Teaching, Santa Catarina

I finally received my carteira de trabalho. It's kind of like a life passport? It's a small card that gets stamped with your personal information about work. 

The next step is the medical exam. Yes, I need to do one in order to be employed. This is still rather awkward. It's pretty personal.

Up to now I've collected about 20 hours of teaching, from substituting other teachers. It's the end of the year and in August I'll get my own groups. 

I've taught different age groups. People ask which I would like to teach and I've realized it's not really about age...

It's about the group's desire to learn. 

I have taught kids who want to learn and doing the exercises is fun because they follow. 

Then there's the teenagers, who are only there because their parents pay for them to be there. They don't put in the effort and expect the language to just be acquired through their physical presence. 

Essentially, the quest becomes finding a way to create a comfortable environment. Not only for the image of the school, but for the student to learn. 

My personal technique has been being myself- haha. 

Majority of students just want to interact with me in order to ameliorate their pronunciation. I love this, because I can see them improve as I correct them. Being able to help them and see the results is the rewarding part about teaching. 

I've very happy teaching here in Santa Catarina. 

I'm giving this place a decent chance. 

The two places I have my eye on are Florianopolis and Balneario Camburiu.

Very briefly.....

Florianopolis is awesome because it's an island and it has 42 beaches, sand dunes and a lake. 

BC has a few beaches, but it's smaller and easier to navigate.

Speaking of navigation: my biggest regret in life is not knowing how to drive manual. 

I hate that I didn't learn. I feel crippled and dependent on the city's transport or worse, on lifts from people. 

Did it.

Sometime last July I began taking online TESL classes.
I wanted to try being an English as a Second Language teacher.
Today, I did it.

It wasn't meant to align so well. My first day was suppose to be Saturday AM.
I went in today to get some coaching from Lea in order to give her classes on Sunday, except she wasn't feeling well, so she asked if I could replace her today.

So 30 minutes before class started, she plugged in the USB keys and that was it. She gave me her last three classes, to teach.

3 classes, back to back? Sure, I'll take it.

Did I enjoy it, yeh... I really did. It was awesome. :)

I've been in a Funk.

I haven't posted in the past few weeks because I've been in a funk.
The weather here has really got me down. I had just recently left a Canadian winter.
It's not that I can't handle 14-16C degrees of Brazil winter... it's the humidity that's taking an emotional tole on me. Everything's always soaked. There's condensation on the walls. Things grow mold on them! I didn't come equipt for this climate and what angers me is knowing that back home I have all the resources: rain jackets, boots (the black and white ones everyone hates!!), warm pjs, more socks... and sweaters!!!

I've been trying to look at the bright side whilst I tough it out. There's only about 1-2 months left of winter. This'll be as worst as it gets. Summer is coming and it'll last 8 months!

Everything's sort of going according to plan.
I got my carteira de identidade, my cpf and now I'm waiting for my carteira de trabalho.
I'm even in the process of getting hired as an English Teacher at one of Brazil's most recognized schools.

I've gotten all that I've wanted in about a month- it's just not in Rio de Janeiro.

What's so bad about Itajai? It's kinda boring.
That's my only complaint.
Why have I decided to stay here?
It's an awesome place to start. There are jobs here!
I have nothing Brazilian on my CV. Toughing it out here in the start, will give me something legitimate to put on my CV. I'm biting the bullet and doing it.

Yup. 6 day work weeks, here we go!
The idea that on the 7th day I'll be able to go to the beach... soon... keeps my spirit alive.