Today in class we were learning about how to write commas in the greeting and closing of a letter. As an example, I wrote a 2 sentence letter to my mom, of course in English, because that´s the class. That got my students´curiosity flowing and one asked me, ¨Miss, your mom speaks english??¨ ¨Yes!¨, I said, önly english¨. ¨She doesn´t know spanish?¨, they asked. ¨No, only English.¨ this resulted in very wide eyes and opened mouths, and stunned silence. Änd your dad, miss? Does he speak Spanish?¨ ¨No, only English.¨ ¨He doesn´t speak SPANISH??!!¨ ¨No, only English. He´s gringo too.¨THen they began 20 questions. Do you have any brothers? Do they speak english? ÿES, i HAVE three sisters.¨ ¨Three?! Wow, miss! And they don´t know spanish?!¨ ¨No,¨i said, ¨they are gringa, just like me.¨ (confused looks)
So, miss (with a look of like, ¨let me get this straight¨) You´re the only person in your family who speaks spanish? ¨Yes, only me¨. I think I heard a pin drop.
It was so funny I made a mental note right then and there to write about it. I also promised them i´d bring fotos of my family to class tomorrow so they can believe it.
It reminded me, though these kids are so very intelligent, their world is still so small and finite. They think that their families are the norm and since their parents speak only spanish then my parents do too. I never thought of it that way. It really made my day.
So you're the one who replaced me at Southwest (actually I taught grades 6-9 but you started right after i left AND it looks like you took over my apartment)... I was searching the schools info for my resume and i came across your blog... good to see that Josh and Lindsey and Ken and Beverly and Monique and the rest of the gringa/os are still there... tell them Logan says hi and to email me at loganpinchbeck@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThis is way toooooooo funny. Glad you shared this with us. It does bring to mind how we all look at the world through our own pair of lenses and don't think about the rest of the world has a very different set than our own and therefore has a very different perspective of things. applies to our neighbors right next to us and even to those in our own home. A good lesson for all of us I would say.....love, dark mom
ReplyDeleteLast week it was around 100. This week, 59 and cloudy to rainy. In fact, they had to stop the Dodger game. Very rare for late May.
ReplyDeleteRichard B.
Ahh, to be a gringo!
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