Classes

I can't believe we're 2/3 of the way through the school year already!  2nd trimester exams are in a couple weeks, then just 2 months and school's over.  Granted, then I have another few weeks of summer school/VBS to teach, before getting to meet my niece and see my nephew again (oh, and all the rest of my family and friends), but it's starting to sink in that the end is in sight.  Which has the lovely effect of making me really excited and sad all at the same time. :)

I love teaching the younger classes.  Part of this is because they're who I have more experience with, but also because they're more respectful and willing to learn.  Plus, they're just adorable. :)  But my favorite part was when I started teaching 4to a week ago (9 years old, or so) and the students told me that we needed to start the day with a prayer.  Great, I thought, they're already in that habit, awesome!  Then, they about put me into tears, when they said that they wanted to pray, in English, and several volunteered for it!  I love listening to them try to talk in English, but it was even more incredible when they pray in English.  Definitely cool! :)  Of course, there's still days when I'm tempted to pull all my hair out in frustration, usually because they can't figure out how to close their mouth.  The worst part is, it's not on purpose, it's not something they're thinking of, so it's harder for them to stop and it's so distracting!

My older kids are about ready to drive me crazy.  I've discovered that teaching junior high and high school isn't my gifting so much. :)  That and, either I remember it completely differently than it really was, or my classmates and I were saints, because I don't remember too much whining and groaning when we were given assignments.   Sure, every once in awhile, or as a joke, but we'd be complaining as we pulled out our papers to work.  Here, they seriously whine at least double what the little ones do!  At times I feel like the kindergarteners and 1st graders are more mature!  It doesn't help that I've yet to discover the word whine in Spanish, I've never heard anyone use it or talk about that tone of voice, or anything.  In English, it's everywhere, but in Spanish, it either doesn't exist or is very uncommon.  Well, it doesn't exist as a word, the action definitely does!  I'm so used to telling my kids that they have to use a regular voice, that whining doesn't work with me, but, without the word in Spanish, it's much harder!  You can kind of translate it as quejarse, which is the same as complain, but whine and complain are totally different!!!!!  (well, at least they SOUND different) :)

But, with all the frustrations I have with behavior, it's all worth it when former students come up and hug me and tell me they miss me (even some of the high schoolers have been known to do that) or when I hear them pray in English, or give a speech in English.  Or, I have days like last Friday.  My high school class had been practicing a couple plays in English and I'd talked with the 3ro teacher about them.  So, Friday, I brought my high schoolers to my 3ro class and the high schoolers put on their play.  The 3ro kids loved it so much that they wanted to see it again!  The teens were willing, so they put it on again.  It was awesome to watch the faces of the little kids as they saw these big teens playing Little Red Riding Hood in English. :)  Afterwards, back in the high school classroom, I asked them how they felt.  They loved it too!  The ones that hadn't gotten to perform in front of the little kids were asking when it would be their turn, a huge switch from before, when no one wanted to perform for the little kids! :)