June 24, 2011, 8:03 AM Italy Time

On the sandiest bed in the universe, the Bungalow after breakfast

Last night we found out our first placements.  I had been sort of worried because I found out that this whole “orientation” was actually a mini-interview, where we would be watched, evaluated, and pretty much analyzed the entire week.  I was scared the directors might not like me or think I’m capable of the job or something and I would get sent home.

It’s definitely safe to say I was wrong.  People started talking about who was in their camp and who they would be working with (usually about 4 or 5 other tutors), their new locations, the age groups (usually 4 or 5 different age levels), the descriptions and problems of the camp and the levels of English their kids would know (very standard to what we have been learning how to teach).  I finally was able to log on to a computer and I saw that I was going to Taormina in Sicily with only one other tutor.  I kept reading and saw that my camp was new, and I had already met and talked with the camp director because she had been attending this orientation as one of the observers.  In this camp, there are only 18 students with completely different ages and English levels.  Because of this, they had to combine age groups and books so instead of having one group of “yellow book” for 5-6 year olds and one group of “orange book” for 7-9 year olds, the classes are combined.  The other group is “blue book” which is 9-10 year olds and “red book” ages 11-14.  In other words, I am in the hardest camp.  The other tutor sent with me is TEFL certified and has already been teaching English as a foreign language for over a year in Bangkok.  I am sort of freaking out because I have NEVER done this before and it looks like it’s going to be way more difficult than the other camps.  Susan, the other tutor, is really nice and said I could pick whichever level I wanted and she would take the other.  So now I’m just trying to decide which is easier.  I don’t know if I can handle such a diverse class and I would have to teach two books at the same time.  I don’t even know how to do that.  Like, do I teach the easy level and let one half of the class be bored and then move on and terrify the less advanced portion by moving too fast?  AHHHH.  Suggestions on which one would be easier?  Facebook me.

On a different note: it’s 8:15ish right now and I just ate the largest breakfast ever and now I feel sick.  I am addicted to Italian cookies.

My train leaves at 10 tomorrow.  It’s a 6 hour journey with one change to Taormina.  I hear it’s the Newport Beach of Sicily so I am definitely excited to meet the host family!!  Also, I love Mediterranean food and I hear it’s big there.