The Job
Numbers:
3.) Are You Really a Teacher?
26.) Three Day Work Week
22.) Fulbright Town
Suggested Listening: Cat Power, “The Greatest”
(3)
Have you ever interviewed for a job that you really wanted?
Most of us have.
We hope, pray, and wait to hear if we are what “they” want. If we are lucky enough to be what “they” want, then we go through the orientation process and we start the job with much anticipation and excitement. Much to my surprise, after a year of waiting, I found out that I was what “they” wanted here in Argentina. Little did I know, two years after I applied for the job, and six months into the actual work I’d still be figuring out what my job is.
I am an English Language Teaching Assistant and the National University of San Juan. I attend some of the classes, given by extremely talented and wonderful professors, and answer questions when they come up. I give conversation workshops every week and presentations a couple of times a month (the presentations have been some of the most rewarding parts of the job!). I also teach conversation classes at another institute. I teach adults and 18-20 somethings (Starting to teach this age group meant that within the year of 2012-2013 I taught individuals from ages 2 to 50 !).
(After our Presentation of the similarities and differences in
the history of Argentina and the USA with Dr. Edgardo Mendoza)
The first months were hard. I was dropped in an English classroom by myself without books, or resources. I had to be creative and direct every part of my talents as an art teacher to paint myself as an English teacher. It was a challenge and many people gossiped or told me directly, “But you aren’t even an English teacher!”. This was hard for me. I was chosen to be here and being a English teacher was not one of the requirements. I wanted to be the greatest ETA , but I had no hope with an automatic lack of respect.
Although this frustrated me at times, I obviously knew that I was not an English teacher. (It’s incredible how much you realize how little you know about your own language once you have to try and explain it!)
I have tried my best with the training I have and, even if I am not a true English Teacher, I know that the reason I am here is largely to be , as cheesy as it sounds, a cultural ambassador. My job inside and outside of the classroom is to provide a new perspective on situations, and more importantly, to learn the perspectives of others. I have had a lot of fun showing people that your typical assumptions of US culture are not laws of nature, but simply stereotypes.
We don’t all eat McDonalds. We aren’t all fat. ( A girl once said to me, “But your skinny? How can you be skinny?” As if my country of origin destined me to be large. ) We don’t really eat bacon and 2 fried eggs with toast for breakfast everyday. I don’t live in a mansion. I don’t know celebrities. I am not some raging nationalist patriot.
My students teach me about Argentina too. They teach me about all the ways you can pronounce the “r” in San Juan Spanish. They reveal stereotypes about their culture and eagerly discuss them in detail with me. I have learned about food, fashion, conversation, and family. These conversations are the best part of my job.
With time my goal changed from being the greatest ETA ever,to simply being focused on letting students know that I am not just some weird girl from the USA who sits in class, I’m a real person. I’m a real person who is here to learn and to teach along the way; and If you have ever taught before, you know that you are destined to learn insurmountably more than you teach.
(26)
I posted a title called “Three Day Work Week”. What do I mean by that? I mean that this semester I only go to classes three days a week. Some of my days start at 8 am and end at 9:30 pm (with siesta in-between), but overall I have a fairly relaxed workload.
I spend a lot of time planning the other days or use them to take long weekend trips. Taylor and I have also taken on some extra projects that busy our days. Overall, I really appreciate the relaxed schedule and opportunities I have had to travel , but I have come to realize that I am a person who thrives on productivity and business. I have been forced to assess a lot about myself in the slower moments. I have had to learn how to schedule my personal time, to motivate myself to work on self-inspired projects, and to simply be okay with sleeping-in!
I have learned so much from this experience, and one of the most valuable things that I have learned is that I do not always have to be so hard on myself. I don’t have to be the GREATEST. I do not always have to be busy. I can rest. The world won’t end, and I was utterly selfish to think that I need to be going all the time in order to keep the world spinning. Many of you may also define your identity by your schedule, your job, your productivity. I encourage you to take a step back and assess what it is that you are allowing yourself to be defined by. It is one of the hardest things I have ever done, but trust me, its worth it.
(22)
One of the best parts of learning this job is the fact that other people are learning it with me. There are fourteen other grantee’s that are English Teaching Assistants in other provinces of Argentina. The other grantees are not just regular people. They are amazing people full of talent, personality, creativity, and intelligence. When l first met everyone in Buenos Aires, I quickly fell into great conversation with everyone in the group. It was so interesting to hear about their backgrounds and areas of study. We talked for hours and I found myself really wanting to learn more about each and every person. To top it off, everyone is kind, helpful,and appreciative.
We do not get to see each other often, but In June we had an enhancement retreat, alongside the amazing fulbrighters from Uruguay, in Montevideo. It was genuinely one of my favorite weeks of my time here. I stocked up on lesson plans for this semester, and I spent a week in uplifting conversation and company. We laughed and we were wined and dined Uruguay style. We ended our celebrations with a roof top talent show that had me sore from laughter. I have made some great friendships and am so thankful to be sharing this experience with such an incredible group of people.
Overall, I think I have a pretty incredible job. I have learned so much about myself and others through this experience. I have also learned that more than any project, research, or assignment, the most important part of the job will always be the people.
Shawna
Shawna Michelle 