Back to the Grind

---

So I thought since I am just two weeks into the new school year, I’d reflect on some of the things that I’ll be teaching for - my goals, what I’m looking forward to, etc.


ART
Well, the art teacher quit 4 days before school started, so I became the new art teacher for the downtown Center. I am starting from scratch, completely. There are no plans, no materials, nothing. This has definitely been, and will continue to be a challenge for sure, but what I’m most excited about for art is teaching the kids creativity. Normally, no matter what project the kids did in art, it was always centered around copying. I’m not kidding. Copy, copy, copy. This is one thing that really frustrates me about the education system here, and it’s something the volunteers work to undo in whatever classes we have. Copying in art especially frustrates me, so I’m really excited to do projects where the kids have to think and where they have the freedom to express themselves how they want through their art.

p.s. (I really actually don’t have any experience in art, much less teaching it, so if you have any ideas about themes/units, please email me and let me know.)



ADULTS
I was a little surprised/upset last year that I didn’t get to teach adults, and I didn’t think it would be put in my schedule this year, but it ended up fitting in my schedule thankfully. This is one of the things I am most excited about this year.

In the Center, adults have to finish up to 6th grade education, and then the Center also provides the opportunity for the adults to then take technical classes to get certified in things like baking, sewing, auto mechanics, and some others. Adult classes are Monday-Friday for an hour, which is hard for me to imagine working all day, mostly on the streets in the hot sun, and then coming to class, and then traveling home to take care of 6, 7, 8 kids, and then go to bed to do it all over again the next day. A lot of our adults don’t get very much sleep, and they also don’t have any time for themselves. Adult classes are thus the one thing that they have where they can forget about everything for a little bit. We definitely have to teach them basic skills, like reading and writing, but we are also there to listen and to do fun activities that they would never do otherwise.

I am going to be teaching first level, which means my adults don’t know how to read or write or do math or anything. Like everything else, it will be a huge challenge, but I’m really looking forward to getting to know my adult students and becoming a part of their lives and spoiling them a little bit.


TERCER CURSO THESIS
This class was definitely a surprise. I thought I was going to be teaching the girls computers, but then it got changed to working with 3 girls on their thesis one morning (3 ½ hours) a week. The last time I wrote a thesis was in high school, and I know nothing about writing one in Spanish or about microfinance, but I’m excited to learn about it at the same time as the girls and to help them produce a professional work. Usually they just do it at the end of the year at the last minute, which is why we’re starting to write it the first week of school this year.

I’m also very glad we’re doing this because the first session I had with the girls, they didn’t even understand what micro financing was, and it’s the topic of their thesis! We talked about it over and over again until they understood what it was, why they were writing about it, and how it applied to their lives. Basically, these girls are writing about how to manage a small business, and how they can work to improve it to be the size of a regular business so that they can improve the quality of their lives and their families. That is the goal of the sales program here - that the girls know how to do this when they leave the Center and that they actually go on to do it!


TERCER CURSO SALES
This class was also a surprise. I thought I was going going to be teaching the oldest high school girls in the sales program more English. However, it ended up being that I’m the liaison/coordinator between the third course sales girls and the girls work program. Once a week for 3 hours, we are going to be working together, having the oldest girls help the youngest girls and work with the volunteers, coming up with projects. Then, the third course sales girls are basically going to open up a little business to sell the products made in girls program, doing publicity around Quito and online and stuff.

What an amazing opportunity to help teach these girls sales and how to run a business, to teach them how to teach and help others younger than them, to help make girls program more of a success!! I am nothing but excited to be in charge of this project.


HIGH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR
Every night, my last class of the day is running a study hour with another volunteer. We have 7 girls between the 2 of us, which is nice so we can give a lot of individual attention. I did a study hour last year too, and it’s great to get to know the girls better, as well as get to know the Ecuadorian education system better. We see all the (sometimes ridiculous) homework that the girls get, and it is easy to see why they act the way they do in our classes and why they do or don’t have certain expectations of us.


PROGRAMA DE CHICAS (Girls Work Program)
1 day a week, my morning is devoted to planning for and helping out the other volunteers in girls program. I cannot express my love for girls program enough. I know that the other volunteers think I’m crazy because most of them hate it. I agree, it is very challenging - the job of the volunteers is to come up with projects (sewing, cooking, arts and crafts, whatever) that the girls can all do so that they can then sell the projects to make the money. There aren’t THAT many projects like that, since the girls are anywhere from ages 6 to 15, and they all have to help to make a quality project. A lot of things that they could make don’t make money in Ecuador, and it’s hard to make a lot of quality products that visitors from the US will buy. It’s definitely hard.

BUT this program was created so that the girls in the family wouldn’t have to work on the street like the boys since it’s dangerous for the girls. The program allows the girls to contribute to their families’ income as well as learn the value of work and how to sell as well as personal hygiene (they have to bathe during girls program as well). It is such an amazing opportunity for both the volunteers and the girls; people just need a little more direction, which is why I requested to have some time in my schedule this year to help out all the volunteers.

I also have my own group of girls at the downtown Center, and this is one of my favorite hours of the week. I love getting to know a group of girls well (I only have 7), and I love teaching them about business and motivating them to earn money so that they can have a little for themselves and help out their families.


FIRST GRADE ENGLISH
I don’t want to have favorites, but I just LOVE teaching these first graders. I love everything that I do, but I don’t look forward to anything more during the week than teaching these girls. I have 7 little girls at the downtown Center, who are super smart and eager to learn. They love to sing and color and it is a huge pleasure to spend 3 hours a week with them.



I know, I know, I probably used the word excited about 50 times in this reflection, and really, that’s what I am about this year. I am doing a ton of different things, so clearly I will never get bored, and they are all such great opportunities for the kids to learn more, as well as for me to learn a lot more.

---