OPOSICIONES SECUNDARIA EOI October 2011

A TEACHERS WORK IS NEVER DONE Sometimes, Hannah Pfoutz's students surprise her. That was the case last week, when they surreptitiously plotted a celebration for her birthday. One student feigned a problem to distract Pfoutz, and the others gathered across the hall. In concert with the other seventh-grade teacher, Larissa Beckstead, all the seventh -grade students sacrificed their recess and gathered for lunch and cake in Beckstead's room. "They're usually willing to miss recess for junk food," Pfoutz laughed. That laughter is leavened with hard work for Pfoutz, 27, a first-year teacher at Arlingtons Drew Model High School. Realizing that several of her students were struggling in Spanish, she recently laid plans for a morning Spanish club. After Thanksgiving break, she'll open her classroom at 8:15 -- 45 minutes early -- twice a week to help students performing below grade level. The club meetings will focus on drills to help students master basic concepts. She hopes that the early time will help create a positive environment for learning. "It's fun to come in and have breakfast with your teacher, even if you're doing Spanish grammar," she said. The emphasis on language will be continued after school as well. Nine of Pfoutz's students have been tapped for the SOL Booster Club, which is designed to prepare students for the state Standards of Learning exams. That booster club, which will include some of the morning Spanish club members, will meet once a week. "I'm hoping that [the booster club], in addition to my morning club, will help get these kids up to grade level," she said. To prepare for such tasks, Pfoutz leans on her mentor and friend, Stephanie Ellison. Ellison is a former seventh-grade teacher at Drew and this year is the school's Title 1 teacher, providing reading and math help to students who need it. Ellison also mentors three other Drew teachers. Although Ellison is on maternity leave, she continues to work with Pfoutz, sharing advice and teaching tips. Pfoutz benefits from the fact that Ellison also works with some of her students as the Title 1 teacher. "We meet as two teachers who teach the same kids who are trying to find solutions to the same problems," Pfoutz said. The mentoring program isn't formal. The teachers chat before and after school, and the mentoring is part of a long-running conversation about teaching and how to maximize strategies to help students learn efficiently. They also help each other through trying times. Because Ellison taught some of Pfoutz's students last year in sixth grade, she can offer perspective on different students. Ellison, who was also a mentor at a school in Moses Lake, Wash., emphasized that her role is not a supervisory one. She is a resource. She can offer tips on how to schedule a field trip, where to order supplies and how to address behavior issues. "I try not to stick myself into it too much," Ellison said. When Pfoutz gets frustrated, she turns to Ellison to be a cheerleader. "I really rely on Stephanie," she said, "sometimes just for pep talks."

1. Translate the section in bold. 2. Find words and phrases in the text belonging to the semantic field of education. 3. Describe the beneficial aspects of this alternative program. (300 words max.)