Steph in Peru: ENGLISH CLASSES

During the summer months when the kids were out of school I taught English classes in Vice and each of the 3 caseríos where I work. By the time I actually got started (got back from my New Year’s trip and early in service training in Lima) it was practically February and since school started again in the beginning of March, I really just taught the classes for 5 weeks. But for those 5 weeks it seemed like all I did was teach English! I had 4 classes a week, each class being about 2 hours long. Depending on the class there were anywhere between 8 and 20 kids who showed up and maybe a couple in each class who actually absorbed the information. I learned how difficult it is to keep kids (ages 5 to 13) occupied and interested for a couple hours and I realized how long it takes some kids to learn. My patience was definitely tested during these classes and I can’t pretend that I wasn’t a little more than slightly relieved when school started again, but ever since the classes ended, the kids have been coming up to me and asking when they’re going to start again and asking me how to say things in English. I know that even though sometimes they didn’t pay attention, or didn’t want to present during class, that they really enjoyed coming and learning. I don’t know if it’s just because a gringa was teaching or because they don’t always get the same type of attention at home, but I think they will always remember the classes and it was great for me to see an actual excitement here for learning another language and to get to know the little buggers.

The main subjects we covered were: alphabet, numbers, greetings, the body, family, colors, and fruits. We played games like bingo and jeopardy and had relay races. We sang songs and drew pictures. During the last class we played "Wonderball," ate cake, drank soda and I taught them the dance to Cotton-Eyed Joe.

Here are some of the kids I taught during class, who both drove me crazy and made my day:

In Chalaco...

Probably my favorite picture I've taken since I've been in Peru. Love it.

They love the camera... they wanted individual pictures.

Here we are in Vice with Doña Magda (the librarian).

Very attentive students... the municipality kindly donated notebooks and pens for the kids.

My little cousins with their family portraits.

The whole class with their drawings of their family. Behind them you can see vocab posters for the family, the alphabet (which we practiced every class) and numbers. We played Bingo about a million times, so that poster is also hanging up.

This was a relay race to name the body parts. Don't judge my teaching abilities on the fact that this team labeled the nose as 'ears' - you can only play head, shoulders, knees and toes so many times.