Hola de Mexico!

As you've probably noticed from previous blogs, I'm a list person. I LOVE making lists and crossing things off. That's part of the reason I'm loving my bucket list! :) Here's another list for you:

Things I've Learned So Far in Mexico

1. I'm an idiot. Seriously. Who thinks to themselves, "Hey, I think I'll go to drug infested Mexico for 2 weeks all by myself to hang out with a whole group of people who don't speak a lick of English!"? That's right. It's me.



2. Lizards make excellent chew toys. A dog taught me this lesson. And the lizard what the size of an iguana, not a gecko. It was huge. The dog caught it and started to play with it. It was disgusting.



3. Air conditioning is a blessing that should NOT be taken for granted. It's so hot and humid here, and the houses and church can't afford to keep everything cooled all day, and I smell a little bit like a man. I'm almost okay with this...



4. You don't have to speak the same language as someone to love them. I met an adorable little boy yesterday. The only thing we said to each other was "Como te llamas?" (what's your name?) and our names and we played together all evening (I'm slightly ashamed to say that it was during a meeting. Don't worry, though, I had no idea what anyone was saying anyway and he was less of a distraction when playing with me). I even got a kiss when it was time to go home! I have a new amigo, and we hardly spoke at all.



5. I was not meant to be a missionary. This one was a huge relief to learn! I was a little nervous (because my boss put the idea into my head) that I'd end up never going home because of my heart for these people. Good news, folks! I'm called to send people, not go! While I enjoy it here, and the Mexican people have been wonderful so far, my heart is in the states (well... I guess technically it is on a ship). I can't wait to go home to my crazy American people.



6. I belong on a beach. I don't think this one needs explaining. I mean, it's the beach.

I promise, I'm not done learning here. It's only been 3 days. I don't promise I'll remember to blog about any of it, though. Lo siento, mis amigos.

Adios!

OH! Just found a new lesson! 7. When in Mexico, Blogspot does spell-check in Spanish! All of my words are spelled incorrectly... Oops.

The War between Can and May...

I've been working with my students on the way they ask permission to do things.

"Can I go to the bathroom?"
"Can we write in pencil?"
"Can I go home now?"

For a while I used the whole "May you go... Yes, you may."

It didn't go well.

Then I switched to the "Can you? Yes. May you? Not until you ask correctly."

This worked better, but still, we had very little progress.

I have recently taken a more abrupt approach.

Student: "Miss C. Can I go to the bathroom?"
Me: "Of course you can!"
*Student starts to get up.
Me: "Where are you going?"
Student: "To the bathroom?"
Me: "You need to ask permission before you get out of your seat."
Student: "Um... I did."
Me: "No, ma'am (or sir). You asked if you had the ability, and you do. Have a seat until you ask permission."
*Student plops back into seat with confused expression.

They have since learned the difference between the two words. And they now like me less. It's okay, though. My job isn't to get them to like me, it's to teach them.

Over the weekend, I shared this story with my boyfriend while at a hibachi restaurant. A little bit later, the waitress came to check on us and he asked her if we could have a couple waters. She smiled, said yes, and walked away. I shook my head, convinced that we weren't going to get our waters. Of course, I had to give him a hard time for using "can" instead of "may."

When the waitress returned with our waters, he thanked her that she brought the water despite the fact that he didn't use the correct wording.

I'm still working on him, too. :)

Lesson of the Day

Today my fourth grade class made a realization that, in the long run, I'm hoping will make everyone's life easier.

I was teaching a math lesson when one of my students raised his hand. I turned around and called on him.

"Miss C. you're a fun teacher when we listen to you! But when we don't listen... (Shakes head) It's not pretty!"

Of course, shortly after that, two of them got suspended. We're apparently still working on the application part of this lesson...

Language Barriers

Do you ever feel like you're talking to a wall when you're talking to kids? Some days I stand in front of my class, and I swear they must think I'm speaking Spanish to them. Sometimes it's my fourth graders who don't understand, sometimes it's my sixth graders... I rarely get it from my high schoolers because, let's be honest, they don't listen in class anyway.

This happened to me on Friday in my fourth grade class-- the blank stares from a room full of students, all of whom are thinking the same thing: "I didn't know Miss C. can speak Spanish! I don't understand a word of what she's saying!"

I was trying to introduce a new concept to them in Language class. I explained it the way the book told me to. It didn't work. Okay... New technique. Maybe write it on the board and give one example for every student! Nope? Hmm... Maybe if I dance around the classroom and make up a catchy song that explains this new concept to my students, they'll get it... The only thing those children learned is that their teacher doesn't dance or sing well.

For the first time in my year of teaching I literally threw my hands up in the air and said, "AHHHHHH!!!"

Nobody knew how to respond to their exasperated teacher except one boy. "Um... Maybe you need to go on that medicine for stress and anxiety, Miss C. We've never seen you like this before!"

I'm fairly certain that every single one of those children went home that night and told their parents that their teacher sings, dances, and screams-- all within the same lesson! "What's the lesson?" their parents will have asked...

They still don't know.