June 2012
Peace Corps Panamá has just started a new program called the
Teaching English program. The idea
is to place Volunteers in schools to train Panamanian teachers how to teach
English effectively. As tourism
grows in Panamá, it is vital for the population to learn English in order to
take advantage of the opportunities that come with the tourism industry. Furthermore, the public education
system in Panamá is extremely weak, and this program will be a great asset to
them.
I invited Maureen Walker to come to Alto Playón to do give a
3-day seminar to our teachers. We
wanted to start a manual for TE volunteers to be able to give seminars in
neighboring communities. The
seminar was based on Total Physical Response, a more dynamic and effective
teaching method that invokes multiple senses of the students. For example, when teaching animal
names, draw the animals, do the sound, and write it on the board. We also gave the teachers some basic
English grammar, because without that it is just the blind leading the blind!
Maureen and I then facilitated sessions with the teachers
for the students, allowing them to apply what they just learned. The kids of course, had a blast.
I want to thank Maureen for all her hard work in making the
seminar a success. The teachers
asked her to come back and continue to give them trainings. And now when I walk to the river, the
kids can tell me I have a “yellow” bucket.
Finally, as a first-time Volunteer not only in a site, but
in the Comarca Emberá-Wounaan, Cemaco, I can tell you – it’s tough. Mostly because you have absolutely no
reference point from the office or other Volunteers. Therefore, I can appreciate the struggles and difficulties
that Group 67 Volunteers are having as first-time Volunteers for an entire program!
Hey, nobody said it would be easy.
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