What I learned from observing PoP’s Teacher Support program in action
Rio Lindo, Guatemala
Standing in the back of the aula observing about 15 Guatemalan first graders gesturing different signs for fruit while calling out the words (ba-na-no, puh-pay-yuh), it seems entirely surreal that two days ago I was sitting in the midst of a test center in New Jersey taking the LSAT.
To be honest, it feels pretty surreal to be in Guatemala. After a full days worth of traveling, including some Dramamine that did wonders in helping handle the winding, bumpy roads and sharp turns en route to PoP’s regional office in Quiché, we woke up early this morning to head to a school in Rio Lindo, a teeny community up in the mountains. After a steep drive that took us up into the clouds and down into the depths of deep, green valleys, we pulled into the schoolyard about 45-minutes later, where a group of students promptly surrounded the van, curious about the gringas with cameras.
We were there tagging along with members of the PoP Teacher Support team, who were visiting Rio Lindo to observe a teacher utilizing the methodologies she learned from PoP with her own students.
These were the aforementioned first graders, smiling and giggling as they pointed to pictures of manzanas y naranjas while encouraged by their teacher to tell the others which fruit they liked and disliked the most.
While undoubtedly one of the cutest things I’ve ever witnessed, I was also genuinely surprised by how focused the students remained throughout the course of the lesson. Despite having strangers in their classroom, these first graders were attentive and engaged, which, given the fact that we were taking pictures and notes, was pretty remarkable. We were unquestionably a distraction, but that they were more or less able to ignore us serves as a testament to the genuine effect and impact of PoP’s programs — to keep a group of 15 first graders interested, involved and excited for the entire duration of a lesson is no small feat.
Of course in this instance, most (if not all) credit goes to the profesora, Karina. I spoke with her after the lesson, as I wanted to hear her own thoughts about how PoP’s methods impacted her teaching capabilities, as well how the students learn.
While she was nothing but gracious for PoP’s support and all the people who help make these programs possible, she also pointed out the end goal of the generosity of our donors:
“It’s not for us, it’s for a better future. I hope that they can continue to support the children, and that they can continue to work with us to create a better future for the students. It’s worth it, to create a better future for them.”
I’ve been working at Pencils of Promise for almost ten months now, and our mission statement, Everyone Has Promise, has become part of my daily vocabulary. But it’s difficult to see what those words truly embody until actually traveling to a remote pueblo where many of the students still speak an ancient Mayan language.
Ultimately, Everyone Has Promise is such a unique phrase because of its ability to encompass everyone, from children who lug firewood up massive hills just so they can have heat in their schools, to the donors thousands of miles away. Just as Karina spoke to potential that an education can bring to her students, what I’m realizing is that promise works both ways. An uneducated child has all the promise in the world, while we who, for whatever reason were lucky enough to be born into circumstances more fortunate than theirs, have nothing but our own promise to facilitate allowing these children an equal shot
What I’m realizing now is the promise in the word “promise.” We all have the capability to inspire each other — these children and their teacher made me feel more committed, and capable, of understanding the value in PoP’s work and programs, just as Karina understood that PoP’s support, financially and on-the-ground, is helping create a better future for the students in her classroom.
A few days ago I was sitting in a test center in New Jersey not even sure if I want to go to law school, but taking the LSAT because it’s something that I’m considering, down the road, maybe. Now, sitting in a hotel in Quiché, I hope that these children will imagine themselves becoming teachers or marketing coordinators or lawyers, and I know that through programs like Teacher Support, PoP is creating an opportunity for those aspirations to form.
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Check out #PoPFieldTrip on Instagram to follow our adventures in Guatemala, Ghana and Laos.
