I have been working as an English teacher for a few weeks now, which gave me a wonderful introduction to all the children in the community. In addition to the few days in the classroom, I am able to interact with the kids on a more personal level in the afterschool music and arts programs on Mondays (and sometimes Wednesdays). I chose to do this program in order to give additional curriculum that some other schools in the region have, but San Miguel lacks. In a few short weeks we have covered a wide variety of topics from counting rhythms, self-portraits, and the children’s favorite activity of learning and playing the recorder.
Nicole’s Variation of Hot Crossed Buns
Not every week has gone exactly as planned. For example, last week an aguasera (a very heavy flash rainstorm) prevented us from dipping into Origami. The rain made the air too moist for the paper to hold any shape, so that lesson had to be postponed.
After the planned activity each week I give the children some time to free draw. Most often I see pictures of themselves, their homes, their school, and their town, tucked into the mountain range with a smiling sun between the peaks. Here are just a few examples of the children’s’ work. I look forward to posting a more comprehensive gallery at the end of the semester.
Artwork by Ruben and Estefani respectively.