...to becoming una profe!

Just finished Day 2 of work at CVA (Centro Venezolano Americano -  the Venezuelan-American Center - a Binational Center and my place of work for the next 8ish months).  I'll be splitting my time between CVA's two campuses in Caracas: there's CVA Las Mercedes, where I've gone for the last two days (in walking distance from where I live), and CVA El Centro, which I haven't yet visited.  From what I've heard of El Centro, I think the campus can probably be named 'CVA The 'Hood'.  Still, I can't wait to get over to that part of Caracas; despite it being a less-than-savory part of town, some of the most beautiful and historic parts of Caracas are there.

My afternoons at CVA are filled with teacher training.  I'm going through the same training that all instructors new to CVA go through - it last about 8-10 days, 3 hours per day.  The first few days (which I missed, and will have to go back and do) cover how to work - ready for this? - SMARTBOARDS!  Every classroom on the first floor is equipped with Smartboards for teachers to use and the text has been seamlessly incorporated to work with Smartboard technology.  Totally cool.  CVA offers its English courses unit by unit, taught either in 16 day niveles (levels), or more shorter 8-day modulos (modules).  In every level you cover four units, while in modules you cover two.  Students must pass both an oral and written examination to move on to the next class. 

I'll be in training for the rest of the week and maybe some of next week.  Outside of that, the rest of my duties at CVA are somewhat ambiguous at the moment.  I'm working with the cultural director to maybe put together a presentation on Thanksgiving for students, and hardcore lobbying to start a movie club.  My first non-training duty, however comes this Friday, when I introduce CVA teachers to the wonders of academic debates and their uses in the classroom.  The profs are going to hold their own a week from this Friday, topic: the role of government in education.

In other news, I'm moving on Friday to a room in an apartment in Chacao (probably one of the safest districts of Caracas); I'm excited because it means I'll be able to walk around outside!!!  Woot!  Full details on the telenovela that has been my housing situation, will soon follow. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go plan a lesson...