My international experience quite literally started with a bang. Hi, I’m Lisa Watson a 2015-16 recipient of the World Affairs Council of Charlotte’s Council Scholar Award. On the morning of my first day in Madrid I entered a big 5k that ran through the heart of the city. I have been an avid runner for all of my life and knew that I wanted to experience an international race while abroad. I ran collegiately in the United States and continue to compete often but rarely win large races. The race in Madrid was quite large and I never could have imagined that I’d win! My first full day abroad started with the bang of a race pistol and ended with a crown, a trophy, a TV interview and a spot on the evening news in Madrid. This was just the start of what proved to be a truly unforgettable experience for me in Madrid.
I am a Spanish teacher for Kindergarten – 4th grade students at Charlotte Preparatory School. I have taught Middle and High School Spanish but feel at home in the elementary school. I have overhauled the Spanish curriculum at my school to include more cultural objectives. My goal is to help my students to understand various cultural aspects of the Spanish speaking world in-depth. I have moved the curriculum away a traditional approach of giving a very brief snapshot or every culture to a more focused study of just a few cultures. I have found that this approach gives students a much more complete and balanced perspective of the Spanish speaking world.
Photo: Lisa Watson with teachers in the AmeriSpan program.
When I found out about the 2015-2016 Council Scholar Award Program, I began researching study opportunities that included both a focus on culture and language learning methodologies. I could not have been happier with AmeriSpan’s program. I participated in AmeriSpan’s MAESTRO: Spain for Spanish Teachers program through the Don Quijote Language School in Madrid, Spain. The program is designed for Spanish teachers to learn more about Spanish culture and language teaching methodologies. The program lasts two weeks and consists of 4 hours of class each morning with the afternoons free to explore the city and observe in schools. I also opted to participate in a homestay where I lived with a family for the duration of my trip. The setup of the program was absolutely perfect for me. Having been a Spanish teacher and aficionado of all things Spain, I arrived with a long list of places to visit that I thought would be relevant to my students. Every day after class the list grew longer and longer.
While I expected to learn a great deal about Spain itself, I was surprised by how much I learned from my classmates. I was the only American teacher in the group. There were six other students in my class. Three were from China, Italy, and Sweden. The South Korean government sent 3 representatives. They were translators and language instructors for the government. They were sent to Spain for a year to write a formal Spanish language curriculum to be used in the public schools. It was very interesting to learn about the language acquisition methods used in each of these countries. The variety of methods was astounding. I was surprised that most students study multiple languages and Spanish is often taught alongside another foreign language. In South Korea, Spanish and English will be taught at the same time. In Sweden, Spanish is often studied with French because of the similarities in the two romance languages.
I also enjoyed the opportunity to observe classes at Colegio de la Sagrada Corazón, an elementary school in Madrid. My visit had a dual purpose. I wanted to learn more about schooling in Spain but I was also eager to present a formal proposal for a penpal program with my students at Charlotte Prep. My proposal was met with such open arms that I returned to the elementary school for a second visit to serve as a “guest teacher” where I helped students write their first penpal letter to a student at my school. I brought all of the letters back with me and am excited to begin the program in a few weeks. It has already received great feedback from my students at Charlotte Prep.
During my trip I wrote a daily blog that was posted on the school’s webpage. Each day I summarized my activities with a focus on helping my students develop an international way of thinking. I also made numerous connections to our curriculum by reminding students in different grades of connections they could make to topics we studied. I enjoyed reading my students responses. I knew that my visits to the Medieval Towns of Toledo and Segovia would be very impactful for my students. The Middle Ages is a part of our social studies curriculum in 1st and 4th grade. Last year I created new units in 1st and 4th grade to teach about the Middle Ages in Spain. My students enjoyed seeing the castles they learned about come to life on my blog. The blog was just one small way to pique their interest in all that I learned and am eager to share from my experience in Spain.
I am eager to start the school year and have a running list of new ideas that continues to grow as I review my photos and notes from my trip. I have learned new teaching methods from Spanish teachers all over the world and have developed a much deeper understanding of Spanish culture. I look forward to passing this knowledge on to the students, staff and community at my school. I have only begun to realize the impact that the Council Scholar Award will have on my teaching and I am excited for the school year ahead.
World Affairs Council of Charlotte 