Homework is hard in any culture, in any language, in any family. And my host family in Peru is no exception. The background sound to my house most school nights includes telenovelas on the tv, a few gossiping aunts, and my cousin or my aunt struggling with 8-year-old Valeria to understand and complete her homework for the night. The homework usually continues past the gossiping and telenovelas and doesn't end until there are tears and yelling.
A few times I have been asked to help with Valeria's homework, especially on nights before an English test. One day Livia and Valeria asked me to help her study for her test on electronic vocabulary and on the verb "to have." It didn't take me more than a few minutes to feel the frustration my aunt and cousin have when trying to help Valeria with homework. The only teaching style used in Peru is lecture and copy which is not conducive to critical thinking, understating, or comprehending. But even without the comprehension the material continues on. So the students, such as Valeria, do not understand the basics and yet are working on my advanced worked. As I felt my and Valeria's frustrations levels rising, I said we had to take a 2 hour break and come back just after dinner. 2 hours later we sat back down both with better attitudes, Valeria with a little more understanding, and me with more hands-on teaching ideas starting with the basics.
That night homework ended with smiles, high fives and hugs. And I got to go to bed to the noise of tv instead of crying and yelling. I was already satisfied as a success.
Then today I returned home from almost 2 weeks of vacation and was greeted by Valeria after school with the exciting news that she received "una nota de 20" - the equivalent of getting a 100 on a test in America - on that English test and asked if we could study together again tomorrow for a test on Wednesday.
Selfishly I enjoy a little more peace and quiet in the house but even more its exciting to see homework being a more positive experience for Valeria. This is just one day and one test but hoping it continues, at least for the next little bit.
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