Peruvian culture in general is very machista - women (not all, but in general) spend all morning cooking lunch, will sometimes clean the house three times a day, and generally are limited to certain roles. But, on March 8th, they recieve at least a little recognition on International Day of the Woman.
Though I feel like the day is talked about and joked about more than actually celebrated, the work and role of women is celebrated with gifts or meals and ceremonies in the schools. In our house, I made some breakfast for my housemates (the crepes turned out tasty, but not as perfectly round and beautiful as I would like).
In other noteworthy developments, I start my second week of classes here at Miguel Pro. The first week went very well. Though each day felt long, I enjoyed getting to know my students, feeling like I am becoming part of the teacher community here at the school, and helping try to ease the adjustment of being a teacher for the two newer volunteers. I realized that this is actually the fourth time I have started a new school year (and at three different schools), and have become very comfortable with the return to the classroom.
One of my responsibilities here will be as a co-tutor (which basically means being half guidance counselor and half homeroom teacher). The role offers a unique chance to get to know the students, their families, and to extend my efforts and work beyond the four walls of a classroom. This first semester we will visit the homes of the students, organize Back to School Nights for the parents, a camping trip with the students, and in the allotted class time, discuss short-term and long-term goals in an effort to help the students recognize their abilities and their strengths.
I am working with the fourth year of secondary (basically sophomores in high school), who also were the students with whom I was on Mes de Mision. This connection will make the beginning of the year much easier for me. Also, I am working with the new communications teacher, who is a nice and calm woman. Only side point is that she is 7 months pregnant and so will be taking a short leave in May to give birth. But I am sure I can handle the tutoria on my own for that short time.
In other news, last night, La Teta Asustada did not take home the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. The hype and excitement of the nomination and chance to win spread across the entire country, infiltrating almost all of the news and a lot of the talk around meals this weekend. In English the title is The Milk of Sorrow and it centers on the effects of the Shining Path and the repressive government response on current generations in the Peruvian highlands. An interesting and well-done film, but unfortunately not an Oscar-winner.
Showing posts with label DAY OF THE WOMAN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DAY OF THE WOMAN. Show all posts
Monday, March 8, 2010
Monday, March 9, 2009
Second Week - Grabbing Life by Los Cuernos
Last week, I was definitely frustrated by the lack of organization at Santa Cruz. I felt like
I just could not really do anything and the excitement I had to start the year was waning as the other English teacher and I did no planning, we had only five students (when the class sizes are 30 to 40) in some classes, the schedule was still up in the air, and just generally there was chaos and confusion.
Talking with my community mates helped a lot and starting late last week I have just decided that I need to be more active and just take the initiative. With this in mind, I made placement/diagnostic tests to help us figure out how to divide up our classes (in secondary - which is basically middle and high school combined - there is one other English teacher and we split each class in half and I take the advanced/more interested students and she takes the others.). I also decided I would take it upon myself to make sure we recognized International Women´s Day, which for those who don´t know was yesterday. I chose a nice little poem to read that I borrow from a community mate and the only movie I could find to show was ¨Frida.¨ It ended up being a real interesting choice as it is very racy and has a couple real sex scenes, but I think the constant thought that I might not skip those parts kept the kids more interested. Also, she is a good example of a strong Latin American woman and someone new for them to learn about.
To give everyone out there a little bit of a sense of how my job will work, here is what my schedule for a week is like. Mondays I always get there early - at 7:45 - for Lunes Civico, during which they sing the national anthem and have a general school assembly in which the Director, Padre Jorge, usually goes on about puntuality and other assorted issues. It is always a little funny to me that he is giving the lecture on puntuality to the kids who arrived on time, while the late ones have to stay outside the school until the assembly is over.
For each of the five years of secondary, I teach three pedagogical hours (forty five minute blocks). But since the English teacher - her name is Sandra - also teaches somewhere else in the morning (it is not unusual for teachers here to have two jobs or even to be working two jobs and still taking further career development classes - which is part of the reason why they tend to only spend the hours they need to teach at the school), these classes never begin until 11:15. In the mornings, I do some prep, chat up different teachers who are around and Padre Jorge (both of which I found is the easiest and best way to find out what is actually going on around the school), and hang out with the kids during their 15 minute recess.
I also am starting this week my primary classes, for which I will be teaching 2 pedagogical hours in a row with each of the 4th year classrooms. Last year, the classes I sat in on or helped teacher with these little uns was quite an experience and I am trying to think of how I am going to handle it this year. I think I am going to really emphasize movement (singing, dancing, etc.) and maybe alternative means of grading as opposed to simply tests. Last year, each time we tried to do a worksheet or a test, it was a real struggle to have them focus, not cheat, and generally the grades came out quite low.
Outside of this weekday/teaching stuff, I also am on of the co-leaders of the Youth Group for the parish that meets on Sundays and I am involved in coordinating and running the tutoring program for which students from the most wealthy (and probably best) school come on Saturday mornings to Vinani. They come from Cristo Rey, which is the school where Nate teaches and with whom I went on Mes de Mision.
I just could not really do anything and the excitement I had to start the year was waning as the other English teacher and I did no planning, we had only five students (when the class sizes are 30 to 40) in some classes, the schedule was still up in the air, and just generally there was chaos and confusion.
Talking with my community mates helped a lot and starting late last week I have just decided that I need to be more active and just take the initiative. With this in mind, I made placement/diagnostic tests to help us figure out how to divide up our classes (in secondary - which is basically middle and high school combined - there is one other English teacher and we split each class in half and I take the advanced/more interested students and she takes the others.). I also decided I would take it upon myself to make sure we recognized International Women´s Day, which for those who don´t know was yesterday. I chose a nice little poem to read that I borrow from a community mate and the only movie I could find to show was ¨Frida.¨ It ended up being a real interesting choice as it is very racy and has a couple real sex scenes, but I think the constant thought that I might not skip those parts kept the kids more interested. Also, she is a good example of a strong Latin American woman and someone new for them to learn about.
To give everyone out there a little bit of a sense of how my job will work, here is what my schedule for a week is like. Mondays I always get there early - at 7:45 - for Lunes Civico, during which they sing the national anthem and have a general school assembly in which the Director, Padre Jorge, usually goes on about puntuality and other assorted issues. It is always a little funny to me that he is giving the lecture on puntuality to the kids who arrived on time, while the late ones have to stay outside the school until the assembly is over.
For each of the five years of secondary, I teach three pedagogical hours (forty five minute blocks). But since the English teacher - her name is Sandra - also teaches somewhere else in the morning (it is not unusual for teachers here to have two jobs or even to be working two jobs and still taking further career development classes - which is part of the reason why they tend to only spend the hours they need to teach at the school), these classes never begin until 11:15. In the mornings, I do some prep, chat up different teachers who are around and Padre Jorge (both of which I found is the easiest and best way to find out what is actually going on around the school), and hang out with the kids during their 15 minute recess.
I also am starting this week my primary classes, for which I will be teaching 2 pedagogical hours in a row with each of the 4th year classrooms. Last year, the classes I sat in on or helped teacher with these little uns was quite an experience and I am trying to think of how I am going to handle it this year. I think I am going to really emphasize movement (singing, dancing, etc.) and maybe alternative means of grading as opposed to simply tests. Last year, each time we tried to do a worksheet or a test, it was a real struggle to have them focus, not cheat, and generally the grades came out quite low.
Outside of this weekday/teaching stuff, I also am on of the co-leaders of the Youth Group for the parish that meets on Sundays and I am involved in coordinating and running the tutoring program for which students from the most wealthy (and probably best) school come on Saturday mornings to Vinani. They come from Cristo Rey, which is the school where Nate teaches and with whom I went on Mes de Mision.
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