This week completes a whole month

After a fun weekend in Huacachina, it was nice to be back to what I now call "home" in Huaycan. (A weekend re-cap will come soon, right after I upload a few pictures!) This week marks the last week of summer classes, so it's final exams all day, everyday. During the first test on Monday, this particular class was very good and quietly took their tests with little problems. The first child to finish is named "Smith" (yes odd, not what you think of when you think Peruvian), and he then got to color one of those hidden picture worksheets. I watched as he scanned the room to find inspiration from the many art projects that line the walls and hang from the ceiling. He settled on a yellow butterfly, and colored the butterfly on his page to match. I'm not sure exactly why this moment stuck out to me. I think it's because in many of my classes, especially with the younger kids, there's always so much going on that I rarely get to take notice of these creative revelations. Back home, for the rest of the morning before lunch, I prepared the fruit for another smoothie night. Last time it was mango, banana, and lucuma, this time it was pineapple, strawberry, and orange. Later this week, I'll be making mango, peach, banana, primarily because the mangos are so cheap and absolutely delicious. For the afternoon class we do one hour of outside time, and one hour of class time. However, Monday was the hottest day since I've been here, with little breeze, so we cut playtime short in order to sit and relax in the shade. Elena, one of the mothers to a couple of our young students in Zone Z, owns a little shop near the classroom, so we sat around to chat and avoid the extreme heat of the South American sun. Elena is very involved in her children's activity in the classes, but unfortunately represents a minority of parents in this area. But we are grateful to have her and truly feel welcome by her warm presence and friendly smile. She was even on our side when we announced that starting next week, we will be a full-immersion English program. With the start of the new semester, we will eliminate all Spanish spoken in English classes. Of course that does not mean on the kids' level, but as instructors we are required to speak only English. I think this will be of significant benefit to the students, allowing them to soak up more than they ever realized they could. Now we are hurting them more than helping them by communicating in both Spanish and English in class. I know it will be challenging, but I am excited to watch the progress of the students over the next few months.

Yesterday was kind of all over the place, high points, low points, and some kind of in-between. The morning class in Zone D was wild and crazy. We were attempting to give the exam while kids are talking, pushing, fighting in the bathroom, copying answers, you name it, they were doing it. I finally got to my not so nice place and had to yell in Spanish that if they do one more thing, they all get zero's. Again, not my ideal teaching strategy, but they pushed the limits and there wasn't much more to get done. After I lost it, one smart-aleck student replied, "Your face is red (in Spanish)", to which I replied, "Por supesto!" (or well of course it is!).  So not the best start to the morning. Although I did surprise myself in my ability to lose my temper in Spanish-lol! Lunch and the afternoon took a turn for the better. Dina, our lovely, talented cook, made ceviche for lunch, which was absolutely delightful. Then after lunch a few of us grabbed ice cream from one of the corner stores around the block, before I had to head to my class in Zone I. The class went well, much more organized than my morning class. However, it broke my heart because I had to remind the students that it was the last week of classes in Zone I. In the past few months there has been problems with attendance and students coming prepared to class. It is unfortunate though, because for the last month that I've been there, I keep seeing the same faces over and over. Therefore, there has been some consistency more recently, so it was really hard to tell them that classes will not be starting over next week. I am going to do my best to fit in a weekly visit to the kids though. They adore the banana song, and almost have it memorized so I just can't leave them hanging! I did have to go right away because I had to get to Zone Z for the women's literacy class. For the last few weeks, we've had no students show up, but after chatting with a few last week, were hoping for a change. When we arrived, it was a very familiar scene, no women anywhere. The story has been that they just haven't had the time, but it's just too bad because a past volunteer had come a long way with the ones that attended. When she left, the program kind of died out, as women stopped coming. But much to our surprise, two women showed up and we were able to determine their level and interest in reading and writing. They are more advanced than we had expected, but thought it be fun to make it like a book club with snacks and discussion every week. So starting next week, we will all read a chapter or two and filter through various questions about the reading. Mimosa (the other volunteer teacher for this program) and I were finally super-pumped to have students for this class. We completely understand that the women have so many things to keep them busy, but want them to know how important some time for themselves can be. They at least deserve a break from all that they do. Imagine life without washing machines, dryers, indoor plumbing, sinks, ovens….so much of the housework they do is hardcore manual labor! With that being said, it also means many of them have lived a life only within their household, never being able to learn about the world outside, even life outside of their own town. We are really hoping to offer a class where they can explore more of life through reading and discovering more about what exists beyond Huaycan. To end the day, Connie (again another volunteer, and a fellow fan of The Office) and I stayed home and watched the most recent episode and drank hot chocolate. It was actually quite perfect, especially considering the events of the day. I do enjoy spending time with the group, but it's also nice to get time to spend with just one other housemate. I'm sure our night guard, Oscar (who also serves as our house dad when he's here), was wondering why two silly gringas were laughing so hard while something on the computer. Good times =)

Today was a good day. I co-administered 3 final exams and for the most part, they all went pretty well.The two in the afternoon were for Connie and my Zone Z classes. She is the lead teacher of the 6-9 year old class, and I am the lead teacher for the 10-13 year old's. I'm growing more and more attached to those students. It's so great getting to know them more, and learning more about their personalities and learning styles. I'm sad to have to go down to only teaching them once a week with the new semester, but I might just have to go and visit more often as well. We just have so much fun when we break for outside time. The younger class goes for an hour, then it's an hour of outside time, usually with both groups, and then we wrap it up with an hour of class for the older students. I really enjoy the outside time with them because it gives me a chance to be silly me and goof off and have fun with them. It's not like I turn in to Susie-Stickler when we go into the classroom, but I have to be a bit more professional as their "profesora". It's also a wonderful thing to watch students recall information that you've taught them. I just love watching their faces light up when they know the answers, even if sometimes they yell it out when I've asked them to please raise their hand. English is such an important skill to gain, so I really want to help them develop a strong foundation that they can take further if they so desire. I also really like hearing their accents when they try to pronounce some English words. I'm just a big fan of the way Español rolls off the tounge as every syllable is pronounced; it's such a fluid, vibrant language. Today they did a worksheet with fruit, and it was fun to hear them say pineapple (peen-ah-play). As much as I plan to work with them to correctly pronounce English words, I will be secretly amused every time I hear them speak with their accents. Maybe it's just me, but I just loove Spanish =)

(PS- Yes, I know I say "just" a lot. I'm just weird I guess ;) It's probably also because I think my English is getting worse as I'm using Spanish more--lol!)

Sliding down a sleep rocky hill...no thanks, I'll pass!

After spending the weekend in Lima, staying up too late and getting too much sun at the beach, I looked forward to starting another week back in Huaycan. Yesterday was a bit hard to find energy because of a long weekend in Lima. However, this week is pretty much all review, so there won't be a need to create entirely new lesson plans yet. We've been playing review games to prepare for the "final exams" next week. I use quotes because the way I perceive the words "final exam" is a lot more serious and dreadful than what the children will have to endure. But it will be the test at the end of the summer session for them, as the new semester starts in March. This morning in English with the Zone D 6-9 year old's, we played hangman and then a team game in order to practice numbers, colors, ABC's, and verbs. It was one of few classes where the game was entirely successful and I really felt good about the content we were able to review. I did a few review games last week and had to stop them because the kids just got too wild and wouldn't play the right way. I know it's boring for them to do worksheets and instruction from the board all the time, and I do enjoy games more. I hate to be a stickler and cut a game short, but I'm determined to work with them so they know they need to show respect to their classmates and teachers. It was a really sweet finish to the class this morning when one of the students came over to tell me she really enjoyed class; she made my day. This afternoon was another story. In Zone I there have been a few complications because of a lack of organization within the Zone. The whiteboard has been in a room locked by a key that we do not own, so again class today was without a board to do review activities. While we were still able to review verbally, many of the students have issues with spelling and that's hard to work on without space to write. But we did what we could and then called it quits to go play outside. That's when it got interesting yet again. So it's probably not very clear in my pictures, but much of Huaycan is built on the mountainside, making roads and alleyways extremely step in some areas. Also, many of the children run around in flimsy flip-flops, which seem to always break. (On a positive note, if you've browsed through my facebook pictures, you will find a TOMS reference!) Ok, so generally in this Zone we don't do outside activities because of the difficulty of getting to the "playground" area. But today....we ventured out, across the tiny little dirt pathway full of loose rocks (oh and also with a very steep drop just a step away on the left side). The little girls are just hurrying along like it's no big deal, telling me to come along, while I'm trying not to look down the hill. Finally we get to one point where I'm thinking, "Yeah right, you have got to be kidding!". The "path" curves around the side, which is even steeper and with many more small loose rocks. That was all it took, I said "I'm done, nope, not for me!". I made my way back and went down another route, only to find a set of actually stairs just a few yards away. The girls warned me about dogs that bite (again the dogs here are not generally pets, and are not usually friendly), so I was a bit hesitant. After standing around feeling silly, a few girls called from up above to come up that it was Ok. Well I felt stupid just standing there in the road doing nothing, so I figured I'd just go for it. It turned out to be just fine and we attempted a game of volleyball and then futbol. I know I will definitely think twice before following the acrobatic children down another "death path" again!

Now we're truckin' along

Here I sit, Friday evening, the end of our week here in Huaycan. Last week seemed to crawl by, and this week flew by so fast, if I blinked I would have missed it. Everyday last week was a brand new experience because I had no idea what to expect. However, this week started over with new possibilities, but the same schedule. Thanks to last weekend and a few days during the week, I know feel much more comfortable getting around. It's such a constricting feeling to not know an area well, having to depend on others to get where you need to go. I still have a lot more learning to do, especially about getting around Lima, but for now I'm pretty comfortable navigating around our little town of Huaycan. 

Last weekend was our (my first) trip into Lima to explore around. On Saturday we went to a place on the coast called "La Punta" and ate ceviche at a small restaurant near the water. Then we spent some time down on the beach enjoying the perfect weather and the sound of the waves on the rocks. Like the sound machines you can buy, it was a combination of the "crashing waves" sound and the "babbling brook". After we sat mesmerized for a while, we walked around for a bit and then headed to the Incan markets. During our travels around Lima, we passed the church that I'm hoping to check out soon. My Aunt in Florida has connections with a family that started churches in Lima and I'm planning to meet one of the daughters this weekend. It's a non-denominational called Agua Viva and from what I saw briefly as we passed by, it seemed to have quite a large following. On Sunday we went in to Lima to watch the Super Bowl, I wasn't really partial either way, but the fans of the group were happy with the end result.

This whole week has been more a of a learning process than the last. My first few days here I was just trying to take it all in. Now that I've taken it in, I'm trying to figure out just what to do with it! I'm working with so many kids throughout the week that I'm just trying to keep track of who's who everyday. A brief overview of my teaching schedule is as follows:

Monday

- Addition/subtraction, Zone D (ages 6-10)

- English, Zone Z-232 (ages 6-9)

- Conversation class/Advanced English, Zone D (young adults/adults)

Tuesday

- English, Zone D (ages 7-9)

- English, Zone I (ages 6-9)

- English Zone I (ages 10-13)

Wednesday

- Multiplication/division, Zone D (ages 10-13)

- English, Zone Z-231 (ages 6-9)

- English, Zone Z-231 (ages 10-13)

- Alfabetizacion/Spanish Literacy (women)

Thursday

- English, Zone D (ages 7-9)

- English, Zone R (ages 9-13)

Friday

- Private tutoring, Zone D (Katty, age 18)

- English, Zone Z-231 (ages 6-9)

- English, Zone Z-231 (ages 10-13)

Needless to say, it's quite a lot! They definitely keep me busy. A lot of what helps is that many of the classes are team taught, and the English classes are all at a basic level, so I can make my lesson plans with the same worksheets. As far as the Zone's are concerned, they signify where in the town of Huaycan a class is located. We have classrooms in Zone's D, I, S, and three in Z. Zone R's classroom is through another organization and I was the one sent in to try it out. I've given good feedback and we are planning to adopt it into our program with the start of the school semester in March. Right now were are doing supplementary teaching because it is summer vacation. The school semester resumes in March and then our weeks will change to Friday through Tuesday, leaving us Wednesday's and Thursday's off. Those two days are a must! I am quickly getting attached to the children, but any sane person needs a day off here and there. Sometimes the biggest challenge is just not knowing all the ways to communicate with the children in Spanish so that they will listen. I have noticed by the end of the week, my Spanish and English turns into "Spanglish" from trying to rapidly respond to the needs to the children all week. The best thing though, is the way they run up to you every time you see them. Just about every class I walk up to, there are always at least one or two little kids running up to say "Hola Profesora" and greet me with a kiss on the cheek (the traditional way to greet in Peru). It's so adorable and it makes my day. I'm so thankful to be able to have this time to spend here, doing this work. I'm excited to make strong bonds with the students and to learn more about their lives. I may not be sure exactly where I'll be after Peru, but I am sure my purpose is to be here right now.

Playa at La Punta

School in Zone R (waay at the top of the hill)

A few of my older students in Zone Z-231

Not even a full week yet

Only four days in and I feel like it's been a lifetime! Everyday is full of activities and I'm still getting used to the way of life here. I'm loving it though, which is good since this is home for the next 6 months. The hardest things so far have been not knowing my way around very well, handling unruly children in the classroom, and accepting the way that animals live here. As far as traveling around the town we walk or take moto's or combi's. The moto's are little motorized carts with a roof and combi's are small buses and some are more like vans. It's just like getting familiarized with any public transportation system, you have to learn the routes but the thing here is that there aren't any maps to learn. You just have to get used to what to look for and make sure to get off at the right place. I know it will only be a matter of a few weeks before it all makes sense. Oh and if you've been to a third world or developing country, you know what traffic is like -- crazy, unorganized, better watch out or they WILL run you over! So needless to say, it's quite an adventure. Most of the time the kids are well-behaved, but there are sometimes the one or two in every class that get everyone else off course. This morning there was one boy who had a bird (yes a bird, and yes alive) in his book bag in class. So he proceeds to take the bird out during class, which I thought was good for the bird, but bad for class. While he's holding the poor little bird it manages to escape and is hopping all around the room trying to get away. Of course the boy is chasing it and the other kids are chasing him. As this is going on, I'm using all the Spanish command words I can think of in an attempt to get the kids back to their seats. (I was also rooting for the terrified bird, hoping it would be able to get away.) But much to my dismay, the boy finally caught the bird and once again has it clenched in his tiny hand. When the bird then decided to bite the boy, I just didn't have much sympathy. The poor thing was fighting for its life! I knew I couldn't really do much because as far as the boy was concerned, it was his pet because he paid for it. Arguing over setting the bird free would have only escalated the problem further. At the end of the class I had a talk with him about treating animals nicely, although I think it went in one ear and out the other =/. It's a difficult thing to cope with, the treatment of animals here. In the states where animals are commonly pets and not wandering the streets, they become more humanized in a way. Here dogs are everywhere (not neutered), freely roaming, fulfilling their inner animal instincts to be free. But it comes with a cost because traffic definitely does not stop for animals. Sadly I had to witness this the other day. I saw a dog get run over by a moto, but luckily was able to limp away. It was just in time because the combi I was in would have hit it run it over next. Just awful! These are just a few things that are going to take a little while to get used to. On the upside, I really enjoy my purpose for being here, and I am looking forward to watching the progress of the students in my classes. Today I got to work with students in a school high up on the mountain, about 30 minutes away from where I'm living. It was their first English lesson so we started with ABC's and colors. Thus far they were the most well-behaved as a group, so I eagerly anticipate teaching their class again next week. During the walk back down the mountain to get to the nearest combi stop, I thought a lot about how much we take for granted back at home. These kids were perfectly happy with what few sheets of paper they had and the crayons they got to color with for a short while. Overall, everyone in the community has been very friendly and generally wave as you pass by. I still have many pictures to take, but for now I've included a few of the house where I'm living.

View from our balcony

Right view from balcony

La cocina (notice the rice cooker--rice w/every meal!)

La casa!

Bookshelf w/lesson plans for every class

Upstairs hallway (our rooms are here)

Room I share with 2 others

Baño (notice the white thing on the wall--water heater! must turn on 10 min before showering)

Canciones, juegos, y frutas--Oh my!

Today was another fun day. It already feels like I've been here for a week -- there's been so much going on each day. I teach 3-4 classes everyday and meet so many adorable children. I need to step up my A-game with games and songs because I'm using all of my ammo so fast! I've already done the banana song, the hokey pokey, head-shoulders-knees-and-toes, and little Sallie Walker. I still have baby shark on the backburner, because it takes a whole lot of energy. If anyone have ideas for good songs, i.e. camp songs or fun, goofy kid-songs, please let me know! Overall today was oodles of fun. Again the food was terrific, even dinner which consisted of rice, fried bananas, and fried eggs (pic below). Sounds super strange, huh. But it was really tasty. I'm not too picky so I'll try just about anything. This evening the all the volunteers (currently 6 in the house) went out for fresh juice. I got mango/orange and drank it down to the last sip. We get out fill of fruit here for sure. It's all fresh and local, so I plan to take full advantage!