've never been at school later than 7, which seems so late, but it's really only 3 hours after the students leave for the day. There are always people in the building, too, so I never feel weird being there late. I have keys to lock or unlock the building. Then I have another 10-15 minute walk home.
6:30 pm- I come home, have a snack, change clothes, unpack my things, empty the dishwasher, etc. I try to help out with things that I can do because Pilar often works late on the weekdays, so emptying the dishes has kind of become my thing. Most nights, I try to work out. I've been really unmotivated recently, which is probably because the lack of a gym. I really miss having a place to lift weights or to "switch it up." ECA has a gym, but it's seriously horrible haha. Plus all of the weights are in kilos, so I don't understand anything. There is 1 "gym" in Camarma, but it's really just like a town recreation center, and they offer a lot of classes, but there's no free weight room or equipment. I do have my debit card now, so I can get a membership, but I'm not sure if I'll spend the money for that. I've been doing a lot of running, and since I'm training for a half marathon I guess it's good that I have nothing else to do exercise-wise than run. I have done a few online videos in the living room, but I'm most motivated by actually going to the gym.
7:00-9:00 pm- I watch TV, try to do school work, blog, or take a shower. Pilar usually gets home from work around this time frame, so sometimes we talk while she gets supper ready. Sometimes I go to the store to stash up on snacks or desserts- 2 things that Spaniards don't really do and 2 things that Allison really loves.
9:00 pm- We usually eat supper around 9, at the earliest. If Pilar has class or gets home really late, I'll occasionally eat by myself at an earlier time, but we eat most meals together around 9 o'clock. Most Spanish food is very bland, but I enjoy most of it. There haven't been any meals so far that I haven't liked at all. My favorites include Spanish tortilla and any kind of bread or cheeses. Pilar also likes to make really good salads with fresh cheeses, lettuce or spinach, and vinegar/oil/balsamic dressings. PS I miss ranch dressing.
10:00-11:00 pm- Pilar and I spend a long time eating. We usually watch TV while we eat and talk about our days. We always teach each other new words in each others' languages. I try to go to bed around 11, which is super late for me and I'm usually falling asleep walking up the stairs. Pilar laughs at me for this- she stays up until 1 or 2 each night and wakes up at 7 for work. So Spanish.
My days are full and tiring but also rewarding. I'm looking forward to spring break so that I can take some time to appreciate the fact that I am in Spain! Some days I think that if it weren't for living with Pilar and being 6 time zones away from home, I wouldn't even realize I was in a different country just because so much of my day is spent in English language and American culture. I can't wait to tell you about Germany, Sevilla, and Barcelona and all of the Holy Week events over the next 2 weeks!
I was looking at blog posts from my time in Sevilla to see what I hadn't talked about while I've been in Camarma. Honestly, I don't think about a lot of things being "strange" or "different," because they're somewhat normal or expected after having already spent a length of time in Spain, so I haven't had as many of those moments. Also, so much of my day is spent in American/English culture at school instead of with Spaniards, and my main interactions and cultural experiences are at stores and with Pilar. I haven't given you a very good glimpse into my "daily routine," so I thought I'd share what a typical day is like for me while student teaching in Camarma de Esteruelas.
7:30 am- I get up and get ready for school. I had to be at Alexandria by 7:30 am in my last placement, so this is so, so nice! I usually eat yogurt and toast with crema al cacao and maybe some fruit for breakfast. I also have to pack my lunch for school. Pilar usually makes a lot of things a few times a week, so then I pick and choose what I want to take as leftovers for lunches.
8:25/8:30 am- I leave the house to walk to school. The walk to ECA is about 15 minutes at a comfortable pace, but it seems shorter. It's not quite a mile one way. I have to be at school by 8:45, so I usually get there just before that time.
8:45 am- I arrive at ECA. I unpack my stuff and settle in. I never feel like I do quality work before school for some reason, so I mostly use the time before the kids get there to arrange my materials and things for the day or to make lists :)
9:00 am- The students arrive at school. So begins a busy, busy day! For some reason, the school day feels much longer even though it's exactly the same amount of time, there are more breaks, and we start later in the morning. Students have a 15 minute recess in the morning, 45 minutes for lunch and recess at 12:30, and 2 "specials" per day in the afternoon which each last at least 30 minutes. I've just been teaching math and science, so sitting and observing or helping out as opposed to teaching all day definitely makes the day feel longer; I'm ready to take on full-time teaching when we get back from break!
4:00 pm- Dismissal. We take the kids outside and have a "check off sheet," so once we see a student's parent, they're free to go. This is a fun way for me to see who my students' parents are and to talk with a lot of parents. They're all super hospitable and definitely go out of their way to make me feel welcome.
4:15-6:00 pm- I usually stay at least an hour and a half after school to lesson plan or to work on my portfolio. I don't get any work done at home here whatsoever (even though the wifi has been 100% lately!), so I always set a goal for the afternoon and don't leave until I finish. I've never been at school later than 7, which seems so late, but it's really only 3 hours after the students leave for the day. There are always people in the building, too, so I never feel weird being there late. I have keys to lock or unlock the building. Then I have another 10-15 minute walk home.
6:30 pm- I come home, have a snack, change clothes, unpack my things, empty the dishwasher, etc. I try to help out with things that I can do because Pilar often works late on the weekdays, so emptying the dishes has kind of become my thing. Most nights, I try to work out. I've been really unmotivated recently, which is probably because the lack of a gym. I really miss having a place to lift weights or to "switch it up." ECA has a gym, but it's seriously horrible haha. Plus all of the weights are in kilos, so I don't understand anything. There is 1 "gym" in Camarma, but it's really just like a town recreation center, and they offer a lot of classes, but there's no free weight room or equipment. I do have my debit card now, so I can get a membership, but I'm not sure if I'll spend the money for that. I've been doing a lot of running, and since I'm training for a half marathon I guess it's good that I have nothing else to do exercise-wise than run. I have done a few online videos in the living room, but I'm most motivated by actually going to the gym.
7:00-9:00 pm- I watch TV, try to do school work, blog, or take a shower. Pilar usually gets home from work around this time frame, so sometimes we talk while she gets supper ready. Sometimes I go to the store to stash up on snacks or desserts- 2 things that Spaniards don't really do and 2 things that Allison really loves.
9:00 pm- We usually eat supper around 9, at the earliest. If Pilar has class or gets home really late, I'll occasionally eat by myself at an earlier time, but we eat most meals together around 9 o'clock. Most Spanish food is very bland, but I enjoy most of it. There haven't been any meals so far that I haven't liked at all. My favorites include Spanish tortilla and any kind of bread or cheeses. Pilar also likes to make really good salads with fresh cheeses, lettuce or spinach, and vinegar/oil/balsamic dressings. PS I miss ranch dressing.
10:00-11:00 pm- Pilar and I spend a long time eating. We usually watch TV while we eat and talk about our days. We always teach each other new words in each others' languages. I try to go to bed around 11, which is super late for me and I'm usually falling asleep walking up the stairs. Pilar laughs at me for this- she stays up until 1 or 2 each night and wakes up at 7 for work. So Spanish.
My days are full and tiring but also rewarding. I'm looking forward to spring break so that I can take some time to appreciate the fact that I am in Spain! Some days I think that if it weren't for living with Pilar and being 6 time zones away from home, I wouldn't even realize I was in a different country just because so much of my day is spent in English language and American culture. I can't wait to tell you about Germany, Sevilla, and Barcelona and all of the Holy Week events over the next 2 weeks!
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