After arriving to Plaza de Castilla, I either catch the 725 bus to La Sierra or the 726 bus to the mountains where my school is located. The ride takes about an hour, so I continue to read, do more flashcards or enjoy the view from my window, along the way. I can see mountains in the background along with cows and horses grazing in the pasture.
I arrive to school by 9:30 a.m. and go to assist with my first class! Usually, for the first class, I take a few groups of students out and practice oral exams with them. I love getting to chat with the students and ask about how their weekend went or how their day is going. In my next class, I prepare students for the Global classrooms or Model UN conference that they attend in January and February in the Southern portion of Madrid. We research global topics, write speeches and practice debating. Once those two classes are over, I usually have a break where I can plan some lessons and schedule meetings. Afterwards, I usually have two more classes. Sometimes, I teach a whole class of students; other times, I have students do projects or oral presentations. One day, I presented on the Superbowl halftime show and another day I talked about Groundhog day!
Once school is over, I walk down a red gravel path to the bus stop, about five minutes away, and wait to take the bus back to Madrid. In the afternoon, I have a prep course that I take from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. that helps me know what topics I need to memorize for the exam I am taking in April. I usually spend that time either in a coffee shop or at my desk in my room. Once that's finished and I've had the chance to study for a bit, I feel stir crazy! Running after sitting for those three hours makes me feel normal again.
