Teaching at VICTORIA
The smell of coffee is welcoming staff soon after 7:30 a.m. and the gentle pace soon quickens as students arrive at 7:45 a.m. Registration is at 8 a.m. and classes start at 8:10 a.m. The week starts with an all-staff meeting at 7:45 a.m. on Monday morning and the separate schools have their own early meeting mid-week.
There are four teaching sessions interspersed with three breaks. There is always at least one teacher on break duty but most people take the chance to eat, drink, socialise and/or set up their next class. It is also a time when a team meeting or parent interview can be slotted in.
The staff are all on first name terms, while teachers and ancillary staff are Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms to students. There is no school uniform and both staff and students tend to wear practical, casual clothes which are appropriate for school.
Whilst the majority of classes are in English, about one third are in Spanish. Teachers always speak only one language to the students but most have an understanding of the other language. Insisting that your students speak only English in your classes gives them good practice and avoids possible problems for you.
Teaching assistants support, and therefore speak, both English and Spanish. Every year group in Primary has its own assistant. Support in Secondary classes is more often linked to the student; they may have special educational needs or be Japanese-speaking!
As well as creative, practical education it’s hard to find a week in VICTORIA when there is not something special happening; academically, culturally or just for fun. Students enjoy sports events, university fairs, model United Nations debates, concerts, posadas and drama productions as well as Noche Mexicana, Hallowe’en, Book Week, Culture Week, Evaluation Week, Music Night, Library Night, Red Nose Day, Hat Day and Something Different Week. Camping trips range from enjoying local bathing resorts to surviving on a snowy volcano.
Classes are over at 3 p.m. and students leave by car, bus or on foot. Schools and departments run training sessions on Mondays and several staff play various sports together on Fridays. Three days each week we offer a homework club and a wealth of after school activities. The last gate duty is at 4 p.m. Teachers often get together later, when books are marked, lessons prepared and the café-bars at the plaza are warming up for the evening.
Classes are over at 3 p.m. and students leave by car, bus or on foot. Schools and departments run training sessions on Mondays and several staff play various sports together on Fridays. Three days each week we offer a homework club and a wealth of after school activities. The last gate duty is at 4 p.m. Teachers often get together later, when books are marked, lessons prepared and the café-bars at the plaza are warming up for the evening.
