One of my favorite things about the few free moments we have in the school before the kids file in to begin lessons is taking a minute to watch the energy and anticipation outside the door. A wave of children crashes against the building (literally) and high pitched squeals (as well as a few squabbles) replace the sounds of the Reggaton. It is guaranteed that there will be a few monkeys clinging to the reja peering in at their busy teachers. I love their bright, wide eyes. They are so content in the moment looking forward to getting in to learn something new.
To say that things have been chaotic this week would a huge understatement. This past week was Semana Uribe (a week of vacation dedicated to former president, Uribe) so the kids have been in and out sporadically. While they are still in the barrio during their holiday, it is a less structured time and we have had a difficult time keeping tabs on everyone. Even with the confusion, the newest teacher volunteers have been very flexible and patient.
Over the course of a month our entire volunteer staff was turned over and we are now overrun by the Brits. Currently, the role call reads: Cressida, Eva, Gabby, Venetia, Lucia, Charlie, Suzanne, Karol, Libia, and Lisa. Cressida and Eva have the pre-k's (they are troopers...that room is filled with more energy than most people can handle), Gabby and Charlie are working with the intermediate group, Suzanne and Venetia are working with the highest level kids, Karol has a small 'inbetweeners' group, Libia is working one on one with special needs kids, Lucia is doing 'one on one' pull outs, and I am coaching and doing one on ones or small groups depending on the need each day. I have been loving working with all these ladies and am so thankful that they are eager to improve the the school and their teaching.
I have missed a couple of weeks of entries so instead of trying to write a huge book on the happenings lately, I figured I would let photos speak for themselves this week. Disfrutan!
I arrived at the school earlier than the rest of the volunteers today so I had the opportunity to have some one on one time with Camilo. When he saw me sitting on the patio of the school, he strolled up and plopped himself down next to me and suggested, matter of factly, that we pass the time drawing 'paisaje (landscape)' pictures. So, I handed him a notebook and a pen and he sat, drawing intently for a half an hour. As other kids joined us, they would ask for an 'hoja' and draw their own versions.
They didn't moan or groan that the building wasn't open yet. They didn't ask me what they should do while they waited. They just devised their own entertainment and let me be a part of their informal art session. It felt so good to just sit, doodle on paper and talk with the kids about whatever came to mind. I realized this happens a lot with these kids, we just sit and talk whenever there is down time. There is something so refreshing about getting the opportunity to simply 'be' with my students.
Often, as a teacher in the institutionalized schools, there are so many other things that need to be done in a typical day, that taking the time to sit and talk is not always feasible. I have always loved listening to kids talk and being among them when they are interacting on a social level. I finally get to do that as part of my job.
Once the others showed up, there was a little confusion as to how to divide the classes due to the fact that Cerys had a horrible toothache and would need to go home. Thus, we did a last minute rearranging of kids and managed to have everyone accounted for in a classroom.
My group was working on sketching a memory and writing about it. I was amused to see that a couple of the boys had sketched a memory of a scene that looked very similar to my example. I was used to seeing the 'copycat' work when teaching second graders, but usually fourth graders and older kids can easily choose an original story from their lives.
It occurred to me that the reason there were a few similar stories was because these kids aren't used to original writing or writing about themselves. Thus, it is going to take them a while to get comfortable with the idea that they are the the only authors that can tell their own stories. I think that they are so used to regurgitating what a teacher tells them and are used to earning praise based on how well they can copy versus what original work they can produce.
When the kids started to get a bit squirrley, I decided to move class outside and finish with a math lesson on factors of 40. The kids collected their own 'manipulatives' (rocks) and found different ways to put the rocks in even groups. I have to laugh at the fact that I relied on expensive tools in my past teaching positions and yet, the district could probably have saved quite a bit of money and gotten the same (or better results) using everyday items as 'manipulatives'.
As I was working with my group, our two new volunteers from England, Charly and Eva, pulled out kids to read with them one on one. Even though the afternoon had started off a little messy, I was glad they had the chance to see the kids settled down and focused on learning. Jesus, ran up to me after reading with Eva for a while and was absolutely glowing with excitement at having gotten to spend 15 minutes sharing his reading skills with her.
I could see his enthusiasm had already won her over. I had been nervous that the early mayhem would frighten our new recruits off, but I should have known that the kids would lure them in. The way the kids are so eager to share their skills with the volunteers, their faces light up, their eyes get big, and their smiles draw you in. After one session of reading with one of these kids, you're a goner. And so it is that another two have joined the community. Bienvenidos, Charly y Eva!
I wanted to get the kids writing a little more creatively today and still tie in the expectations that we have been working on. So far, creating a set of expectations with the teachers and implementing them in all our classrooms has been wonderful. The kids have already settled down considerably as they are getting regular reminders of expected behavior in the building. The best part of introducing the expectations as it is being done in such a way that learning them has been fun for everyone. The basic philosophy here is 'learning is fun and done with love and excitement'.
Anyway, I ended up talking about community and getting to know each other better. This segued into a writing activity where the kids did an acrostic with their names. They had to think of something to describe themselves using a word or phrase that started with each letter in their name. They loved it. I realized, they have been doing a lot of reciting and copying and summaries to demonstrate their writing skills, but not much creative, personal writing.
I was elated to see them not only enjoy the activity, but they were so focused, thinking hard on what they would write that they used up the whole time writing. I couldn't stop them. Seriously. They were so intent on creating great phrases that I was able to walk around and assist them all individually (no management necessary!!!) to correct spelling and grammar.
Jesus David had me laughing out loud when I read his acrostic. I had to attach a photo of it. Look at the 'D' in David: Debo plata en la tienda (I owe money to the corner store). This was a phrase that he felt described him. I love it when kids surprise me like this...I was expecting one-word descriptions of themselves physically or athletically...nope, 'debo plata en la tienda'.
Camilo was the first to finish so I gave him the camera...thus, the artistic angles are his special touch in many of my photos today. I cannot wait to get this kid a digital camera and give him classes on taking pictures...Stu Mullenberg (my amazing friend's husband who is an incredible photographer in Portand, OR...if you are interested:http://stuphoto.net/food/) ...you want to come down and teaching a blossoming photographer???
As we were closing up the activity today, I received a few letters of 'te amo, Lisa' from the kids and more hugs than usual. The reason? They loved feeling like real writers and getting praise for their creativity. I love my job. I really, really, really love my job.
I have been wanting to put the school through a 'facelift' since the first day and today, Cerys, Evan, a bunch of the kids and I pulled it off. We are starting a new session this next week and there are a couple of long-term volunteers that are arriving from England as well. Thus, I have been pushing for us to give the kids a visual indicator of the changes that are coming. What better way to do that than to spend a Saturday drenched in sweat, slathering blue paint on a crude building?
Getting the paint was a bit of a chore (and a personal expense...need to get donors and fast or I am going to be out of money before the end of the year if I keep this up!). The place I had originally bargained a deal with was closed so we ventured into the 'mercado' where there are variety of options (and prices) for pretty much anything you could every want or need: farming supplies, carburators, furniture, dishware, donkeys...and paint.
After checking out three places, we found a guy that gave us a bit of a discount due to the fact that it was for an educational foundation. Thus, with brushes and five gallons of paint, I ended up putting down 190,000 Colombian pesos (about 112 USD). Ouch.
Watching the big, plastic bucket of Aquamarine blue paint be lugged over to Evan's truck, I let go of the pain in my wallet and smiled at the impact this project would have on the school.
Evan, Cerys, and I arrived at the school around 2pm on Saturday. The kids were not expecting us to be there so was not the usual fanfare greeting of little munchkins running from all corners of the barrio to greet us. The fact that we were in an old Landcruiser did interest the teenage guys in the neighborhood who came over to check out the tires and look under the hood.
It didn't take long for the kids to take notice, though. By the time we had put on a couple strokes of paint, we had one of the new preschool kiddos helping out. Then came Luis Felipe, one of our older morning kids. Then Diana (who was concentrating mostly on painting the windows), then a pack of little people.
We didn't have enough brushes, so I handed out a few small craft brushes to keep them busy. Blue paint EVERYWHERE. Thank goodness most of it made it on the building, but there were definitely a number of Smurfs (aka Pitufos) zipping around the school by the end of the day.
At least we had one green giant among the Smurf population to get something accomplished by the end of the day. Evan was a 'painting machine' and was able to paint the vast majority of the high spots. We were not able to find a ladder so the fact that we were able to paint as much of the far side as we did was wholly due to Evan's contribution.
At the end of the day, just as the sun was setting, we headed out, sweaty, tired, and content. What I loved most about today was the fact that everyone in the vicinity of the school helped out in one way or another. The preschoolers scrambled up the reja to paint around the windows and were the first to go out in search of a ladder. The older folks would walk by, smile and make comments about how much they liked the new 'look'. The older kids from my literacy group actually managed to get some paint on the building and help make the job go more quickly. The best thing about it all was that we didn't have to ask anyone to join us...they just showed up.
I found this quote the other day and it really seems to sum up the philosophy of the people involved in this foundation:
Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. -Goethe
We may not have much money, but there is a lot of heart in this project. Things just seem to appear when we need them...
My morning started with an extremely rough, two hour ride in an army grade Landcruiser. I woke up in blissful 60ish degree weather of Los Pinos and plummeted into the sweltering 90 degree (don't even get me started on humidity) depths of Santa Marta. I am constantly surprised by how easy it is for one to travel so quickly to drastically different climates (and geography) within this country. I spent the early morning in Pine trees and ridiculous vistas of the entire Magdalena region, then found myself rocking along on a public bus with front row seats to an amateur reggaton concert.
I have lived in Colombia for a little over two years now, but I really haven't been able to appreciate these little pleasures of my town until I started working with CSF. Maybe it is because I am so incredibly happy with the place I am in my life or maybe it is because I finally have the time to relax and breathe a bit that I have been able to see what was always here.
Maybe it is because I have pleasure of working with kids that are so incredibly happy playing with a chunk of styrofoam and climbing trees for fun. They devise their diversion instead of buy it. I am more and more aware of that every day. The less I buy, and the more I have to discover new (budget) ways to get things done, the more I enjoy this life. Simplified.
Anyway, before taking off to class this afternoon, I said, 'Ciao' to my roommate and friend (and our art teacher!), Rachel. After a year of working in Colombia, her time (for now) is up. She left on a jetplane bound for Bogota...and then Philly. She will be back...!
There were a few teachers who were unable to make it to classes today so things were a bit harried at the beginning of classes. We had to relocate a couple teachers and Rob was left with a ton of pre-schoolers to himself. Honestly, I didn't even open the door to his room as I knew better than to let the chaos spill into the rest of the building. Pre-school kids are unbelievably adorable and want to shower you with hugs and kisses, but, whew, they are a mass of bubbling energy that can knock you on your rear...literally.
I settled in with my reading comprehension group (Ana, Lina, Lucelis, Javier, Camilo, Alvaro, and Juan Sebastian) silently thanking God that I wasn't on the other side of Rob's door. We reviewed expectations, their new sticker charts for behavior, and then got into reading and writing around the topic of 'norms'. Sounds a little boring, but the stories were great and the kids were very interested in reading out loud and sharing their skills.
There were a few little scuffles that I had to deal with as it is I am finding that often the way these kids take care of issues is through 'physical reminders'. I had more 'private talks' than I would have liked, but they are necessary at this point and the kids are still learning that there are other ways to cope with their issues with peers. I think they are pretty used to seeing physical punishments for behavior so it is taking a little adjustment to understand that the school is a 'hands off zone'.
Javier spent a little while pouting in corner today and I gave him his space to figure out what he was going to do with his time in class, offering the suggestion of reading a book if he didn't want to join in the activity with the rest of the class. It took him a few minutes, but, eventually, he slid over to the bookshelf and grabbed a big, black and white picture book about a family of zebras. Before long, he was urging me to come listen to him read and the smile had returned to his face. His eagerness to share his reading spurred Juan Sebastian to follow suit and I got the opportunity to take a 'snapshot' of their current reading levels.
I ended the day going back over the expectations with the kids and asking them if they had earned their stickers for their charts (based on following all five expectations). All, but one fell short when it came to the 'respetamos a nosotros mismos, nuestros amigos y los maestros'...everyone except Juan Sebastian had managed to 'da una patada o golpe a uno' during today's session. There were some disappointed kids when they realized only one person earned a sticker today, but they accepted the consequences for their actions. I am curious to see how tomorrow goes...
Don't cry!...I chanted this to myself as I looked at Duban's wide eyes taking in everything around him as our taxi swept past colorful vendors and modern shops. His innocent wonder mixed with a twinge of fear brought on a wave of emotions within me. How could this child really have never seen the town that sits only 15 minutes driving distance from his barrio?
When we finished school today, I had made an appointment with a psychologist who has offered to donate her time in order to work with our most challenging student, Duban. I wrote a little about him in a previous entry, but basically Duban has had a rough go of things and at 10 years old, he is already growing very cynical toward the world around him. He destroys classrooms, throws fits and demonstrates anger that is frightening...he crawls into your lap, smiles at you with deeply dimpled cheeks, and has a softness that cannot be forgotten...even when he is at his worst.
His sweet, scared child side was jumping out of his dark brown eyes. I asked him if he had ever been to Rodadero (the tourist town 10 minutes from Valle de Gaira) and he shook his head. He was completely silent, taking in everything. I was in shock that this child had lived within ten minutes of a shopping mall, air-conditioned restaurants, and other modern conveniences for 10 years, but had never seen any of it.
While we had planned to go to Duban's first appointment, the psychologist had needed to cancel last minute so we decided to take Duban into town to check out the area in the very least. Things always seem to turn out for the best and in this instance it was obvious. Giving Duban the opportunity to acclimate himself in the area where he would be visiting the 'medico' was essential. He was so overwhelmed by the 'big city' that had he had an appointment today, it would have been pointless with his spinning head.
Instead, we checked out the doctor's office, then meandered down to the beach where we found a frozen yogurt shop that blends a concoction with fresh fruit. Duban and his buddy, Jose (our helper) were bug-eyed and excited. When we started sharing our flavors with each other, the boys were hesitant to dip into our yogurt and after some coaxing they were shyly taking tiny tastes. Pretty adorable.
After stuffing ourselves on fro-yo, we walked to the beach and Cerys prepped Duban by rolling his shorts up so they wouldn't get wet...he dove in. Love it.
I decided to follow his lead and we swam around in our clothes while tourists gawked at us. Honestly, I might not have ignored the fact that I didn't have a bathing suit, if Duban hadn't gone first. Once again the a kid turns out being the true teacher of the day. His lesson, 'Who cares what other people think of you...do what YOU want to do...you'll have more fun.'
Monday we are going to take Duban to his first actual psychologist appointment and I am so thankful we had this time to share with him to just get him comfortable with these new surroundings. It just goes to show, while this may not have been what we planned, it was the EXACT thing that Duban needed today.
"The wheels on the bus went round and round"...and screeched to a halt...and round and round...and screeched to halt...and screeched to a halt. We got on the wrong bus today. I am pretty sure that if the driver had slammed on the breaks one more time, she was going to jump out the window. Our short ride to Bomba Sucre wasn't short enough. The next gauntlet to the foundation was a double moto ride...you still pay a mil apiece, but one of the riders hangs halfway off the back while slightly dragging her legs. That rider was me...and still, I would do that same route ten times over to get to my destination.
The boys were put to work doing some heavy lifting upon arrival at the school. Our goal today was to clean out the back porch for a learning space. While I didn't take a good before picture to show the area in its 'glory'...you get the idea looking at the next few photos.
We spent about three hours doing general cleaning in the building and assessing chores for the future. The next plan is to tile this patio and make it a little more comfortable for Cerys' one-on-one literacy sessions with the kids. I would like to hang some gutters with plants to start a garden as well...paso a paso.
At 3pm, everyone began to crowd around the one shade tree(/jungle gym) on the soccer field to listen to instructions about 'Sports Day'. Basically, every game included a lot of running around. If anything, I am sure the kids' parents love this day as they no doubt sleep very well on Friday nights...at least the majority of the boys do. The girls often join in for the first hour, then trickle off to the sidelines to form the cheering section.
I took this opportunity to pull one of the girls aside and do a short interview with her: Ana Paola Nunez Perez. She is 9 years old (turns 10 on August 26th). She lives part time with her grandparents in another barrio and part time with her mother, Dilia, and her step-father, Jose, in Valle de Gaira. She she lives with her three siblings (Luis Miguel (7), Leider (5), and Sarai (7 months) when she in Gaira. She isn't sure where her biological father is, but has been told he is working in the Sierras somewhere.
Ana's favorite food is manzanas (apples). Her favorite pastime is jumping rope (alaptias). Her favorite people are her family members. When she grows up she wants to be a doctor because she loves what they do for people.
When I asked her why she liked to come to CSF, she let me know that she hasn't attended public school in two years because her mom had pulled her out due to the fact that the school was 'puerco'. She has been home-schooled since leaving and relies on her time at CSF to gain get regular education.
Ana and I finished talking, just as 'Sports Day' was wrapping up. I was able to catch one last glimpse of the kids in action before setting off down the road for home.
One of my favorite things about the few free moments we have in the school before the kids file in to begin lessons is taking a minute to watch the energy and anticipation outside the door. A wave of children crashes against the building (literally) and high pitched squeals (as well as a few squabbles) replace the sounds of the Reggaton. It is guaranteed that there will be a few monkeys clinging to the reja peering in at their busy teachers. I love their bright, wide eyes. They are so content in the moment looking forward to getting in to learn something new.
Over the course of a month our entire volunteer staff was turned over and we are now overrun by the Brits. Currently, the role call reads: Cressida, Eva, Gabby, Venetia, Lucia, Charlie, Suzanne, Karol, Libia, and Lisa. Cressida and Eva have the pre-k's (they are troopers...that room is filled with more energy than most people can handle), Gabby and Charlie are working with the intermediate group, Suzanne and Venetia are working with the highest level kids, Karol has a small 'inbetweeners' group, Libia is working one on one with special needs kids, Lucia is doing 'one on one' pull outs, and I am coaching and doing one on ones or small groups depending on the need each day. I have been loving working with all these ladies and am so thankful that they are eager to improve the the school and their teaching.
