I came to Peru on as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. My role was defined on a piece of paper, but the reality is that although I have been a teacher in some capacities, I have been a much better learner throughout my time here. As the year winds down, I am left to reflect upon not
only what I have taught, but also what I have learned.
Time has flown. This was a busy, but more productive semester for me at the university and language center than the first semester that I was here. I have been involved in a variety of activities, providing most of my support to students who will be studying English to an advanced level, using it as international business majors or studying English to become foreign language teachers. My job has therefore included helping with a translation course, reviewing and helping to develop curriculum, designing and conducting oral English evaluation activities and exams for university students. I began conversation groups with foreign language majors and have enjoyed getting to know them better in those more intimate moments when we can laugh, look at photos, and discuss cultural differences, life experiences and ask/answer questions that have nothing to do with the teaching objective as we are limited in some of their other classes. I also developed and facilitated a teacher training course for English professors at the university. It will soon be coming to an end along with numerous other activities with which I've been involved at Pedro Ruiz Gallo National University. While I look forward to new experiences, I realize that I still have much to do, but that I have also gained a lot. Throughout these different activities and spaces, I have met new people, learned about the Peruvian public education system, bureaucracy, politics, teaching, and language learning.
Aside from my work as an ETA, I have learned many things by partnering with the NGO Centro Esperanza. The projects and workshops with the organization will also be coming to an end in a few weeks for the year of 2013.
I have thoroughly enjoyed working with a women's group in the pueblo joven of San Borja just outside of Chiclayo. Throughout the five months that my friend Sarah and I have been working with the women, we have focused on good practices for small businesses and baking. With one workshop a week, we have been able to share ideas, build trust, taste a variety of baked goods, analyze team work, and get to know one another better. We spent numerous weeks teaching the women to bake, a task that seems second nature to us, but quite complicated to those who have never had to measure flour or sugar in their lives. The majority of our baking workshops focused on Peruvian desserts that the women requested, but during our final two baking sessions we taught them to make North American treats: cupcakes and Christmas sugar cookies. Thrilled with the new brightly decorated treats, cultural exchange was rich.
We have also been able to share our cultures with our youth group in Chosica del Norte. Last week we taught them to line dance to Cotton Eye Joe for an upcoming talent show. We (2 Americans, 2 Canadians and 1 Peruvian) are gearing up for a gathering of about 50 youth from pueblos jovenes around. It should be a lot of fun for the youth to get together, try some new activities and perform in a talent show.
Although I have been a leader, facilitator and teacher in many ways in these projects, I have also been a learner. The women at Centro Esperanza have taught me a great deal about leadership, service work, compassion and dedication. The mothers in San Borja have taught me patience, resilience, and reminded me to take life one step at a time, and the youth in Chosica del Norte have taught me about their generation, have shown me yet another perspective on life and have given me experience in dealing with challenging situations.
This year has been a blessing and a great learning experience. In a few more weeks, my grant will expire and I'll see where things go from there.
Time has flown. This was a busy, but more productive semester for me at the university and language center than the first semester that I was here. I have been involved in a variety of activities, providing most of my support to students who will be studying English to an advanced level, using it as international business majors or studying English to become foreign language teachers. My job has therefore included helping with a translation course, reviewing and helping to develop curriculum, designing and conducting oral English evaluation activities and exams for university students. I began conversation groups with foreign language majors and have enjoyed getting to know them better in those more intimate moments when we can laugh, look at photos, and discuss cultural differences, life experiences and ask/answer questions that have nothing to do with the teaching objective as we are limited in some of their other classes. I also developed and facilitated a teacher training course for English professors at the university. It will soon be coming to an end along with numerous other activities with which I've been involved at Pedro Ruiz Gallo National University. While I look forward to new experiences, I realize that I still have much to do, but that I have also gained a lot. Throughout these different activities and spaces, I have met new people, learned about the Peruvian public education system, bureaucracy, politics, teaching, and language learning.
Aside from my work as an ETA, I have learned many things by partnering with the NGO Centro Esperanza. The projects and workshops with the organization will also be coming to an end in a few weeks for the year of 2013.
I have thoroughly enjoyed working with a women's group in the pueblo joven of San Borja just outside of Chiclayo. Throughout the five months that my friend Sarah and I have been working with the women, we have focused on good practices for small businesses and baking. With one workshop a week, we have been able to share ideas, build trust, taste a variety of baked goods, analyze team work, and get to know one another better. We spent numerous weeks teaching the women to bake, a task that seems second nature to us, but quite complicated to those who have never had to measure flour or sugar in their lives. The majority of our baking workshops focused on Peruvian desserts that the women requested, but during our final two baking sessions we taught them to make North American treats: cupcakes and Christmas sugar cookies. Thrilled with the new brightly decorated treats, cultural exchange was rich.
We have also been able to share our cultures with our youth group in Chosica del Norte. Last week we taught them to line dance to Cotton Eye Joe for an upcoming talent show. We (2 Americans, 2 Canadians and 1 Peruvian) are gearing up for a gathering of about 50 youth from pueblos jovenes around. It should be a lot of fun for the youth to get together, try some new activities and perform in a talent show.
Although I have been a leader, facilitator and teacher in many ways in these projects, I have also been a learner. The women at Centro Esperanza have taught me a great deal about leadership, service work, compassion and dedication. The mothers in San Borja have taught me patience, resilience, and reminded me to take life one step at a time, and the youth in Chosica del Norte have taught me about their generation, have shown me yet another perspective on life and have given me experience in dealing with challenging situations.
This year has been a blessing and a great learning experience. In a few more weeks, my grant will expire and I'll see where things go from there.
Thanks to good will from Canada, the women
no longer have to sit on buckets and stones but just
recieved stools and an oven in which they can bake!
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