Ann Varnedoe. Elena Juíz Arturo Neira Emma Vail
Four years ago, I was offered the chance to organize a bilingual section with Biology/Geology. I have always liked challenges, especially if they mean trying new teaching methods, and my department colleagues granted me the privilege, so I spoke to Elena Juiz, the biology teacher with whom I shared the project, and started doing the ugliest part of it: bureaucracy.
First, I had to create the curriculum from scratch. I had no idea what I must do, so I asked Elena for the 3rd of ESO Biology syllabus and then guessed that the only thing I had to do was modifying the methodology, everything else should be the basically the same. Then I had to convince a group of over 12 students to take part in the project. I cannot remember whether it was difficult, but I usually have to speak to 2nd of ESO students to encourage them to participate and convince them it is not that difficult and offers you learning chances that you will not have in a regular group.
The experience was great-it has been for 4 years in the different generations-. It took some talks to convince students that diversity of knowledge makes quality knowledge, even if you do not get such good grades in the beginning. That is one of the most difficult tasks, convincing students that understanding something and being able to speak about it, getting information and making opinion about current issues, which is perhaps the best contribution of LOMCE – maybe some previous law – to education: equality, peace, environment, healthy habits, …, and, of course, the Science projects, whether related to the most technical part of Biology or Geology, such as presentations on the different systems of the human body, or related to geological issues, like volcanoes, earthquakes or tsunamis; or the end of year project, which was related to the subject, but with an approach for non-academic people and for fun.
In 1st Bachillerato new people joined this group -it was no longer the bilingual section-, but the new way, a different way of teaching, which was already being carried out by other teachers in the department in different ways, continued. We organized a big project around a literary work, Last of the Mohicans, which took nearly a term and produced a 60-page webbook which gives a clear idea of the colonization of America.
In 2nd Bachillerato they had to make a speech on the social articles of the Spanish Constitution and its application in the real world, which produced some very good outcomes when the students analyzed how laws are applied in everyday reality.
I feel really proud of the result and have always felt that it has been a privilege to teach these students; and I also want to pay tribute to Elena, who has been a brilliant and appreciated teacher and colleague and essential part of the project.
I wish the best of luck to Elena, who is retiring, and the students who will hopefully be at university next year - at least most of them-. It has been very rewarding to share these four years with you.
Finally, it would not be fair not to mention Emma Vail and Ann Varnedoe, the two American Fulbright assistants who did a great job and earned everybody’s affection.
I feel really frustrated not having the usual good graduation photos as the Covid effects left us without a normal graduation ceremony.
Below I include links to some of the works created by the students.
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