Interacting with the children

I was fortunate to have worked in Antigua, Guatemala, an old, well-preserved colonial city west of the capital. Part of my morning was spent in an advanced Spanish class with a wonderful teacher. We had ample time to to converse only in Spanish (the teacher had limited English ability, which worked in our favour). The teacher gently corrected my errors, some of which I was not even aware that I was making.
Shortly after 12 noon, I would go to the bus station to take the bus to a mostly indigenous village several kilometers away where I reported to work at an afternoon child care center. I worked mostly with 3rd grade students, helping them with their homework, and then teaching an English class to a group of 6th grade students. It's amazing how quickly the students became attached to me, and how I became attached to the students. At the end of my month's stay (which seemed to pass all to quickly), it was tears all around as the center held a going away party for me. I certainly learned a lot about Guatemalan youth, probably more than any knowledge that I imparted to the students. The center's directors were very supportive, and thanks to email, we can communicate with each other.
My living conditions were very adequate; I lodged with a family with two children (elementary and high school ages). The meals were super, with Guatemalan and Salvadorean specialities. The hosts would converse with me and the other guests, which further increased our Spanish-language abilities.