Literacy

This year we experienced something new; we began to a more active part of our country. This year we changed our roles. We are no longer simple pawns to become into a rook; because now we are not just students, we are also teachers, determined to help to eliminate the illiteracy in Ecuador. It all started seven months ago when we began searching illiterate people who were willing to learn. It wasn’t easy at all. Many people didn’t want to leave their jobs in order to study, some others didn’t like the schedule, others got tired or bored after a few classes; and the ones that did want to study wanted to get a diploma of sixth course (Module 5), but this year the highest module is Module 4. After a long time and a lot of rejects I found a person who really wanted to study so since then each Saturday my parents and I go to her house to take her to school. On October we received instructions from sixth course students. They taught us how to teach and how we had to organise all the schedules and all the programs; we also had some advice based on their experience. That same day we were put into groups: Module 1 Module 2 Module 3 Module 4 Nursery Leveling My group was formed by Pame R, Montse, Vero, Lucho, Mariale V, Pancho, Gaby T, Alvaro Z and me. We were the largest group so we were encharged of kids of Leveling. We worked with them until January. Although I was kind of happy at the beginning, it all changed with time. There were a couple of kids who were fighting all the time, hitting everybody and doing what they wanted; so one day I had to become the angry bad teacher and make one of the kids stay calmed and go to the place I told him to. At first he just wouldn’t move so I asked Mariale to call the Technical Drawing Teacher, but by the time he arrived I had already ‘threatened’ the boy and he was already sitting there without even moving. Mariale and I left the class (al the others were in Audiovisuals) and we heard how the teacher told him even how he was going to die (jaja). In January we were changed to Module 3. Personally I’ve loved this experience. People from that module are the sweetest and kindest of all. The group was small, there were only around six or seven students who received us with a wide smile. At the beginning as we didn’t know their names, Alvaro and I made some little labels for them, with each one of their names, we also had labels on our chest, so they could also get to know us. At the end of the class the all went to a wall and paste their names there so next Saturday they could take that again. Unfortunately this worked just four Saturdays because one day they were simply gone! At the beginning we changed the subject we were going to give each Saturday but with the time we discovered which was our ‘best subject’, and since then we’ve tried to keep teaching the same subject. I teach Maths. One of the best experiences in this module has been Benito. Benito is the oldest person of the class, but he is also the most intelligent. He learns quickly and is always the first person to finish. One day I remember teaching them the tables to multiply, and the next class when I was checking the homework Benito called me and told me that he had been practicing at home, and that knowing how to multiply simple numbers he got to multiply greater numbers (like 34* 12) all by himself!! I think that if he had had the chance to study when he was young, he would have probably been a very good professional, and who knows, maybe he would have been even famous.. I loved every step of this experience; even out of the classrooms we have shared such beautiful things! Every Saturday we prepared a little lunch for them, we have given them sandwiches, cookies, popcorn and all kind of things. And behind the scenes, in the cafeteria were we prepared the lunch, crazy things have happened! I have laugh till I could no more! The programs we have prepared have also been unique; on Christmas and San Valentine’s Day my friend and I organised different activities, games choreographies, music spectacles and more. I think they had a great time these days. But the most beautiful ‘program’ of this year was the Teachers’ day. They organised us a party! It was an awesome detail that I certainly won’t forget. Thanks to this experience we have shared good times between us and with our students, times that won’t be easily forgotten..