One of the goals of our school, besides the promise of entering “The Magical World of English” is to teach la buena educación, good manners. All we’ve really managed to do is change, “más rápido, más rádpido, más rápido” to “teeeeeeeea-cher, teeeeeeeea-cher faster pleeeeeeease.” It is impossible to explain how irritating the word teeeeeea-cher has become to me. The usage is incessant.
We nicely respond, “thank you for asking, I will spin the rope faster.” And in response it’s, “faster, faster, faster.”
I everyday at school I find myself in a difficult position (not that I’m special, I think all the volunteers wrestle with something similar)-how to deal with extremely deprived children, starved for attention and chocolate.
I found myself in a deep conversation with a volunteer from California on the idea of a culture of dependency. Do we foster this kind of culture in impoverished communities when the biggest economic activity in foreign aid? Can this kind of dependency be established as early as 5 years-old, when well-meaning volunteers pass out candy and bracelets to children who would not have these luxuries otherwise?
As a liberal, I am quick to see the societal factors and implications of poverty and slow to blame individuals for their dire circumstances. After all, isn’t a mother on welfare only making a sound economic decision to receive government assistance, when working for minimum wage can’t pay for daycare? Still, as privileged Americans (and Europeans), do we have a responsibility to teach the missing element of hard work in the sad-face-equals-toys-equation? Or we see deprivation and know we can make a kids’ day with a few soles and chocolate?
I don’t have an answer, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about. If you feel like it leave me your thoughts.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment