I'm a teacher...ish!

So I don't know how I managed to get so lucky but not only have I been placed in Madrid but I have also been placed near the Madrid center at one of the best institutos here, el Instituto Ramiro de Maeztu. And though it does not exactly embody the manicured,  Harvard-esque image that an American would think of when hearing about a school with such a lauded history, the students, in comparison to those I've heard about from other auxiliaries, are indeed bright. As it stands now, I teach primero, segundo and a couple of bachillero groups in English, natural science, physical education, social science, and Citizenship. The American equivalence of these groups would be 6th-7th graders and high school juniors. They are way more cooperative and sincere than I expected. I think I had originally painted them as cynical, miscreanitos but I guess it was actually just me being cynical. The kids just all seem like they need some lovin, or at least to know that someone cares. Its crazy how receptive they are to a simple smile or a personal gesture. Its not as though the teachers are awful or mal-intentioned, they just are either indifferent (mechanically doing their job), or do not know how to constructively respond to students who may be perceived as"rambunctious", but are, in my opinion, simply just more curious and excited. Either way, my duties are to assist the teacher and the degree of my participation naturally varies for each class and for each teacher. Mostly, I encourage discussions and serve as a cultural ambassador for American culture (which gets confusing just because there is a slight dissonance with the American culture for me as a Korean-American, amongst other reasons).

All in all, the job is easy and I am enjoying it! The only thing is that I do feel guilty for having it so easy while 25% of native Spaniards can't find a job in their own homeland. :/