The Daily Grind

Today was one of those frustrating days for me as a teacher. The second graders are learning to tell time, which is a frustrating task for English speaking students. And who really says, "half past two" anyways? But really, the language barrier is not the problem. It's the concept. Today, the lesson was on elapsed time (example: If Pepe doesn't understand time at 4:00 and doesn't understand time at 5:00, how much time has passed?).

It was just one of those lessons that got confusing for some kids, partially my fault and partially the stupid workbook's fault. When math was finally over, I just wanted to give up... give up teaching time, give up teaching math, give up teaching altogether. It's a feeling I've gotten accustomed to in teaching and learning a new language...so I know now that it will just pass eventually.

I ate lunch without really talking to the other people around me, stilll replaying in my mind what I should've done differently (but also really enjoying the food they had today at school... it was delish). Then, later on in the day, the kids were transitioning from Language Art to P.E. when out of no where a student named Laura walks up to me and wraps her arms around my waist. She stairs up at me and says, "Thank you for the math." Except with her sweet accent "math" sounded like "moth."
"For math?" I ask.
"Yes"
"Why for math?"
"Because you help us a lot," said Laura. Ahhh, sweetest thing ever.
I just smiled and said, 'I sure hope I'm helping you Laura!"

First of all, Laura has not been one of those students who hugs me a lot. You always have a few of the girls who will come up and hug you more than the others, but Laura hasn't been one of those. So that caught me off guard. And second of all, it just caught me off guard period. Today of all days she thanks me for math. How did she know I needed that?
One of those moments that keeps you going and gives teachers a reason to keep teaching. Funny how just when you want to give up, something like that happens.

Similar experiences with Spanish have also happened recently. Like I said, there are times I feel like I'll NEVER get better at Spanish.
EXAMPLE 1
In Andalucía I was sitting with Ignacio and two other FSU staff members. Ignacio was telling a story. To me, he said something about his cousin going to a gym and lifting weights. But then the other two people started laughing. This is when I always realize I've missed something...when people start laughing. So I kinda fake a laugh. Ignacio turns to me and asks me if I understood. I told him what I thought. Turns out he was telling a joke about a guy who goes to a gym and .. well.. something scandalous happens that I won't put on the internet. The point is that I a) missed that he was even telling a joke and b) missed that there was any scandalous activity in the story whatsoever. I just don't have enough naughty words in my Spanish vocabulary yet.

EXAMPLE 2
This Tuesday I had playground duty. My teacher and I walk out to find the kids seated in the "park" (they call it park instead of playground at this school.) The P.E. coach was chewing them out...in Spanish. I was following along with what happened. Some boys had rubbed soap all over the bathroom floor and mirrors and another kid had slipped and hurt himself. Then all of a sudden, I hear the word "caca," which means poop. I got a little lost, but concluded that someone had rubbed poop all over the place the week before. What nasty kids!!
After the soap culprits had confessed and the other kids went back to playing, I asked my teacher to clarify what happened with the caca. Apparently the coach was just saying how much of a mess the bathroom always is and how bad is smells... how it smells like caca. So, false alarm, no one rubbed poop anywhere.

Talk about lost in translation.

Wednesday night I went out and had that lost feeling during several Spanish conversations people were having around me. Today on the bus I was getting the same feeling when the driver and two other bus monitors were talking. Couldn't understand a thing. But then the sweet teacher next to me explained (slowly in Spanish) that they had been speaking in Valenciano...and that they OFTEN speak in Valenciano. (which explains why I OFTEN feel lost in their conversations)
P.S...Valenciano is the other language spoken in Valencia. It is similar to Castellano Spanish in some ways, but not enough that I could EVER understand it. EVER. So, I felt less like giving up on Spanish and I told myself that I must've just been hearing lots of Valenciano lately.

Wednesday night at a bar called Pinball. We played Pinball.
The redhead playing is Catalina, one of our directors at FSU. More like a social/cultural director though.


Me rocking the Pinball.


I win!


My score




The bus monitor, Maribel




I've mentioned that Spanish people are more touchy when you talk to them. They touch or lightly grasp your arm. Not in a creepy or even invasive way. Just light touching. Well, the kids are also touchy. And they are very touchy with each other. Every time they transition or basically have free time (lining up, or waiting in line for lunch), there is touching. And they're kids so it's playful touching. Hanging on each other. Pulling. Pushing. Tugging. I suppress the urge every day to say "hands to yourselves" because you say it in the U.S. when kids barely even tap each other. Hell, I've had American kids tattle tell on another kid for just staring at them.

I soon learned that "keeping hands to yourself" was not going to happen with these kids. So now, I just keep an eye out for if touching that's too rough...like the other day David had his hands around Francisco's neck. Not actually trying to choke him or anything...just playing. But I figure that kind of touching should be stopped.



One of the cutest kids on the bus...no... on the PLANET!
Her name is Altea


CAN'T


GET


ENOUGH!


She is beyond precious. The bus driver gets a kiss from her almost every day.
In the United States- inappropriate for bus drivers to ask small children for a kiss on the cheek.
In España - no hay nada. Go right ahead. Before it's all over, I may be asking for a kiss on the cheek from this little dumpling. sooooo cute.