Spain

Preparation the Cambridge CELTA Certificate Course

10/4/09

I’m nervous.

I’m sitting here reading The Practice of English Language Teaching by Jeremy Harmer. Correction: I’m trying to read this text and I can’t get through it. I’m flashing back to 6th grade English class with Mrs. McClean drawing lines on the board. When I was new to the school, I started half-way through 6th grade, I had no idea what a sentence map was nor did I understand the purpose. By the end of junior high, the mere sight of lines drawn on the board with a sentence written underneath made my palms sweaty and my heart race. I had learned what it was, I just wasn’t any good at it.

I don’t feel much differently today.

Curious because I chose to start down a path which makes that particular fear unavoidable.

I’m on page 49 of about 400 and I’m ready to call into question everything I thought I wanted out of life. My only hope it that this information gently seeps its way into my brain via permeation over the next few weeks. I’m sure once I get into the classroom it will be easier for me. Perhaps the problem is context. I’ve never been a classroom teacher, although I’ve been a trainer and a coach, and I don’t have anything to grab onto. Class will help. Let’s move on to brighter topics.

I did finally book my hotel for the first night in Sevilla.  It’s in a great location, near the city center and has great reviews online. Hotel Casona San Andres beckoned to me from the distance of online travel sites and I booked it today.

My agenda: I get in at about 10am and I have a full day of meandering and butchering the Spanish language to do. Then at night, I can sneak down to the restaurant/tapas bar right downstairs for dinner and some people-watching. There’s also a rooftop terrace that I hope to get some time with during my 24 hour stint at the Hotel, maybe I’ll even make some new friends!

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Exterior view of Casona de San Andres

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View from inside of the room, looking over the plaza

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Bar Santa Marta in the plaza at the foot of the hotel

Today is all about getting ready for class. My bags are half-packed. Truly, the only things not packed are the things I will need for work the next two weeks.

Well, I do believe I am running out of excuses to keep me away from Mr. Jeremy Harmer and his clever anecdotes about American and British English. It’s worth it and I think I will love being a TEFL teacher – just have to do the work first! So here I go! Off to work!

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