So, I have been in Brussels for an ENTIRE MONTH! Which means that I have been teaching for about 3 weeks. It’s actually pretty crazy to think that I am an English teacher (assistant). It has been a whirlwind getting used to the two schools that I am teaching for. I operate differently at each location and have different schedules for each place. At my school in Etterbeek I operate more of an assistant, helping with speaking exercises and getting to know the students. At my after school program in Molenbeek, I am more of an independent teacher. I have 3 classes that I teach, and I curate the lesson plans and activities for all of those classes which was a HUGE learning curve for me. The first few weeks were relatively difficult as I got used to the students and tried to gauge their level of English as well as trying to create lessons that were interesting. I feel as though I have kind of adjusted so pop a bless for that. However this past week has been incredibly difficult with a specific class. They have been pretty unruly and kind of refuse to listen to me at certain points throughout the class. I had to kind of yell at them in the last class we had which was frustrating for me. I am trying to figure out how to be stern and also let them have fun, if you have any tips please share. I'd love to hear them! Below are more pictures of Brussels, I have been trying to force myself to take my camera out more and here are the results!
It has been really interesting to have this unique insight into the Belgian education system. Honestly it has made me really appreciate the United States education system. Don’t get me wrong there is PLENTY wrong with the US system, however being here has given me a more unique appreciation for the US. From what I have seen and heard teachers in Belgium seem to care less about their students than what I have seen and experienced in the US. Throughout my elementary and high school experiences the majority of my teachers were amazing educators who cared about me as a person and who I knew wanted the best for me. I feel like that is less common in Belgium. The classes seem to be focused more on rigor and less on the compassion and personability I think is required to be a good educator. This does not pertain to all teachers and classes but simply to the few classes I have seen. This might be a simple cultural difference that I am misinterpreting, but nevertheless I am incredibly thankful that I was given access to teachers that cared about me and my success. xx
Hi, if you'd like to hear about my traumatic police encounter, heres the link!