I'm A Peace Corps Volunteer, Damn It

My host mother the other day was overjoyed. Even though it wasn’t laundry day, she’d missed it earlier in the week, we had power and she was determined to get some laundry done. I was glad too because one of the more disappointing things about Peace Corps is how little we were able to bring, chiefly in the area of clothing, and wearing dirty clothes, although I and I’m sure most of us do it often, is gross. The only problem was that she was also so supposed to be teaching classes at our town school. No matter, she decided, I’ll just send Eliza.

Excuse me? At first I couldn’t understand what she was saying, then I couldn’t understand how she would ever think of such an outrageous idea. Not only is it a terrible plan, I also was supposed to go out and do some interviewing, which is actually my reason for being here, which she knew. So, I decided I’d go tell the school director that my Dona had told me to come relay the message that she wouldn’t be coming to class because of the laundry and that if the school director (the only teacher in the building, though there were 4 classes of kids there) needed any help corralling the kids, I could for a minute before going to do interviews.

Well, within a matter of moments I found myself standing in front of a classroom of students who had just been told I would be giving them English lessons. The reasons for which I was full of many an emotion that did not include feeling comfortable should be quite clear, but let’s go through them just for fun’s sake. 1) I am not now, nor have I ever been a teacher. I have no experience with teaching in a classroom and have no training in teaching. 2) I am a 22 year old who is barely out of college. I majored in International Studies. International Studies and English are not the same thing. 3) I am a Peace Corps Volunteer. I work in health, and before I can start doing that, I am to complete a diagnostic of the community. There was a woman waiting to take me to do some interviews. 4) The school board, or local school officials, or regional leadership in education, let alone the Dominican government probably don’t have “inexperienced gringas welcome to teach classes in our rural schools whenever” postered anywhere. I don’t think the situation would fly with them. 5) The situation certainly would not fly in the US where you need a security clearance to enter a pre-school, let alone sit in on a classroom, let alone TEACH A CLASS!

Okay, so now that I’d run through all the ways that this was a terrible idea and that I in no way felt comfortable, I felt it was a good time to have a little chuckle to myself. At some point I looked up and was reintroduced to my surroundings, mainly the classroom-full of students looking at me to guide them in their English studies. Luckily, I’d been running through some possible topics for English classes because of the classes I’m going to start giving after the winter holidays. So, I stole from those. I talked about the days of the week, the months, taught them how to say when their birthday was, and taught them the “th” sound, even letting out the secret that my name isn’t actually Eliza and that because Spanish-speakers have such a hard time with “th” I’d decided to go with my full name in this country instead. I gave them all American-sounding names which were somewhat reminiscent of their names, although how are you supposed to translate “Yaniris” or “Joche”? For that matter, how are you even supposed to pronounce them?

Part way through the class it was time to switch to the older kids who found the names thing less interesting than having me do their homework for them. Luckily, as I was out of ideas for my spur of the moment English classes, and didn’t feel comfortable teaching students who aren’t mine, and doing their homework for them, class was over for the day. These kids go to school for AM or PM sessions only, have a break of about 30 minutes part way through their session, have teachers periodically not show up, nor their substitutes, and got me that day instead. I’m sure it was a real treat for them just as it was for me. (I’m sarcastically smiling right now.)