Day in the life of a teacher

7:30am
BRING BRRRIIIIIIIIININGGGGG BRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
The alarm staggers me awake so I groggily emerge out from under my 5-layer-alpaca-blanket cocoon. After dressing up with my eyes half closed, I run up the stairs to the usual Peruvian breakfast: bread with avocado and cheese, orange or papaya juice, quinoa porridge and of course, mate de coca.

My roommates and I meet up with the rest of our amigos to catch our Rapidos bus. After a therapeutic 20-minute bus ride, we snuggle into a dusty but cosy taxi, legally and logistically fitting 5 people in the boot, to drive up into the breathtaking mountainous terrain where our school is located.

10:00am HUMMM CLUCK HUMMM CLUCK
I simultaneously listen to the three alpacas mowing around outside whilst cutting up a fruit salad. They always reject our advances but we feel them warming to us day by day. After our culinary efforts, we get ready to teach our classes of either: English, sport or art- I am teaching sport with three of my amigos.

Kindergarten is the first class of the day.
“AMIGA! AMIGA!” As soon as I sit on the floor there are at least 10 kids trying to make a pyramid on top of me. If they aren’t teaming up to squash you, they want to be carried. Their dislike for the ground and strong will to fly is really very motivating. Their enthusiasm really lights up my day!
We warm them up with a game of the classic bullrush, then duck duck goose, then several rugby relays and drills. Following our class, we finish with our normal routine of high-5s, and “CIAO AMIGOS!” salutations. Our energising morning class is followed by recess, a year 2 class and then a year 4 class.

2:00pm We return home with massive smiles on our faces from the kids’ boundless energy.
A warm 2 course meal of sopa de pollo and carne con papa y verduras awaits us at home. That is, along with a hot shower and much needed time for casual banter.

4:00pm Time for Spanish class! Our teacher goes through various grammatical rules and verbs in an intimate three-person class, with the occasional chuckle of funny translations and mispronunciations. It’s amazing how fast your language skills progress through living in a Spanish speaking country.

6:00pm Our class is finished and we have the rest of the night to chill.

 Some of us head into the beautiful Cusco ciudad for some Chifa (Peruvian chinese cuisine), bagging a decent feed for just 12 soles (less than 5 Aussie dollars).

 Some of us head to the local music bar, Quilla, to drink and chill with some live music including both Spanish and English hits, some of us head to the local skate park to practice some tricks’n’flips and the rest of us head back home for an early night to rest up after a long day.
So… this is what happens when it’s not a "day in the life of a construction worker/ gardener/ greenhouse builder/cement carrier (yes, it's exactly what you think, we have many qualifications and job descriptions)."

 Interested in what the life of a construction worker is like? Well why not come to Peru to find out?!
There is never time to be bored in Cusco.