if you've read my last post, you know that yesterday wasn't a great day for me. well, there's more...
2 minutes before the last period of the day started, i got a note that i was going to have to fill in last minute for another teacher that had to leave school suddenly. So, the secretary gave me a stack of papers for the students and told me to go to room 53.
When I got down there I realized that I was going to be administering a Spanish exam. No problem. I introduced myself, told the students to clear their desks and then I handed out the tests. Immediately, several hands shoot up, 'Meeester! We are allowed to use our text books for this test!' 'Yeah, right,' I say. 'I wasn't born yesterday.' 'No seriously, meester. Look at the directions.'
The directions are in Spanish, of course...because this is Spanish class. So, I take all the exams back up and run out into the hall to see if someone can translate for me. After several minutes of scrambling around to no avail, I rush back into the room, hand the tests back out and tell the kids that 'sorry but you'll have to do it without a book. your teacher can fix everything on Monday.' (Besides, I've wasted so much of their time that they're barely going to finish anyway.)
So, they obediently get to work. A few minutes later, Ms. Dulce, a sweet little Honduran lady from down the hall, pops in to see if we're okay. I explain that we're not really ok. She reads the directions with a smile and says a bunch of stuff that I don't understand to the kids. They chuckle and continue working.
The bell rings. They turn in their tests on their way out the door. And to my complete shock and amazement, one by one the say, 'Have a good weekend, meester!' 'Thanks for helping us meester!' 'Sorry about the confusing mess, meester!' 'We like you and are glad to have you for a teacher next year, meester!' 'Bye, meester!'
I had been so angry a few minutes earlier. I made a complete fool of myself in front of students I'm going to teach next year! I can't believe they sent me down here to proctor a Spanish test! They know I don't speak Spanish!
And then all those kids came by and were so sweet to me. It was like they were saying, 'We know that you're a big dumb gringo--but that's okay! We're still glad you came to Honduras!'
2 comments:
haha... glad to hear that they won't hold anything against you. You guys sounds like you really have awesome students there. Hopefully you're making good friends with some teachers too! How is the Spanish coming, Colin?? thanks for all the updates! Keep 'em coming!
You are a big dumb gringo... but who isn't these days? What must they think of Elisa?
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