¡LEAMOS! —LET’S READ! (Post 12)

DERONA BURKHOLDER

A little boy from the San Pablo Hogar shouted, ¡Leamos! I thought this was perfect coming from the teacher in me. He leaps up with a look of joy on his face as he raced to grab his favorite book, Curious George. As I opened the book I was anticipating the boy to read to me, but that was not the case. He wanted me to read to him, and it was mainly because he couldn’t read very well. How could this 9 year old boy not read well? This is right at the age I teach.

The education system at NPH in Honduras is something to be desired. Many kids that live outside of NPH don’t attend school. However, the kids at NPH receive an education through middle school. They follow a Montessori program that preps and prepares them to further their education. NPH sends kids to the public high school, university or vocational training in the capitol. One new thing I learned while talking about the education system here is that the government likes to enforce new laws that they feel would make the education system look better than what it really is. The government doesn’t have the kids in mind, especially the many kids who have gone through tough times, like the kids at NPH.

So it is no surprise now to see this boy who came to NPH with little to no education. Because he couldn’t read he wanted me to read the dual language Curious George book. I felt very confident reading the English parts, but to read the Spanish, now that was a different story. I struggled so much as I read through the Spanish words, but what I received from the boy was grace and patience. The two qualities that I have with my students as a teacher. It was at this moment that I realized what it must feel like for my students who struggle with their learning. And it was the grace and patience that this boy, my teacher, who pushed me to try even when it was hard.