My Biggest Frustration

I actually wrote a similar blog post one time when I was really frustrated about a year ago, then decided not to post it. But after over a year working here in site, the frustration remains, and thus, the blog post has been revived.

I would like to take you all back to my 4^th grade classroom. My teacher was Mrs. Jackowitz, and she was amazing. We dissected owl pellets, built parachutes and launched them, learned through competitions and games, and I walked into a classroom covered in color and interesting information to look at. Then there was freshman year of high school where my biology teacher made me excited about photosynthesis, my math teacher stayed late to help me when I struggled with algebraic proofs, and my photography teacher taught me that a photo really is worth a thousand words. I was so incredibly fortunate to be raised in a town with a great education system that helped to prepare me to take on the world as an adult.

And then there is the school system I have come to know here in Paraguay. The 4^th grade classroom’s walls are bare, the teacher arrives late, and they spend the entire morning copying from the chalk board. Or the 9^th grade students, who spend half the class texting on their phone because the teacher doesn’t bother to tell them not to. The students are typically at a much lower reading level than they should be, and kids are continuously slipping through the cracks.

These differences are for many reasons, and cannot be pin pointed on a single one. Some parents in site claim it’s the lack of motivation and preparation in the teachers. Some say they are doing the best they can with what is available. Some say it’s the kids who aren’t interested. Some say it’s because the classroom isn’t provided with all the books and materials they should have access to. Some say it’s the short school day (students from K-12 go to school for 4 hours a day here). I say it’s all the above. I have seen several really great teachers who do their best to motivate the kids, but they are limited by funds. And how can I fault the teacher for asking the kids to simply copy from the chalk board all class when there aren't enough supplies to provide all the kids with books?

Working in the schools is what I was most looking forward to in joining the Peace Corps. I get along great with kids, and knew my energy and activities would excite them. But it’s hard to succeed as a volunteer when you don’t necessarily have the support of the teachers or your charlas keep getting post-poned due to holidays/rain/strikes. I am a third time volunteer, and just about all the options have been exhausted. There have been workshops for teachers to make didactic materials, but very few used what they learned. There are workshops for the students to become leaders in the community, but unless pushed by myself or the previous volunteers they fail to use what they learned.

Today I started a new program with the high school that I am really looking forward to. It is called ‘Como Planear mi Vida’, or “How to Plan my Life”. I’m excited to work with 10^th and 11^th graders, and hope that they find the information I teach useful. The topics covered will ideally help the students prepare for their future - be it university, work or family. I hope that we get great conversations going, and I can engage the kids. This is likely my last attempt to work extensively with the schools, so I really hope it goes well… wish me luck!