Teaching In Brazil Part 2

                                                                     

It was time for a change. I left the school in Santa Teresa  Lingua, to start over fresh with a new prospective and  change of scenery. The school that I found was located in the heart of Copacabana. I worked for an institute called INEP. It was an old fashion school. Basically everything in there was antique. The desk, the white board, markers, floors, the walls, typically the whole infrastructure. The best part of working there though, I had more freedom and more choices of when and how I wanted to work. I constructed and drew up lessons plans according to the way I wanted, and needed to. When I first started working, I was working a  maximum of 15 hours a week. Basically part-time hours, but after three months, things started to pick up and I doubled my hours after three months of working there. I started working in INEP in the November of 2013. From the moment I started working there, the students and I had a great relationship. I instructed them on how to speak the English and they and shared with me their culture. When I first started teaching at INEP, I knew very little Portuguese language, which was a major challenge for me, given that many of the students were beginners.  After a few months, I started to improve my Portuguese somewhat. The students were becoming more comfortable with me. We were building a relationship not only in the classroom but out of the classroom as well. Once a week, two of my classes would agree upon a place to go, to expand our learning knowledge and take us out of our comfort zone. We would go to restaurants, cafe or nearby bars to have long discussions and conversation in English. I thought this would be a great way to loosen  them up, since some of them were afraid to speak in class. I thought it would be great for us to learn together, because I needed to improve my Portuguese.

       Teaching in Brazil has its rewards. Everyone is curious about  learning the  English language  and the people are very friendly and open to foreigners. Especially if you mention that your from big cities such as New York, Miami, California. Many of my students were intrigued with the American culture. The movies, films, lifestyle, clothes, politics you name it was the reason for this. The most students I would have in my class would be about 6 or 8. The ages vary. Many of my students I had were kids whose parents wanted them to learn English to brighten their futures, while the adults I had were learning English to  for a better paying job or a promotion. In my eight year of teachings I have come to realize I have a bond and a deep connection with kids. I enjoyed teaching adults as well. For me, the way you approach lessons for the kids and the adults is was the major factor. For one thing, kids absorb information quickly compared to adults. Kids learn better through visuals songs and multi -media devices.Maybe its the new age, but the tools available now makes teaching so much easier  and fun with the children Teaching adults is a bit different. You have to repeat things to them constantly to make sure the information sticks. With adults you have to have  more patience and you have to be able to explain things word for word so they could  absorb it slowly and then use  it. When I first arrived at the school, I had some doubts. After a few weeks those doubts were gone and I became very comfortable at the new school that I continue to teach until now.

        Teaching in Brazil has its moments as well. There are  times when its difficult to teach because some of  the students don't apply themselves as they should.  The constant tardiness of some was difficult for me to handle because I had to keep everyone happy which would eventually be disastrous because some would give up and drop the course. I sometimes felt guilty because I felt I was  letting them down, but at the same time, I knew learning English was a two way street.  I can tell  for some it wasn´t and they were waiting for me to magically zap the English language into their heads. I would constantly remind them that  learning a new language takes commit and time and  hours of practice and dedication. I would let them know how important it was to study at home and try surround themselves with things that would help them. Music, Television Programs, Films, Newspapers, Magazines, anything that would give them direct contact with English. The other thing was uncertainty.  Many of the students had jobs, but no set time, so for me many of them  they would come and leave after a few weeks. The uncertainty was the biggest challenge  In the Brazil, the everyday life is not as structured compared to the United States so anything could arise at any moment and you have to learn to deal with it as it comes. Anything could arise from changing of plans, organization of  time or change of meetings. The biggest thing for me was the monthly salary.Some months I would make enough to accumulate full-time hours and other times I felt like I was working part-time hours.All and all its been a great experience, but I knew for me I have to improve in some of my areas of teaching and I have to work harder to inspire them to want to learn English. Three of my classes have been with me from the very beginning. In my morning class, I have two students Roseli and Catherina. Roseli has had some experience living abroad.  She is intelligent has a super work ethic. She lived in Connecticut in the United States for quite  a while so she is no stranger when it comes to speaking English. Catherina has no experience at all with the English. She has grown up in Rio 
all of her life,so learning English for her is difficult, but with each passing day she continues to improve. What I like about her, she brings her eagerness and wiliness  of wanting to learn. Both of them are special in my eyes, because both of them have something special that the other needed. I enjoy our morning classes together, especially in the beginning of class, when I ask them if they are ready to go, before they go off into their woman talk. Theyare very delightful, pleasant, and funny. For this it makes teaching more rewarding and enjoyable.