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 |
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