And Ferring’s Spanish Classes are Go…..

This week, Tuesday morning, saw me delivering a taster class in Ferring Village Hall and what a lovely bunch of people. Thank you Ferring.

And you are allowed to laugh. Things didn’t start off smoothly.

When people come to classes, they are, quite rightly, thinking about themselves. Whether they’ll enjoy the class. What they could be doing instead.

And I’m always conscious that people have choices about where we spend our time and money, and as we’re living in difficult times, more so now than ever.

What, quite rightly really, no-one thinks about is the ‘profi’ (profesora - their teacher) except ‘Will they be any good?!

I’m going to let you into a little secret. Ssssh!

I am NOT a morning person. I can happily work until 4am in the morning, but ask me to get up then and you’re likely to be met with my best ever Paddington Bear stare! I have to travel to Ferring to the classes there, because I’m not lucky enough to live there. I didn’t know how long it would take me to get to the class in the morning because I’m also new to the area. Consequently, having to be there super early to make sure I was around to collect keys before accessing was playing on my mind. I was up and ready at silly o’clock in the morning.

This was entirely on me. I could have - and should have - collected the keys sooner. (The people at the hall are super-patient, friendly and organised, and I even got to meet the loveliest dog collecting the keys. If there’s suddenly one gone missing, it wasn’t me guv!) But all my attention in advance went into preparing the class, mainly beginners.

So I was already jaded by the time I started to set up - but running on adrenaline, starting a new class in a new place.

Some of my new class were most definitely ‘hiding their light under a bushell’.

I shall have to be more specific about my booking questions regarding levels in future. My class was pitched beneath their abilities.

On reflection, I should really have known better. One of my first large group classes in Spain (for English speakers) had 20 people. I had placed numbers from one to 10 on the floor. I asked them to get up and move to the number they thought they were at, on a scale of 1 to 10, with their Spanish. 20 people crowding onto two numbers on the floor (1 and 2) was a sight to behold! You’d have thought I’d learned (I have now!). We’re English. We are modest and we tend to understate things.

But the overthinking! Honestly, I felt slapstick stupid! I put my phone in the wrong place and so couldn’t see how my timings were going. I had two exercises in my bag that didn’t see light of day. I felt sick by the end of the class. I hadn’t had people up and moving much. And hadn’t prepared enough to really test my more advanced speakers. Instead of talking about AEIOU, I recited AIEOU. (This makes sense in context!) Inside I was sooooo disappointed with myself.

BUT, I had the loveliest class who made it so easy for me. Who laughed with me. Who brought their own stories and experiences. I give my clesses ‘yellow cards’ to ‘yellow card’ me if I’ve gone too fast or they have a question. When people use them I know they’re engaged. I get the chance to explain something again in a different way. People in the class who’ve been taught a different way by someone else can chip in their sayings or explain how they understand it. (I’m good, but I don’t (can’t) know everything, and certainly haven’t cornered the market on ‘the only way to teach’.) This class used their yellow cards. They shared their learning. They were great, enthusiastic, played along.

When one of the class sent me a message afterwards calling the classes “fun and inspiring”, all of that worry had been for nothing.

Next Tuesday morning, I’m really looking forward to a small but perfectly formed group of learners starting classes proper. It’s not too late to join us as long as you join in the first couple of weeks. I hope you will.

I have a great feeling about Ferring, and as it’s my first classes in the area, it will, I’m sure, hold the fondest place award!

Find out more here: Classes with Claire in Ferring.

Join ‘Classes with Claire’ for ‘Fun in Ferring’:

Mornings: Tuesdays from 10.15 - 11.45am (1.5 hours per class) - an eight week course, starting July 7 in Ferring Village Hall.

Evenings: Mondays from 6.15 - 7.45pm (1.5 hours per class) - an eight week course, starting September 7 in Ferring Village Hall

Suitable for absolute beginners, beginners, intermediate, improvers and advanced speakers - see above!

Payment plan available