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!
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