Volunteering: Escolas de Barcelona

I can't help but wipe a tear from under my mask as I walked away from volunteering this morning. Working at a local primary school reminds me of happy, simpler times: ones of jumping on fall leaves, making pumpkin crafts, and singing through the hallways. I am eager to share my experiences teaching English in Barcelona with the most splendid group of students I've had the pleasure to know....

My incredible volunteering coordinator at CEA started our volunteer application process with a brainstorming session listing the differences are between volunteering in the US and in Spain. I admit I had never thought about there being cultural variation in the definition of volunteering. How could helping people be seen as anything else? Here in Barcelona, volunteering culture is not the same concept as it is in the states. The subtle differences in what defines volunteering highlight the depth and complexity of culture. Here, volunteering is less common, and hence, carries more weight. Back home it is common to volunteer for one-day events like fun runs, holidays, or kitchens. However, here we were taught volunteering implies an often lengthy commitment where you are expected to work and fully integrate. This is not to say there aren't long-term options in the US, but rather there is a broader range of commitments from which to choose.

Volunteering has been a constant throughout my entire life. From a young age, I remember my family volunteering further insuring my future involvements in National Charity League and other service trips and opportunities throughout high school and college. Little did I know that I would be volunteering here in Barcelona but when our program introduced the applications, I couldn't imagine anything I'd rather be a part of when establishing a new home and community abroad. I enthusiastically committed to roughly 4.5 hours once a week, and admit I look forward to Thursdays the most every week!

Alongside the English teacher, we wrangle one of three different fourth-grade classes every hour. Each class has approximately 25 students who learn English vocabulary, phrases, and conversation through activities, singing, and acting. In addition, I lead a rotation of reading groups. My favorite memories have been teaching them about Halloween traditions and dancing together. The most challenging day was when the English teacher had to go under a last-minute quarantine and I unexpectedly taught English class on my own! Stumbling through broken Catalan I had to communicate with the other teachers that I could handle the classes- no et preocupis (no worries;))! I love working with my students, who are at the prime ages of 8-10 when you are driven solely by getting others to laugh. The love I feel from the students here fills me with so much radiance, light, and infectious love. I enjoy playing and being silly with the kids and of course, helping them improve their spelling, pronunciation, and knowledge of English. Every time I teach the time flies and I never want to leave.

At school, I am the breathing dictionary, translator, and new shoulder to lean on, hand to hold, and recipient of many touching tokens of love. In honesty, my favorite keepsake from this trip will be the loom band ring one of the students made. The ring is made up of neon bands, each linked to the next and resting on my index finger. The ring's colors remind me of the rush of nostalgia and vibrance of the students I feel with each visit. Each band reminds me of the different people I have met studying abroad and how they are linked to each other. Overall, the ring is a symbol of relationships and how relationships are the single most important part of life. I feel incredibly grateful for this experience and will remember my metro, walk, and time teaching in Barcelona.

Observations about school norms:

Students, from the age of 6, go to school from approximately 9 am-5 pm or later, depending on their extracurriculars. These long hours shocked both me, my fellow classmates, and had a great impact on the families here too. The hours align better with parents' work schedules but reveal that there is rarely much time during the week for families to be together. The long hours also explain the epidemic of sleep loss, why it's typical to have dinner at 9 or 10 pm, and why the school is not allowed to assign homework. Another cultural difference here is the relationship between the students and teachers. In the US you must refer to your teacher with their prefix and last name, unless (but rarely) specified otherwise. Here, teachers and students are on a first-name basis and seem to be closer to family than authority. Lastly, a quick note about higher education norms includes abstaining from eating in class, staying until the class is over, and you cannot leave for the bathroom at your leisure.