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Published: July 19th 2007
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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 couldnĀ“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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Mom
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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.