Week 1 Blog - Mark Olivera
One of the things I was most looking forward to on my second immersion was getting to see all the people I had met on my last trip, and that especially included the youth. One of my first days in El Salvador, as we were exploring the community, a group of kids yelled my name from a distance. I had the chance to greet them and spend time talking with them. During this trip, I am able to continue to serve the youth and get more experience teaching within the schools. This week I volunteered and helped out two different classes. On Wednesday, we taught an English class to 6th graders and on Friday we assisted the teacher with a literature class for that same group.
During the English class, my brother and I led the students through various activities as we taught them 5 new verbs in English. They were shy but very excited and soon became more lively as the class went on. Our activities involved creating motions associated with the new verbs that they learned. After they had a feel for the new words, we practiced the verbs with them through different games. We started off with Simon Says. Soon enough they were all moving around and trying to remember the new words. The games kept them moving and engaged and there were some students that had quickly learned these new words.
The literature class was a little bit different. For their reading class, each student has their laptop or tablet in which they use to access a site called “FictionExpress.” Through this site, the students are then expected to read a chapter of a book, complete a reading comprehension quiz and then answer a question on a forum. Their responses would be visible to one another. It was a really interesting program that encouraged kids to more thoroughly understand what they are reading. We got to help students by helping them log in, answering any questions, or helping them to focus.
The time spent at the school was a blessing and getting to see kids that I met last year was special. Some of the kids remember me and are happy to see me. Having just finished my spring semester at the Institute, I’m reminded of a passage from our class on Luke. In Luke 18:16, Jesus allows the children to come to him saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for such belongs the kingdom of God.” Children have a special place in the kingdom of God and it's our responsibility to make sure we are doing the best we can to ensure a good environment for them. Being in the classroom with them gives the opportunity to display the love of God and create a space where they can be children. As I continue to visit this school throughout the rest of my trip, I want to make sure that I’m intentional with the time I have and make sure that I can reflect the character of Jesus in the way that I interact with them.