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Some of my 1st grade students lining up after recess. How cute are they? Hey guys! I just was thinking about some funny things that have happened during my time here (or the other girls I'm here with) so I thought I'd share them. There's really too many funny things that happen each day because of the language barrier and the fact that I'm around kids, so its just natural for funny things to happen.
Yesterday I walked into the 4th grade classroom and they all started screaming "Amy! YAY! Amy!" and they were cheering and clapping really loud. Some even gave me a standing ovation. Haha! It was hilarious, but a bit awkward. I felt like a celebrity, but I don't know if I really enjoyed it. I like that the kids like me, of course, but its just weird to walk into a classroom and have the kids start screaming and cheering for you. Usually at about that age they start to grumble when the teacher walks in. Not the case with me in Spain...
Emily, one of the other Americans I am here with, is in a secondary school. One of her first days in the school, the students were asking her a bunch of questions about herself, her family,
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Some of the sweet little 1st grade girls! friends, life in the US, etc. One of the kids raised his hand and asked, "Does your family have arms?" Well, this is a weird question to ask. Emily was kind of laughing and said of course they do. Well, the more she was talking with them, the sooner she realized that they meant guns, not arms as in the body part. I guess everyone in the world thinks everyone in the US has guns in our homes. That's an unfortunate rep for us to have (but kind of true? We don't have guns in my house for the record...). Anyways, Emily finally cleared it up and said that no, her family doesn't have guns, but there are some families that do. She told them that a lot of people in Indiana have guns for hunting. Haha! Good ole British English.
Speaking of British English, I've had to change several words in my vocabulary in order for my students to understand me. They are so used to hearing British English on the recordings. So I have to say "and" the British way, or a sentence such as "She has got fair hair" instead of "She has blonde hair." Haha. Its funny. If I don't say it in a certain way, the kids just stare at me with blank and confused looks on their faces. Like the one time that I was reviewing over articles of clothing with them and as I pointed to each flash card, they repeated the word after me. So, for example, I said "Socks" then they repeat "socks." Well I got to that piece of clothing that you wear on your legs and said "pants" and they didn't repeat. So I said it again, and still nothing. So my brain was trying to think of what was going on and then I said "trousers?" and they all repeated "trousers." I guess that pants in British English is underwear. Haha, oops!
Ryann, one of the other Americans, is also in secondary education. She decided to start handing out candy to her students who participated or answered questions correctly, etc. She gave a mini Reeces Peanut Butter cup (yum yum) to one of her students and then went on teaching. Before too long, a bunch of kids back in the corner were making a commotion and the kid who had gotten the Reeces cup started to scream "Voy a morir! Voy a morir! (I'm going to die! I'm going to die!)." And he had this really concerned, scared look on his face and was chewing all weird. Ryann soon realized that he had forgotten to take off the 2nd wrapper that the Reeces cup sits in. Really, it makes sense to only have to unwrap a piece of candy once, right? So this kid is panicking and the other kids are kind of concerned/kind of laughing. Ryann told him to calm down, that it was okay, he just ate a piece of paper, and he wasn't going to die. Haha. I had this same thing happen to me with Rafaela, the German girl that was in Avila a while back.
One more thing...I was talking with one of the teachers at school today (who I have a really difficult time understanding his Spanish) and he asked me "So how is the room?" (something along those lines...or so I thought). So I started talking about my room here and how I have my own room but I live around other girls, etc. And then he stopped me and said "No, la educacion" Haha I thought he had said "habitacion" (room), but he had said "educacion" (education). I laughed it off and he was kind iof smiling. I don't really ever get embarrassed here because if I let myself get embarrassed, it'd probably be quite a few times a day! 😉
That's about all I can think of for now. I can't believe that I am finished here in just a little over a week. I leave a week from tomorrow (Friday)! That's crazy! I really am going to miss the younger kids a ton. I'm going to miss the slower pace of life here and walking everywhere. But, theres a time and season for everything, and I'm about ready to be done with this time and season.
To all of those graduating this weekend, CONGRATULATIONS! I can't believe its all over...its gone by so fast. I've actually been kind of sad this week because having yall at IU over the past 2 months has made me feel like I was still kind of there, but now that everyone is graduating and leaving, its officially over. But have fun over the next few days (please be safe), and take lots of pictures at graduation for me with everyone (especially you KD girls). I miss yall a ton and hopefully we can all meet up this summer!
Hasta Luego! And, Happy Birthday, Britt!!!
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Blatty Boo
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I love you!
Amy! You are coming home soon! Call me when you get home because I miss you! I can't seem to get into good mischief without you here.