More classes, two trips to the gym… and a productive two days!
This is my final week of attending the Learning Center courses. Most of these are English for a Specific Purpose courses; Law, Computer Science, Public Administration, Academic, and Business. I have to approach these courses different. These students have passed out of 4 levels of English courses and now take this course in their area of study. I have really enjoyed these courses, just as I did the English Skills courses, but these courses have brought different challenges. Some things have stayed the same- I still am a representative of the entire US, and I still am trying to be the best teacher/educator I can. This is a culture that does not yet use a lot of interactive and communicative teaching practices, so I try to introduce each group to this. This is a challenge because it is hard for the students to get involved in the content when it is outside of their comfort zone. I have seen this in the course I teach on a weekly basis, but we are now 12 weeks in and they are starting to get more accustomed to my teaching style. I am really growing as a person and as an educator. I am learning not only about another culture but also learning ways to work with all different people. Having already been an educator for 6 years, all of those with students with special needs, one would think I had a wealth of experience teaching individuals who are outside the “general” category. This would be true. However, what I am learning here in this setting could not be replicated back home. I am blessed to have this experience and hopefully it will help me be a blessing to my students for years to come.
The evening brought gym time both Monday and Tuesday. I am really enjoying the gym. I get to hear more Albanian being spoken, and I get out and about! Zumba is one of the options while there, and I really enjoy it. It is a fun way to get your heart rate up and have fun at the same time. Before coming to Macedonia, I was told to expect many things to be similar to the US in the 1950’s. People who shared this with me were referring to several aspects of life including mind sets, civil rights… but while some things are like the 1950’s modern technology is also present. I think that the gym has an example of one of the differences- several (NOT ALL!) women stay at the gym to have a cigarette before going home, and some even take a break in the middle of their work out to have one. It reminds me of the American TV show, Mad Men, which is set in the 1960’s- smoking was a big part of American culture then, and still is here in Macedonia today. I share only as a cultural difference and as an observations- opinions are reserved for the reader.
Lesson: It is good to stretch your comfort zone, and when possible to help others stretch theirs too.
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