Ecuadorian Culture reflected in my placement

At my practicum placement Ecuadorian culture and Indigenous culture are reflected in the school. Not only are holidays and ceremonies of the cultures celebrated at the school, but through the activities, lessons and classroom setup, culture is also represented.

On September 21^st when I went to my practicum placement I was able to attend the assembly for one of four major indigenous celebrations in Ecuador. The students from different grades danced to traditional music and acted out historical scenes for the rest of the students and teachers at the school. It was heartwarming to see these students proud to be representing their culture in front of the school. On this day the students were also required to bring in home cooked traditional food such as “chochos,” “mote,” and “avas,” and these foods were served as a potluck during the students lunch period.

Additionally, when there are national holidays, my SP has the students in my class do activities that correspond to the holiday. For example, on the Day of the Ecuadorian Flag, the students had to all correctly color the Ecuadorian flag with yellow, red, and blue, colors which they had reviewed earlier that week. Also, for the "Dia del Escudo" (or the emblem of Ecuador) the teacher had the students also color the emblem and talk about what the different parts signify for the country. 

The Ecuadorian culture is also reflected in the school schedule and rituals. I am currently in a “1^st grade class,” however these students are only 4 or 5 years old and do not know how to read or write yet. Many of the students’ parents work early in the morning, many with informal positions. For this reason they need their children in school system early and the school day for these students starts around 7AM and ends at noon. 

The children all sit at two long tables next to each other and I think this is a representation of the closeness and companionship that is a part of the culture. The classroom itself does not have a great abundance of materials, specifically very few technological devices besides a very small box television, however the teachers at my school make the most out of what they have. I think this is also relevant to the topic of culture because although in this society the public schools may have fewer resources, the teachers themselves are resourceful and willing to cooperate and assist one another in teaching such a large class of students.