Down a Notch or Two

Down a Notch or Two       February 8, 2016

 

It had been going along so well.  I was feeling good about teaching the little English class.  It was only twice a week and only four kids, at the most:  2 girls who had been coming to class since the first day, one brave boy with spotty attendance, and then last week a new girl had joined us.  They were working pretty hard and seemed eager to be there - as eager as 12-13 year olds can be at 9 am after a long trek on a bus - with their regular school still facing them in the afternoon and who knows what other life issues.  Last Wednesday, only the three girls showed up.  Oh my goodness, were they silly and inattentive!  They yawned and whispered and wiggled and giggled.  I tried to redirect them, and they kept right at it.  I began having a flashback to my days at Gorham Middle School when, as a teacher assistant, I had been traumatized by seventh graders who'd had a food fight in the cafeteria.  

Earlier in the week, I had been thinking of how I would miss these kids when Bruce and I finish our time at Jabel Tinamit, our Spanish school.  Suddenly, I began to be thankful that there would be only 3 more classes with them!  This was hard work.

After class, back at Ana's house, I reviewed the situation and decided to create a few games to help them practice English.  They had become obsessed with a Bingo game that I had made, and games seemed to be their preferred learning mode.  

When the next class rolled around, last Friday, I was ready with two new games.  It turned out that we were assigned to a new space, a more public area.  Other teachers were coming and going.  For whatever reason - the new space, the new games, the blustery wind, the moon - the girls were much more subdued and attentive.  And, when it came time for our break, tostadas and Bruce's birthday cake were being served!  Now all was right with the world.  We finished up our class with photos and renewed good feelings.  But they had shown me that, even though they are only 13 years old and speak a different language, they have the power to bring an adult gringo down a notch or two - and maybe rightly so.  In any case, they are sweet kids and I WILL miss them, come Friday when we finish our time at Jabel Tinamit.