Teaching (origami)

Well hello there, everyone. So, it's been awhile since I've blogged, which isn't a surprise considering how long it took me to blog in the first place. But I have an exceptable excuse this time. I was on a trip around Peru, for about a week and a half, and I wasn't able to blog as I went. Also, I've been uber busy since I have LESS THAN THREE DAYS until I get home. Therefore, I have made the decision that I'm only going to blog once (or maybe twice) more before I go home. There is so much more that I haven't covered about my trip, that I figure I will continue to blog when I get home, just to fill you in on everything. And I want to do my trip justice, so I'm waiting until I'll have more time to make a decent blog. It's better than nothing right? Sorry for the wait you guys.


Well anyway.


A while back, maybe a couple weeks after I had gotten here, and had at some point done some origami when I got bored (so now they knew I could do it....) Lidia approached me about doing an origami class with the kids at Pachacutec. She told me about how when she was a kid, someone came to her school and taught her some origami, and she never forgot that (even though she can't remember how to do it). And apparently there has been another volunteer in the past who knows origami, but really complicated origami, and wasn't willing to teach the simple stuff. So I said yes (kind of reluctantly) to teaching the class. I thought it was a cool idea that these kids might always remember that someone came and taught them some origami, and that it might stick with them. Ironically, she asked me around the same time that my new roommate came (Atsuko). It just so happened that she (Atusuko) knows some origami, has an origami app on her ipod, and brought some origami paper with her. Fate, I'm pretty sure. So I recruited her to help me with the origami class. The night before my first class, when I still had no clue what I was going to teach them, or what to say in spanish, I was a little stressed out. And I had put off getting ready. And we still had all of the squares to cut out. Let me tell you, cutting out 120 squares takes A LOT longer than you would think. But Atsuko was IMMENSLEY helpful (I would never have gotten it done without her), and her method was definitely efficient. Even then, it was a late night for me, and stressful. But somehow I managed.


Let me tell you, the kids were awfully confused when I came into their classes at the wrong time, teaching them something other than english. Also, my first classes would have been completely impossible without the help of a Spanish speaker, since the kids had no clue what was going on. Without the help of the lady in charge of the English program there, I would have just wandered into their classes and have been like 'uuuhhh, eeehhh, ummm, origami? si?'. That would have been fabulous. It's actually pretty amazing how much you can communicate with just a few phrases. As long as I knew how to use the verb 'to fold' (doblar) and knew the phrase 'like this' (commo esto), I was actually pretty set to teach them origami. And I had Atsuko helping me, going around and making sure all of the kids were doing it right. All in all, it was a pretty successful experiment. 


I only ever got to teach origami twice at the school. Soon after the first class I taught, one of the volunteers left to travel a bit, and so I took over for her and substituted for fifth and sixth grade for a couple weeks. After that, it was my turn to travel for a while, and when I got back I ended up substituting for the person teaching fourth grade. So that left me only one more time (last thursday) to teach origami. I also got the chance to teach it at La Punta a total of three times, One of those times Atsuko was more in charge, though. While I've been here I've taught approximately 260 different children and teenagers some form of origami. 

Some of the sixth graders

The first classes that I taught (the ones I was so stressed about) were sixth grade classes. I wasn't sure what difficulty level they could handle, so I decided to teach them something simple, yet not simple enough to be boring. We taught them how to make a 'small box' (una cajita). It was actually a bit hard for them (probably harder for me to teach, though. haha) So we struggled at some parts, but still managed to get the end product. I was so proud! However, of the four classes I taught that day, there were two really well behaved classes, one not so good, and one HORRIBLE class. Thank goodness the awfully behaved class was last, because I really just wanted to get out of there, run away, never come back, and hide in a hole for the rest of my life. Maybe that's a little overexaggerated, but seriously, those kids wouldn't sit down, listen, actually fold it themselves, or stop messing around. It was CRAAAZZZY! And I almost lost my voice, and my sanity. But still the kids were sooo cute. And every class was so excited when they found out that I was teaching them origami. They started jumping up and down in their seats and talking excitedly, every time. 

Slightly blurry, but yes, that is me teaching origami

At La Punta, I taught the same thing, and a lot of them just didn't get it at all. Some of them were really great at it, but quite a few would get slightly confused, and just give up. I feel like we had to help them here a lot more one on one, than even at the school. 


Last Thursday was my last day teaching origami, and my last day at Pachcutec! It was sad to say goodbye, but a great way to end it. I got to teach the fourth graders this time. These are the kids I've sent the least amount of time with, because I'd never met them until the one day that I subbed in all of their classes. But seriously, the fourth graders are soooo cute! And all of the classes are fairly well behaved. SO well behaved compared to the sixth graders. I taught them how to make a water bomb, which I called 'un globo' (a balloon). They did really well with it, and really enjoyed it! And Atsuko was there to help me again, even though she wasn't originally going to be. It was a great way to finish my volunteering time at that school. 


The most memorable moment of the day I taught the fourth graders was when Ruth, one of the Peruvian ladies who helps the volunteers, and escorts us back and forth to the projects, told the forth graders that it was my last day, and that I'd be going back to my house soon. The whole class literally swarmed up around me in a big circle and clung onto me, and gave me hugs and kisses. It was so cute. I wish I had a picture of it. 


That's the thing about my experience here. I can count (probably on one hand) the amount of times that I've seen tears shed, or shed them myself, but it's impossible to count the number of kisses the kids have given me on my cheeks, the number of hands I've held, the times I've seen them smile, and my favorite times, when I can make them laugh. I honestly don't know the number of hugs I've given, or that I've received (It's probably in the thousands). These kids are seriously a part of me.