A day in the life as a Language and Culture Assistant

A day in the life as a Language and Culture Assistant is surprisingly pretty typical to that of a job at home. Once I got into my routine and started to enjoy my classes, kids, and coworkers at school I really enjoy the job and atmosphere. It is also really nice to be able to teach four different age groups with four different teachers to get a feel for each of their teaching styles and the student’s interests. Here is an example of my daily schedule:

9 a.m. - 10 a.m. 6th grade English

10 a.m. - 11 a.m. 3rd grade science (either Natural or Social science)

11 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Breakfast break (free breakfast provided by school)

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 6th grade Science

12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Lunch break

2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. 3rd grade English

3:15 p.m. - 4 p.m. 3rd grade arts and crafts

It’s exciting to show up at work not knowing exactly what the teacher will have me do that day. Sometimes I’m practicing speaking with the 6th graders or doing arts and crafts with the 3rd graders. The duties really are dependent on the teacher’s schedule for that day but here is a general overview of what each teacher has me doing with each grade:

3rd grade:

These kids are my favorite. They’re so intelligent and loving. Their faces light up everytime I come into the room and it feels like I really have a relationship with each and every kid. I spend most of my time with third grade but I am lucky enough to bounce between all age groups. My duties in third grade include:

• Assisting with lessons. For example, the teacher has me walk around the class to make sure the students understand the assignments/are properly copying everything in their notebooks.
• Assisting with arts and crafts.
• Providing creative ideas for the halloween dance or the Christmas/Holiday theatre. This also includes preparing the props/stage decorations for school wide events like the holiday play that will take place at the end of December.

4th grade:

I am only with fourth grade for two periods of the week so my jobs are always the same.

• I correct the children’s spelling notebooks and do dictation with them. Basically, I read words aloud and they have to copy them in their notebooks, then I proceed to help correct the mistakes that the children have.  

5th grade:

I am only with fifth grade once a week and for only an hour, so my duties usually only include practicing speaking with the children individually. Spanish kids take an exam in 6th grade called the PET. It’s a standardized exam that has speaking, reading, and writing portions. The speaking portion typically includes personal questions (what is your name, how do you spell it, tell me about your grandparents, etc.) so I help them by correcting their grammar and telling them what to work on.

6th grade:

I spend quite a bit of time with 6th grade so again, my duties change daily. But most days it includes something like:

• Reviewing the grammar on their book reports/writing assignments.
• Individually practicing speaking with each child in the hallway (again for the PET exam).
• Pronouncing words with them that can be difficult. For example, this week they were learning about the nervous system in science. Sometimes the teachers don’t even know how to pronounce parts of the body like cornea, retna, etc. So you’re there for support when the teacher needs help with grammar/pronunciation.
• Creating presentations for cultural events in America. I really enjoy this part of the job. For Halloween, Thanksgiving, and other predominantly American holidays the teachers like you to create a Powerpoint presentation about the typical traditions and some pictures/videos to help the children understand what it’s like to celebrate these holidays that some of them have never even heard of before. This Halloween the auxiliar I work with had a very creative idea of gathering photos of children’s costumes throughout the years (her in the 1980’s, my sisters and me in the 1990’s, my nephews this year as Sully and Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc.) the students love that personal twist on presentations and always want to talk more about it after class.

In my opinion, the key to success as a Language and Culture Assistant is to be flexible with your teachers. I have never once told my teacher “I don’t want to do that” if the job he/she has for me isn’t my favorite. You’re there to provide support and help in any way you can. It’s important to keep an open mind and to communicate with your teachers. After the first few weeks of school it’s a good idea to check in with your teachers to see if they’re satisfied with the amount of effort/enthusiasm you put into classes.

It’s also important to have fun! The kids will know if you don’t want to be there and that will reflect in your work. It is a unique experience to be a Language and Cultural Assistant so enjoy it while it lasts!