Looking Back: Anjo Gabriel

From June 10 through June 21 I had the privilege of volunteering at the Anjo Gabriel School of Special Education in San Juan de Miraflores. I am no stranger to working in special education as I am a personal care aide in a secondary autistic support classroom in Pennsylvania. What I was not prepared for was the language barrier and the unforeseeable challenges this would create. To say I was nervous the first day when we pulled up in front of the school would be an understatement. I entered the school and was immediately greeted by the friendly staff and students of the school.

I was assigned per the program director to the classroom with older students where I could assist more with one on one tasks. My first day was literally just finding my place in the classroom among the students and an amazing teacher. The language barrier became apparent very quickly as she tried to convey tasks to me and I tried to understand what was being asked of me. Working in a classroom is definitely nothing new to me but this was my first time I couldn't ask how I could help and or if I was doing it correctly. I literally went from being able to speak to having almost no verbal communication, which in turn forced me to find other means of communication. It was amazing how effective expressive communication can truly be in the classroom. However, the first day was all but a blur as I continued to search for my place in the classroom.

The second day of placement would become the pivotal moment of my trip for many reasons. During the morning I was called upstairs to assist with a particularly challenging student who was injuring himself and others. In the process of trying to regain control I was bitten by the child. Yes, I said I was bitten. So for the remainder of the week I was not allowed to work at my placement because I had an open wound on my arm. Because of this situation I was given an opportunity to visit Los Martincitos in Villa El Salvador. If I hadn't been bitten I would've missed this truly unique opportunity and one that I feel defined my experience in Peru. The singular moment that took my breath away occurred as a result of this alternative placement. I will get to that moment when I talk about "Looking Back: Los Martincitos".

The following week, Monday to Friday was my final week at Anjo Gabriel and I wanted to experience these five days over and over. It was during this week that I gained the best and clearest understanding of the daily routine at the school as carried out by the teaching staff.  As I mentioned during an earlier post I was very impressed with this structured daily routine set forth by the teaching staff. It sounds so simple but a solid academic routine is essential to helping these students succeed. Traveling to a place 3,700 miles from home I really didn’t know what to expect and what I found surprised me. There were no significant differences and in fact the staff was just as loving and committed to their students as back home and the academic demands were the same. Whether I am in Pennsylvania or in San Juan de Miraflores the goal to create student independence and foster academic growth is equal. Students also had opportunities to participate in speech therapy programs and physical therapy sessions throughout their academic day.

The values I learned while at Anjo Gabriel taught me to be more patient and to trust in my abilities. When it comes to communication a spoken word is just a word but a smile is worth a thousand words. Simply, expressive communication can have a greater reach than any spoken language, English or Spanish. I have always heard the phrase that the best teachers can do the most with the least and it wasn’t until Peru that I really understood its meaning. The cooperating teacher truly embraced her classroom and made the utmost use of what was available and never took anything for granted. I’ve seen teachers throw away and waste the very same materials she used effectively each day. She taught me to be more resourceful and to never take for granted any resource that is available to me. She also taught me that to become a great teacher doesn’t require lots of money but rather resourcefulness and the proper attitude. For this lesson I am truly grateful. Another aspect that may seem trivial was technology such as a copy machine for reproducing student work and assignments. Every single project I did with the students required me to first hand draw each activity, worksheet and or homework assignment.

The skills and knowledge I gained in her classroom served me well in Peru and will continue to do so as I pursue my Masters in Special Education. Looking back I am thankful for each day at Anjo Gabriel and I will forever cherish the friendships and memories I made during my placement.