TEACHING ASSISTANTS
Your experience will vary enormously based on your exact placement, the age groups you are assigned to teach, and your school culture. When in doubt, think back to your aims when applying for the Fulbright ETA. No matter the situation, you can always find small ways to make a positive impact on the students you serve.
THE SPANISH EDUCATION SYSTEM
Organization of the Spanish Education System:
- Daycare (guarderías): a few months old until age 3
- Infantil (optional, but very common): ages 3-6
- Primaria (mandatory): equivalent to U.S. 1st through 6th grade
- Secundaria or ESO (mandatory): 7th-10th
- Bachillerato (optional): 11th and 12th; Bachillerato is the college track for students. They can choose to study las artes or la ciencia y tecnología. Recently, some schools have begun offering programs with classes from both concentrations. Students must take EBAU (Evaluación del Bachillerato para el Acceso a la Universidad) before moving on to University
- Formación Profesional (optional): Vocational school; open to any student who has completed ESO, whether or not they’ve also done bachillerato and/or Universidad
- Universidad (optional)
If you are unsure at which level or levels you will be teaching, please check your Grant Authorization.
See the Infantil & Primaria page for level-specific information.
Infantil: In Spain, very young children first attend guarderías, which is like a nursery (0-2 years old). After this, from ages 2-5, Spanish children attend Infantil (could be compared to somewhat of a multi-year Pre-K – Kindergarten). If you are going to be teaching Infantil (early childhood) classes, prepare yourself for lots of hugs, homemade art, and acting with exaggerated body language!
Primaria: Spanish primaria classes are similar in structure to U.S. elementary schools, as the equivalent of 1st through 6th grade. Rather than having a classroom teacher who teaches almost all subjects, it is more common for the teachers to move to the set classroom of each class according to subject area. The bilingual (or trilingual) system in Spain usually results in about half the classes being taught in English, which means that Fulbright ETAs often do not solely teach in an English class; rather, they can teach in English, Natural Science, Social Science, or even specials subjects such as P.E. or music.
See the Secundaria page for level-specific information.
Secondary school in Spain, also known as Escuela Secondaria Obligatorio (ESO), is broken up into slightly different levels than in the US. ESO, sometimes referred to as instituto, begins for students who are 12 years old in the 1st year of ESO and goes through 15 year old students in 4th of ESO. There are two optional years at the end of ESO for students pursuing university education that are called bachillerato and lasts for two years.
Within the public school system students have the option to enroll in bilingual programs starting from 1० (1st) of ESO. These programs are usually integrated into the school system and will entail students taking part of their courseload in English, and the other part in Spanish. While working with the bilingual department of your school you may work in English classes exclusively or in other subjects being taught in English. Additionally some TAs will work in English classes for non-bilingual sections and the role is similar between the two with alterations made to the English level.
See the Formación Profesional page for level-specific information.
Students who might not go on to college, universidad, may either leave school to enter the labor force at the end of 4º de ESO or may continue their schooling in vocational or trade schools, Formación Profesional (FP). FP is the branch of the Spanish education system that offers vocational training, certificates, and degrees. These certificates and degrees are recognized nationally regardless of the autonomous community in which they are awarded. To complete FP programs, students must fulfill both coursework and internship requirements. Classes are held in public and private centers and are available to a wide range of students. Some students begin vocational training as teenagers, while others are mature adults returning to school after years in the workforce. Some hope to attend university after vocational training, while others prefer to (re)enter the workforce. Many students believe studying English will increase their employability as members of the Spanish or global economy. However, English can be a challenging subject for students who are returning to school or studying English in alternating years (a quirk of FP curricula). Helping these students learn practical English for the workforce can be an energizing and rewarding project for TAs in vocational centers.
Students ages 15-16, usually in their last year of ESO, can choose a course load either in the bachillerato (academic) or FP (applied) track. The Formación Profesional track includes six weeks within a professional setting (called Formación en Centros de Trabajo, or FCT). Those who successfully complete the FP track leave ESO with a Título Profesional Básico in a specialty area. This Título Profesional Básico is the most basic certificate of vocational training (“level 1”). Students who wish to continue vocational training after their mandatory ESO education can pursue technical (“level 2”) and advanced technical (“level 3”) degrees. Areas of study within “level 2” are called Ciclos Formativos de Grado Medio or simply ciclos medios graduation confers the title of Técnico, or technician. An advanced technician degree is obtained with further study in a Ciclo Formativo de Grado Superior. Entrance into a ciclo superior requires either prior completion of a ciclo medio or graduation from bachillerato. Vocational training involves both classroom and practicum hours. In regard to their schedules, TAs should also be aware that FP centers offer classes in the morning, late afternoon, and evening (Spaniards tend to eat a later dinner, so a final class ending around 22:00 is not unreasonable), and some of these afternoon and evening hours may be included in your schedule. Lastly, TAs should express early in the grant term any interest in joining classes on local field trips. FP may be an adult education, but it still offers day and overnight trips to familiarize students with Spanish industries and tourist destinations (tourism is an FP degree). The school may invite interested TAs to accompany students on these trips. Remember to get permission from appropriate school personnel and notify other teachers if you will be missing their classes.
HELPFUL RESOURCES
FURTHER READING AND ESL TEACHING RESOURCES
- Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance) – https://www.learningforjustice.org/ is a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) that provides resources, training, and support for educators. Its goal is to help foster inclusive school environments, promote social justice, and encourage equitable education.
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- Speak Truth to Power (STTP) – https://rfkspain.org/en/proyectos/speak-truth-to-power/ is a global human rights education initiative that seeks to inspire and empower individuals, particularly students, to stand up for human rights and social justice. The program provides lesson plans, interactive resources, and real-life narratives that highlight the struggles and victories of human rights defenders.
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- Education Week – http://www.edweek.org US Newspaper that covers K-12 education and best practices.
- ELT Notebook – http://eltnotebook.blogspot.com.es Articles on ELT methodology and activities.
- BBC TeachingEnglish – http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk Wonderful website for resources, articles, teaching materials, and teacher development.
- The Guardian Teacher Network – https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network UK Newspaper that covers education news and shares teachers’ best practices
- TEFL.net – http://www.tefl.net/esl-lesson-plans/ A great go-to website for TEFL basics, lesson plans, and worksheets.
- Dave’s ESL Cafe – http://www.eslcafe.com/ideas/ A wonderful website for teachers and students. Check out the “Idea Cookbook” for grammar, games, listening activities, quizzes, private lesson ideas, etc.
- Lessonstream – http://lessonstream.org/lessons/ An excellent website with ready-to-go lessons. You can browse lessons based on language level, learner type, language aim, topic, etc. It also has a special emphasis on CLIL lesson plans.
- LearnEnglish by British Council – http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/ Great website for listening, reading, writing, games, and more.
- TeachEnglish by British Council – https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/ Great Website with teacher resources and lesson plans.
- LearnEnglish Kids by British Council – http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/ Great website for listening, reading, writing, games, and more for younger learners.
- LearnEnglish Teens by British Council – https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/ Great Website for listening, reading, writing, games and more for high school students.
- Genki English – http://genkienglish.net/teaching/welcome/ Dynamic lesson plans, songs, activities, and more for younger learners.
- Tools for Educators – http://www.toolsforeducators.com/ Great Website with custom worksheets, games and other resources.
- Teaching Tolerance – https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/lessons Great Website for social justice-oriented lesson plans and materials for all ages.
- One Stop English – http://www.onestopenglish.com/clil/ A great website with articles on how CLIL should work in practice. It also has wonderful CLIL resources like lessons, teaching tips, interactive animations, illustrations, wordlists, etc. that can be used in both primary and secondary school classrooms.
- Didactalia – https://didactalia.net/comunidad/materialeducativo Wonderful database for CLIL lessons and teaching materials. You can narrow down your search by subject, grade level, type of activity, language, etc. This website is in Spanish.
- Isabel’s ESL Site – http://www.isabelperez.com/clil/ A blog designed to help teachers teaching in CLIL contexts. This website has great tools, materials, and other resources.
- European Center for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe – http://www.ecml.at/Thematicareas/ContentandLanguageIntegratedLearning/Resources/tabid/1687/language/en-GB/Default.aspx Informative website with CLIL resources and articles. Helpful for contextualizing the CLIL initiative in Europe.
- The Association for Science Education – http://www.ase.org.uk/resources/science-across-the-world/ Teaching materials helpful for science classrooms. This website focuses on tools teachers need to effectively teach science in a dynamic way.
- World of Teaching – www.worldofteaching.com Database of PowerPoint presentations that are free to download. This website has a wide range of topics.
- Article by David Marsh and María Jesús Frigols – CLIL as a Catalyst for Change in Languages Education – http://babylonia.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/2007-3/marsh_frigols.pdf Article on the CLIL matrix.
- Scaffolding in Education. Providing language support in CLIL – http://es.calameo.com/read/0019126473278ee9d8f30 Scaffolding strategies in CLIL.
- The Macmillan Magazine Online – CLIL corner http://macmagonline.macmillan.es/editions/archive/issue-18-summer-2009/clil-corner/an-introduction-to-scaffolding-in-the-clil-classroom/ An introduction to scaffolding in the CLIL classroom (includes planning).
- Teach This – http://www.teach-this.com ESL / EFL teaching activities, ready-to-print worksheets, lessons, and games.
- Auto English – http://www.autoenglish.org Printable grammar exercises and test prep activities.
- ESL Kids World – http://www.eslkidsworld.com Printable worksheets, activities, phonics, flash cards, songs, etc. for young ESL learners.
- ESL Lab (Vocabulary) – http://www.esl-lab.com/vocab/ ESL vocabulary lists by topic.
- Many Things – http://www.manythings.org/vocabulary/lists/a/ ESL / EFL basic vocabulary lists.
- Flashcard Maker – http://www.cambridgeenglishonline.com/Flashcard_maker/ Website where you can create your own vocabulary flashcards.
- Boggles World – http://bogglesworldesl.com Great for games, activities, and role play situations.
- Monkey Abroad – http://monkeyabroad.com/27-esl-games-for-large-classes/ 27 proven ESL games for large classes.
- ESL Games World – http://www.eslgamesworld.com Fun games for low-level English or younger learners.
- AulaCorto – http://aulacorto.mecd.gob.es/auth/login Educational videos provided by the Spanish Ministry of Education, though they are mostly in Spanish. You need a school email address to log in.
- Storynory – http://www.storynory.com Free audio stories for students. Spoken with a British accent.
- Film English – http://film-english.com Short lessons based on videos, designed specifically for ESL learners.
- Khan Academy – https://www.khanacademy.org Great website with short video lectures. This website has tools for teachers as well as practice exercises for students.
- Lyrics Training – http://www.lyricstraining.com Interactive fill-in-the-blank listening activities built into pop music videos.
- TeacherTube – http://www.teachertube.com Like YouTube, but with educational videos for all ages and levels.
- Super Simple Songs – https://www.youtube.com/user/SuperSimpleSongs Easy-to-follow simplified versions of songs that work wonderfully for younger ESL learners.
- Happy Learning – https://happylearning.tv/en/ Short lesson plans based on videos. Educational videos for all ages.
- TED Talks – https://www.ted.com/talks
- EPIC! Books – www.getepic.com Online library of English books for pre-literacy – 8th grade students. Includes read-alouds and suggestions for reading assessments as well as books that can be projected. You must have access to a university or school email to create an account.
- News ELA – https://newsela.com Newspaper articles rewritten at multiple lexile levels. Great resource because you can adjust text complexity based on students’ reading levels.
- Cube creator – http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/cube_creator/ Useful, different and fun tool to assess reading comprehension or to prepare after-reading activities. For a video tutorial on how to use the website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYqOMLFHqeU
- Jennifer Teacher’s ESL Conversation Starters – https://jenniferteacher.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/eslconversationstarters/ Fun ESL conversation starters to get students talking. Great for classes where you pull out small groups of students for conversation and speaking practice.
- Voki – http://www.voki.com/ Fun tool that allows students to create an avatar. It can be used for homework, classwork or projects.
- Bubbl – Brainstorming made simple https://bubbl.us/ Useful online tool to create mind maps.
- Class Dojo – https://www.classdojo.com/ An app that can help organize and manage your class’ tasks. Can also be used to provide behavior management incentives for students.
- Go Noodle – https://www.gonoodle.com/ An app & website for educational brain breaks to get younger students moving and refocused.
Working Hours
Lesson planning is usually a 1:1 endeavor, meaning most grantees teaching a variety of different subjects will dedicate 16 hours, outside of Host Institution classes and coordination meetings, to lesson planning. This is the ONLY reason why the Fulbright ETA Fellowship qualifies as a full-time program, and grantees should be familiar with the expectation that each class requires an hour of preparation outside of school hours.
Example Schedule:
