However, now with finals here there's lots to be done! I had my first final this morning, bright and early. Well, make that dark and early. I woke up and walked the mile and a half uphill to campus in the dark and in the rain at 7:30 am. I took my final for history of ancient spain, and I feel pretty good about it! I think I did well. Clare and I studied together yesterday--we were in my small room studying from noon to ten pm. So one test down! Next wednesday I have my anthropology of religion final, and our final project is due. I talked to my professor yesterday and showed her my project outline and she gave it a thumbs up! So powering ahead. Then I will just have one more paper, for my history of andalucia class, which is a long research paper that I have a few weeks to do.
On top of university classes, my english classes I teach are getting crazy busy too! I still teach the same three women twice a week who I've been teaching since November, and every day we laugh a lot and have a great time sharing our languages with each other. That's a fun class, and we all learn a ton each day.
I was just asked by my boss to add another class at the beginning of this week. I showed up on Tuesday at 4pm (after already teaching in the morning), without knowing how many students, what ages, what level....turns out I have two men students who speak english pretty well, and are paying for an intensive 30 hour course to prepare to take the TOEFL (test of english as a foreign language) in March. Next month! So I feel a high level of responsibilty, as these men are counting on me to fully prepare them for this difficult test in one month! EEEk! I showed up and had to wing our two hour class without ever having looked at the TOEFL book. They knew more about it than I did, yet they still asked questions and I had to quickly flip through the book to find the answers.....woooo thinking on your feet! Man has teaching been a new learning experience for me in so many ways!
So, in half an hour I am leaving to go to the academy to proctor a full-length practice test for these two spanish men. As in all four hours. Hopefully all our technology will work and we can complete it today, and then grade it, and see what sections need work and go from there! (I have no idea yet how to teach this class. I will have to play with it and see how it goes!)
I have been studying full days, but as breaks I have been running. Every time I run I try to go someplace new that I've never been before, which is not too hard to do when you live in a city. Lately my runs have been STUNNING: the Sierra Nevada mountains behind the Alhambra behind Granada are covered in shiny white snow, and it's been quite sunny and chilly lately, save for this morning when it rained. Granada is so gorgeous!
I am getting so so so excited for my visitors who are coming to see me and my life here. If everything works out, Darren will be here, then Kavy (here on my 21st!), then Mom and Jim! And then Ty and Barbara in the summer. I can't wait, guys! yay!!
ok well I got to go to deliver this fantastic four hour test! over and out fools! I hope you are all well. I love you and miss you!
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