A Teacher with Heart and Soul

Julia Fritzsche, who finished her time with Proyecto last week, gives us an in-depth look at a typical day with her class in the colegio - the hard work, the benefits and the passion displayed by both teachers and students.

It is Monday 1:30 p.m. The bell rings. School is starting. Pupils of the first class are storming into the classroom, while some of them need more time to make their way to their seats. Others are running happily through the room and carrying-on with their usual daily horseplay, but they've all got bright smiles, while the teacher talks to some parents until she makes her way to the front ... let the fun begin! On today's lesson plan: the syllables `la le li lo lu`, pronunciation, reading (Reading doesn't mean guessing while looking at the teacher or hopefully at a school-friend! ) and writing (writing means copying down what the teacher has written on the board into their copybooks or doing writing exercises ). 

Below are some of the different kinds of "concentration-faces" which the children display during the days' lessons.

Writing

 One of the most popular activities during writing exercises is sharpening pencils - Meeting point: the bin! Everyday totally TOP SECRET information is shared here which is to be kept far away from the ears of the profe!

Once in a while you can hear outside the niños  shouting happily: UN! DOS! This helps to regain their concentration. All starts with `pararse` of the teacher. Within less than a second the niños stand straight beside their chair. This is one of those examples that shows how fast they can actually be. Hands up – Hands down – One feet turn around – Hands to the front – Hands to the back -> gone is the concentration lack. 

 The Break

It is the most wonderful time of the ...school-day!

The running, playing and the usual kid fights begin as soon as the bell rings. 

And best of all ...sometimes unexpected artists appear and the floor turns into a stage. 

After more than one month of working with the kids I can say they are lovely although sometimes they can  be small devils. I love my class and they touched my heart. What I hear the most in classes: I can`t! ‘Yes you can’ is my answer. To motivate the niños is one of the most important aspects of my role as a volunteer in the colegio, to let them know they are smart and can be successful if they want to be.The kids live in impoverished circumstances and many of them do not really know what discipline is. I try to help my kids as much as I can with their classes, which is not always easy and it seems sometimes almost nothing – unitl a kid is running into your arms with a bright smile and says: ‘Profe, te quiero!’  This and the amount of hugs every day are the best feedback I can get.

Señora Feli is a teacher with heart and soul. As a mother and pregnant woman, she tries her best to motivate all the 28 niños every day, which is not always easy. The kids love and respect her. I wish her all the best for her growing family and hope she will not lose the passion of being a teacher, because the niños need a teacher  like her!

Thank you Señora Feli and Proyecto Horizonte for giving me the chance to make such beautiful experience. – Julia F.