MANUEL SCORZA: School
I work at a school just outside of Villa El Salvador called Manuel Scorza. The colors and life that the school creates is a big contrast to the poor, dirty streets that surround the school. The children start showing up around 8:00 and are shuffled in through the low-hanging door. From here they are divided by age: the school has one classroom for 3 year olds, one for 4 year olds and two classrooms for 5 year olds. The kids begin their mornings playing with puzzles and blocks and such until the majority has arrived. We clean up, wash hands, make bathroom runs and on Mondays gather in the center area (jardin) to sing the national anthem and pray. After, the class is usually turned over to me. I switch between my three year old class and five year old class (now that Jen, the other volunteer has left, I will be attempting to visit and teach all four classrooms though).
I always begin lessons with the good morning song and rotate between a repotiore of songs on shapes, colors and the days of the week. Each day I try to have a rough lesson plan. For the three year old, I usually attempt to teach a word (boy, girl, night, day, red etc.) and always have a craft that they paint or color afterwards. I'm not quite sure how effective my lessons have been with the three year olds because of the language barrier, the size of the class (around 25 students) and the overall choas three-year olds seem to bring...After my lesson and craft, usually the kids go out and play or have lunch.
In the middle of the day I switch classrooms. The five year olds are wonderful to teach. They are so excited about every english word. Recently I have begun to teach different emotions-happy, sad, angry. The kids will yell out the emotions on the playground and make the face to correspond to the emotion, it's so funny to watch..."HAPPY! SAD! HAPPY! ANGRY!"For the five year olds I switch between crafts (drawings) and games (such as passing around a ball and having each kids say, "hello my name is...)
Please let me know if you have more questions about the school, the program, the lessons, the children etc. I thought a rough outline of my day would be most helpful in understanding my role but I wasn't sure how in depth you guys wanted? More direction would be appreciated :D
Please let me know if you have more questions about the school, the program, the lessons, the children etc. I thought a rough outline of my day would be most helpful in understanding my role but I wasn't sure how in depth you guys wanted? More direction would be appreciated :D
Area surrounding the Manuel Scorza
Center-Ahead five year old classrooms and to the right the playground.
Enzo (3) with a rompecabeza (puzzle)
Kevin (5) playing with an elephant (he was singing a song to accompany his pet)
AREQUIPA
This past weekend I went to Arequipa to make the pilgrimage from Arequipa to Chapi (supposedly a 15 hour walk). The walk was nothing like I had expected, for starters we were told that the walk would be extremely tranquil, a time to meditate and think. The walk was up mountains, down mountains, and across rivers, it was anything but relaxing. The walk also lasted 22 hours. Yet, despite the conditions I would do it again in a heart beat. We meant a group of six guys and ended up tagging along with them since we weren't sure of the way. They definitely made the walk more bearable and kept us from wandering the desert for 40 years.
The biggest shock for me during the walk was nightfall. It became pitch black, and even with my flashlight I could only see a few inches in front of me. In addition, the desert became ice cold. I kid you not, there was frost on the ground and the water bottle that I put out on the ground during a break, turned to ice. I've never been so happy to see the sun again.
When we finally reached Chapi, the ceremony was beautiful. There were so many people gathered, lost in song and excitement. I dropped the rocks I had been carrying (which I had picked up along the way to represent different burdens, worries, and pain I carry around with me in my day to day life) and left them in the growing pile with everyone else's. I felt so peaceful.
On the way back we hitched a ride with a huge Spanish family in a micro van. I fell asleep almost immediately on the women next to me and didn't wake up until we were back in Arequipa.
wait. you walked 22 straight hours, up a mountain and through the night, picking up stones along the way and then threw the stones onto a pile and then returned back to your quarters?
ReplyDeleteneed pictures of where you are staying.