Day in the Life of a School Coordinator

So, ever wondered what Flora Tristan’s school co-ordinator gets up to during those sunny, lethargicArequipeñan weeks? Desperate to know the gossip that goes on behind those dark, mysterious, volunteer house doors?  Well. Maybe not…but you’d be loco not to want to find out now…right?

Ahem. So I have been in Arequipa for two months now. This is not perhaps the dramatic news you might expect me to begin with, but I must say, just writing that has surprised me a little…time in Arequipa seems to slip through your fingers as fast as a gringo can guzzle a cold Cusqueña on a sunny Arequipeñan afternoon.

I decided a while back to dedicate twelve of these deceptively fleeting months to the ‘Flora Tristan adventure’ as I like to call it, to the surprise of my friends, family and to be perfectly honest, myself. It actually didn’t become at all real until I was walking through the security gates at Gatwick airport. It was at this point at which I started wondering whether beating my way past the airline bodyguards, back to my desperately sobbing parents (ok, perhaps a slight exaggeration) was a feasible idea. It definitely wasn’t. I’m 5ft 1. So Arequipa it was.

I must say however that since that terrifying day, I haven’t once looked back. I was thrown in a little at the deep end when I first arrived but the distraction worked wonders on my overly-apprehensive mind. The daily Flora Tristan adventure begins with the Simpson-colored ‘Los Canarios’ bus.

Me with some of the girls from class 3
at last month's excursion to the dinosaur park

To the untrained eye this is nothing more than a sweaty, vastly overcrowded, heinously yellow vehicle. To the more skilled and volunteers, however, it is a strategic game- to win you must be patient, stealthy and above all, merciless. Once beating your way out the bus, it’s time for school…in fact; this is the part that makes the (at times) hair-raising journey worthwhile.

I am the lead teacher of Class 3. This is the most advanced of the five Flora Tristan English classes and I must admit I was relieved to find that they really are rather angelic (alongside being quite incredibly talented). As well as the usual reciting of verbs, reading books and trying hard not to speak Spanglish (¿como se espella? is not an uncommon phrase) we also spend a lot of time chatting, laughing and singing; although their love of Korean music is getting a little intense. I have tried hard to convert the class to some English classics (hence teaching them Elton John as song of the month) and although they did deliver a very convincing performance of ‘are you ready for love?’ I am truly gutted to say that Gangnam Style and Justin Bieber shall always prevail.

My students performing "are you ready for Love"
at the assembly in October

Despite our musical differences however, I have exerted my influence over other, more important things and  I am now very proud to say that the phrases ‘that’s not my cup of tea’ and ‘sweeeeet’ are now steadily working their way into the class’s vocabulary instead of the malas palabras that they are so keen to learn.

As each day passes by, I am glad to say, the more responsibilities I am given, the more children I learn the names of (trust me some of them are harder to get your head around than you may think), and the more enriching my experience becomes. Undoubtedly the biggest pleasure, as well as forming relationships with the many wonderful volunteers, has been getting to know my class. And the best part of all…Teacher Emma still has another 10 months to go. CHEVERE.