About Me
Hello! I’m Ariel. I’m originally from the United States and am currently living in Madrid, Spain! I’m working as an English Language Assistant for the Ministry of Spain. I assist in teaching at a primary school, grades 3-6.
I grew up in Texas where I learned a plethora of words and phrases that I’m not sure can be found in an English dictionary. I received a Bachelor of Science in Web Design and Development from Brigham Young University – Idaho.
My love for travel and learning has encouraged me to explore the world and experience new cultures and ways of life. I’m excited to see where my time in Spain will take me.
Language Assistant Program
The Language Assistant program has given me the opportunity to learn more about Spain, connect with people from all over the world, and, most importantly, teach! I’ve loved being able to get to know the students in my school. They are all unique in personality and in their levels of English. Their determination and positivity are encouraging, and continually inspire me to try new things.
Any expectations about my school or the program, in general, have been exceeded. I’ve met so many kind and generous individuals who are eager to share more about their culture and learn from my own. It’s been an incredible experience so far!
About the School
Agustin Rodriguez Sahagun Bilingual School
- Infantil & Primaria
- Six classes a day, recess in the middle
- Fourty-five minute classes
- Three classes of children per level
- Some subjects are held in English, others in Spanish
Teaching Experience
I work with grades three through six in a variety of subjects. Science, Art, and English are the main subjects I assist these grades in as these are the three subjects held in English rather than Spanish.
My goal is to always leave the children with a positive experience. I know from experience learning another language can be frustrating so I try to incorporate activities and materials that make the subjects more fun and interesting for the students.
Since I mainly work with groups of two to three students at a time, I’ve developed and compiled some activities and games that have been most successful with them.
Classroom Resources
Hangman
The kids love this game! I pick one word from the unit vocabulary and, on a piece of paper, put a blank space for each letter in the word. The children have to guess letters until they get the word correct. This game helps the kids with spelling, but also helps them to learn how to say the English alphabet.
Unscramble
This game can be played with or without pictures, depending on the children’s level of English. This requires a little preparation as you want to pick out a few words and scramble the letters before meeting with the kids. The kids then have to unscramble the words correctly. This game helps the students to correctly spell words, and if you are using pictures, helps them associate the words with visuals.
Act it Out
This one is an easy one as it doesn’t require any materials. I take turns with the students acting out or guessing phrases or words from the students’ current unit. The kids usually have a lot of fun with this one as it encourages them to move and be a little silly.
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