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December 19, 2017
I had a beautiful, long blog post typed out but the stupid internet cut out and it didn't save. It's been a bad day. I will re type it tomorrow or the next day... ugh. December 4, 2017
I now know why I am not a math teacher. My students are in 5th and 6th grade. The average age is 11-12 and they have 3 different math subjects every day: Algebra, Mathematics in general, and Unit Math. In the states, this would not be so bad because I can manage teaching 5th grade level math. However, the math they are learning is at least an 8th grade level and some of the stuff I learned in high school. It has been frustrating because a majority of the day is spent on these 3 math subjects so I am not able to teach as much. I could attempt to teach but this math is so advanced and I don't understand any of it and the students would not benefit at all. This week the focus is multiplying polynomials in algebra, formulas for angles in mathematics, and converting units of mass and volume in Unit Math. Also I do not know any of the specialized math words in Spanish so it would take me at least a month to learn and memorize all of them. I wish I was with younger kids because I would be able to teach way more. Along with the math struggle is the subject of religion which is the other major part of the day. The school teaches about the Catholic religion similar to a private school in the states. I am not Catholic and do not necessarily agree with all aspects of it so teaching about it makes me extremely uncomfortable. The kids know way more than I do about the religion so I am no help when they ask questions about it. The little bits I am able to teach are fun and I enjoy them when they come along. I try to teach some of my own activities as much as possible, but the kids have 3 weeks of school left so the teachers are trying to finish everything in time. For future student teachers that come to Peru, I recommend that they are put in 1-4 grade only if they are MCEA certification because starting in 5th grade, everything becomes close to high school level and beyond. As one of the first students to travel to this country through St. Norbert, I understand that things are still coming together and I am happy to be the "guinea pig" for future students. November 28, 2017
For this blog, I would like to share some differences I have encountered between schools in the states I have been to and the school I am at here in Peru. It was a bit of a culture shock on the first day because it was completely different than what I have become accustomed to throughout my life. I can truly say we are extremely fortunate for the resources, simple and complex, which we often take for granted. Simple items such as toilet paper, soap, and paper towels are not provided in the bathrooms. The primary teachers have these items in the classroom and the students have to carry them back and forth from the bathrooms. In the secondary levels, these items do not exist and it is up to the students to bring their own. This is the case in many public bathrooms as well so if you travel to Peru, always carry toilet paper and hand sanitizer! Another interesting thing that you will not find in the school here are drinking fountains. Most people here in Peru prefer to drink fruit juices or soda. That sounds bad but all juices are natural and often made with herbs and water. Unfortunately soda is just as unhealthy here as it is back home even though I like to think otherwise since it comes in glass bottles. The students all bring their own beverage and that is all they have for the day. There are no restrictions on what they are allowed to bring. In the states we stress the importance of drinking water and I personally drink water all day everyday. To the people here, I drink it like I'm dying of severe hydration. One of my favorite things to do is read books to kids. It is important for all ages as well as relaxing and enjoyable. During my placement jin the states, I read to my students at least twice a day. I was a little sad to find out that the kids here in Peru do not get read to. There is no library at this school and the teachers do not have their own book collections. However, the students are excellent readers and writers, including the little ones who are 6 and 7 years old. They all learn to write in perfect cursive as well. I am not sure where they learn to do al of this. Maybe in pre-school or at home. The school year ends in a month and starts back up in March so I missed a majority of the year when basics and routines were taught. Despite the lack of resources in comparison to schools in the states, this school is still thriving. The students are all very intelligent and well beyond students of the same age back home. Discipline hardly exists because there is no need for it. The students sit in rows and listen when they are told. They survive without specials, technology, or a cafeteria. It's amazing to think about everything we are used to seeing in classrooms and schools such as smart boards, iPads, chromebooks, and flexible seating designed with each student in mind. This school here in Peru has none of that and yet they still are able to successfully learn. November 23, 2017
Happy Thanksgiving! So bittersweet because today is one of my favorite holidays. I am missing my family, food, and of course, football. My host family is so nice and is trying to cook traditional Thanksgiving dinner for us tonight. Lauren and I went to the grocery store yesterday to get things to make for dinner because we wanted to help. However, we couldn't find any of the ingredients such as canned soup, green beans, stuffing mix, or those fake friend onions that go on top of the green beans. Ms. Fiorella told us to just make everything from scratch since we couldn't find anything... we laughed at that one. Thanksgiving is made possible by canned foods and ready-to-make products in bags. The only person I know who can make a decent pie without using frozen crust is my grandma. Anyway, our lesson was learned and Dr. Delano was right. We should have brought canned pumpkin and beans in our suitcases even though it sounded silly at the time. However, we are trying to make the best out of today. I taught my students about Thanksgiving and we make handprint turkeys with toilet paper rolls. The kids loved it and they turned out really cute! It was a little strange talking about fall things when it is summer here, but no one seemed to mind. This past weekend we went white water rafting in another city and it was so fun! Getting up at 5am was well worth it even though we were incredibly exhausted. This week I have been teaching a lot (in Spanish) and it has been going well. There are times when I can't quite communicate in a way where the students fully understand, but we work through it together. They know that I am trying to improve my Spanish and will speak slower for me which is super sweet of them. This weekend I think we are going to finally try surfing! We have been wanting to do it since we got here and the weather has warmed up enough so it's not painfully cold. We like to imagine ourselves learning to surf like a pro the first time.... but I don't think it will go that way. Neither of us have the best coordination so I'm sure the people watching will get a good laugh from our attempt. November 13, 2017
It’s officially summer here in Perú! When we first arrived it was in the 50s and cloudy everyday. Now it is sunny and in the 70s. Hard to believe it will keep on getting nicer! I am thinking of how cold it is getting in Wisconsin and am very happy to not be experiencing the cold. This week the school was supposed to go on a swimming field trip which is a one hour bus ride away. Unfortunately the organization of the trip was not the best and it was cancelled because not enough students were able to sign up in time. Hopefully there is another field trip before we leave! This last Friday was a big soccer game with Perú against New Zeland. It was at 10:15 PM here because of the time difference, but that didn’t stop us from watching it. We went to a touristy area to watch the game in a restaurant. It was crazy! There streets were full of people dressed in Peru colors, happy and proud to be representing their team. Of course we had to buy soccer shirts too! It was so fun to watch the game surrounded by locals. The game was a tie and this Wednesday they play against each other here in Perú. The winner of this game gets to move on to the World Cup which will be next year. So excited to go out into the city and watch the next game! Vamos Perú! ,November 5, 2017
This week classes ran normally at school. Last week was the anniversary so we didn't get to see what a typical school week looks like. The kids are beginning to get to know me better and I am starting to feel more comfortable in the classroom. Language is still a barrier but it has come along way from when we first arrived here in Peru. The kids understand that I am trying and are really good about attempting to understand my broken Spanish. The end of the school year is coming up so the students are starting to get antsy. It is November but technically it would be May in "school year terms." The weather is also like May weather so it is more pleasant to be outside and enjoy the weather. Unfortunately there is no recess, playground, or green space at this school. I guess thats a disadvantage to having a school in a city with 10 million people. Despite all the factors, the students are extremely well behaved! This weekend was full of fun activities. We went to a festival called Mistura which showcases the best foods from all around Peru. There was so many different foods, drinks, and desserts we got to sample. Our most adventurous food was trying Cuy which is guinea pig. Yes you just read that right. We ate a guinea pig. It actually tasted pretty good! I hate to say it tasted like chicken, but that's really what it was like. It was served with a light sauce that was yummy. Also this weekend we went on an 18 mile guided bike tour around the city. We got sunburned and are worn out but it was definitely worth it! Gorgeous views and exercise was just what we needed to end the weekend. It helps that its 70 degrees here compared to 40 degrees at home ;) October 29, 2017
What a busy first week! Today (Sunday) Lauren and I were so tired that we both slept until almost noon! We go to school all day just like in the United States. However, this is much different because the English teacher is the only person in the entire school who is fluent in English. That means it is required that we speak Spanish all day. This does not seem like that hard of a task and we didn't think it would be so bad. We are shocked to find out how exhausting it truly is to think so hard about words and speaking. I completely understand exchange students that come to St. Norbert and struggle with the adjustment of being immersed in a whole new language. Little by little we are becoming more confident in our Spanish-speaking abilities and are excited to see how much we will grow in the next two months. Something that has been an even bigger change for me than language is the food. All the food is so good, however it is traditional in Peru to eat ginormous meals. This is hard for me because I have never ate a lot at meals. I like to snack a little bit all day long because I have gastritis and my stomach hurts if I eat a big meal. I so not want to offend anyone here and I want to be open to following Peruvian customs and traditions. It is not easy, but I have been managing and hope to eat like a true Peruvian by the end of this trip! Also this week the school celebrated their 10th anniversary. Therefore, classes did not run as normal as usual because they held events such as a math and poetry contest. Each one was judged and winners were announced. On Friday, Lauren and I got to be honorary judges for the English spelling bee! It was really fun and we were impressed with how well the students could spell English words. Finally on Saturday, the students preformed traditional dances for the teachers and parents at the school. They were all so happy that Lauren and I came to watch them! For pictures of the dances and more from this week, check out the home page where you will find photos! October 22, 2017
It has only been one day in Lima, but we have done so much that it feels like a week! Our flight arrived yesterday at 5am. We were surprised to find out that we are in the same time zone as home! That makes things much easier when trying to adjust! Our home is beautiful and we feel extremely lucky. We each have our own bedroom and bathroom! Yesterday we went to a conference and visited the school we will be at for the next two months. Then, we went to lunch and tried Ceviche which is a traditional dish composed of fish, onion, corn, and sweet potato. It was delicious as is all of the food here. For dinner, we went to a restaurant and had fried chicken and french fries with Inka Cola. It is a popular soda here and tastes kind of like bubble gum. Today is Sunday and there is a national census in Peru. Everyone was instructed to stay in their homes from 8am to 5pm because people are knocking on every door and asking questions about who lives there. This happens once every ten years so we happened to be lucky enough to experience it! School starts tomorrow and we are excited to keep practicing our Spanish while working with the kids. ArchivesNo Archives Categories |