Now a Month In, A Day in the Life!

Thanks to my not-very-good editing skills, I have opted to write out my current working routine:

The day starts off with waking up at 6 a.m., mostly thanks to the nearby rooster that likes to sing at either 5 or 6 a.m. on a given day. From there, breakfast at 7 a.m.

Classes start at 7:20 a.m, and this is where my work routine begins, with Tercero Basico (as I explained in a previous blog this is the equivalent of 8^th grade in the U.S.). When students come in, it is a routine they say “Good morning” to me and I greet them back.

Before, they were accustomed to greeting in Spanish though after the time I have been here they are growing used to communicating fully in English. Yes, it is sort of like that one Spanish class where your teacher strictly prohibited speaking in English and wanted it to be all Spanish. I do this as a way for them to further remember and have them be able to practice giving the time they are able to. Even with asking to go to the bathroom, I always tell them “I can’t understand,” if the students ask for permission in Spanish. Proudly I can say most of them remember well to ask in English, and most of them have good fluency with the language.

After this comes the next class, and in total there are six classes that rotate on one day. This is very similar to middle school in the U.S., though the only difference is that classes do not switch, every day is the same structure with the classes. In these classes, my current routine ranges on always helping the English teacher Ms. Mayra on what is needed. This ranges on what the class needs for the day, whether it is to prepare new material or teach the lesson for the day. I appreciate Ms. Mayra’s way of handling volunteers, since she allows us to have the first-hand interaction with the students and teach some of the lessons ourselves.

Around 10 a.m., there is a break for the students as a type of recess, and after the youngest class (Primero Basico the equivalent of 6^th grade comes in). This class always makes me laugh with their common phrase being “iPhone!” Yet, I understand where they are coming from since most come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Currently, my working routine is encompassed of helping all of the students in each class as much as I can. Now they are in their own exam week, where they need the help necessary to understand some of the questions in the test. Here in Pavarotti, my working routine is usually flexible and ranges on the benchmarks needed to be passed with the students as Ms. Mayra demonstrates.