Trying to Write an Entry in English

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So, I am getting ready to write a new blog, and then I realize I have to write in English. Do not get me wrong...I am not fluent in Spanish (and one could argue I am not fluent in English). But almost every task, including teaching, requires that I speak/think in Spanish. In fact, today was the first day I had the opportunity to teach in English (myself and another volunteer are teaching some local mothers English), and I couldn´t teach. It was their first class, so we were just teaching greetings and numbers (we played BINGO to practice our numbers...BINGO will unite the world!) and I had the hardest time, because I found myself thinking in Spanish, yet having to speak in English. Worse yet, now I cannot speak complete sentences in Spanish or English. 😊
So what am I doing, you ask? I am volunteering for an organization called Peru Luz de Esperanza. The organization helps students and mothers in the outlying villages of Huancayo. Currently, because the teachers are on strike, we are providing the students with their education. And just think for a moment, what it would really be like to not have any school (no friends to meet, nothing to do all day, etc). The teachers are on strike only in the Huancayo province, so students in other parts of the country are receiving an education. If these students do not get an education, then their future may be hindered. So we are the teachers and we are teaching students in five villages - Alanya, Matapuquio, Iscohuatiana, Andamarca and Ahuac. My responsibilities are to teach primarios and secondarios (elementary and secondary students) South American geography in four of the schools (every school but Ahuac). I go to one school in the morning, teach two, 50 minute classes and then in the afternoon I go teach another 2 classes at a different school. So I visit each school 2-3 times a week. On Thursday afternoons, I teach a class of mothers English and possibly, in the future, knitting (yup mom, you can laugh now). The other volunteers have similar schedules.
One of the most important questions a volunteer must ask themselves is, am I effectively helping the community or am I hindering progress? My first impressions of the organization are very positive. They use the strengths of each person and assign responsibilities accordingly. Furthermore, at least one employee of the organization attends each of the schools while we are teaching. So students see that Peruvians are helping Peruvians, and not a "white person" from the states or Europe. Their objective is to bring community members together and place emphasis on the importance of an education. By having volunteers from Europe and America, students are exposed to different ideas and may wish to further their education or explore educational opportunities. My students, want me to bring a song to sing in class. I do not think they want the Chinese Dynasties song 😊 So please send ideas, othewise the 15 year olds may be stuck with the wheels on the bus. Till next entry...

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Comments

[Mom]

Here's a few song titles that you can adapt...
Now remember I teach first grade and have a limited singing repetoire but have you heard any of these songs.... 1. "B-I-N-G-O" 2. "Old Antonio had a farm" ....with an alpaca here and an alpaca there (Do they make sounds?) 3. "The alpaca went over the Andes" (Bear went over the mountain) 4. Hokey Pokey (use Spanish) This list probably won't help you but it's interesting.

[Lisa]

song
I am glad you are feeling useful. It is great that you will be there for so long, so the locals can really see that you are dedicated. We were only in our volunteer program for one week, so we didn't really feel effective. As for songs, I will ask my mom, the songbird, but when I taught at Tinkuy's English school for adults, the hokey-pokey was good. It incorporated istruction (put your.... in) as well as body parts and identification (right foot). Also, we played a modifited Red Rover, by giving everyone random language cards with drawings on them. So we would hold hands and sing "Red Rover, Red Rover, send Taxi on over", and they would giggle and look confused as they all tried to figure out who was holding the taxi card. It made for a lot of laughs. We did about three rounds of that before we hit overload. It was really good because even if the person does not know how to read, they can certainly identify a taxi, a baby, a balloon, etc, with the help of the group. Tell me what age groups you are interested in singing to and mom and I will try to think of some easy ones to share. KIT, Lisa P.S. Please tell us what we owe you for Merardo's supplies.

[Allison Brown]

Hola!
Karen - it sounds like a lot of work but great fun! Try Concentration for a change of pace from Bingo! They're lucky to have you - keep those blogs comming. The pictures are wonderful.

[sheri]

learning thru songs
Hi Karen, I heard from Lisa you are teaching English thru music. Brava! Adults and the young seem to love this approach, although teens might somewtimes be shy. a fewe songs I can think of are : "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes," "Are you sleeping (Frere Jacques," (the next is the same melody as previous,) "Where is Thumper?", the "ABC Song", and verb conjugations sung to the chorus of the "Mexican Hat Dance"- "I am/You are/He is/...She is/We are/They are" and "I go/You go/He goes...She goes/We go/They go," etc. I have done the conjugation songs both in French and Spanish, and set to music, the conjugations become recalled easily. Numbers work with this melody also inserting an "and" inserted with single-syllable numbers. I imagine you could create your own song using colors with this melody also. Your blog is amazing and I really respond to your pictures which bring back many memories. Are you cold yet? Sheri

[Julia]

Hi Karen, I've tried to send you a couple of messages but if I accidently touch the mouse, it disappears and looking over the correspondance, I don't think my e-mails go to Peru. I absolutely love the pictures. I have loved reading about your adventures. You should write a book about all the travel hints that you have gotten along the way, all the types of work you have found and the people you have met. It would be a best seller. I loved the pictures of your students. What a joy. I would hug everyone of them. In one of the pictures it looks like the mountains are far away and the area is very dry. What elevation are you at? Did it take you awhile to get accostomed to the higher altitude? Does the altitude change dramatically from one area to the next? Are the students eager to learn at all levels? I cannot think of any songs right now that would interest kids. Maybe you could have the kids put together their own 'rap' songs. We had kids do something like this when trying to learn about regions in the world. They worked in teams. What is the school calendar like there? Is this the winter months for them? I can't remember how it goes - is it the opposite seasons for us? (It has been awhile that I was teaching in an humanities team). How are your accomodations? Besides the toilets not having seats. 'Been to China so we know there are worst things'. How is the mail system? Are there things you need that would help you out? Are you going to be able to see Macchu Picchu? I hope so!!!!! So how many continents now? I have to go mow the lawn. Well the patches that have grown - doesn't seem that you have any mowing issues there. Speaking of which, what is the weather like there? Many areas across the states and Europe have had hot hot and dry weather - and in some areas (SW states and parts of Wales and England) torrential rains and flooding. Any unusual weather where you are? You mentioned European people helping too. Are they teachers, students like you who have signed on to help through an organization? Are you making any connections -networking? Okay, I babble. Keep the journals coming! Julia

[KathyB]

The suggestions are excellent. I just love the letter and the pictures are marvelous - thanks for putting you in there. "London Bridge" with some appropriate landmark might be a song. "The ants go marching" - us "children" or "girls" or "dogs" and go on all fours. Steal the Bacon with words you want them to learn. Hey, I am off for my big trip to MI and am stopping to see Julia tomorrow. Enjoy!