As you may know this past year I worked as a Spanish teacher at Mountain Ridge (my old high school!) Go Mtn. Lions!! It was such a fun and memorable experience that I NEEDED to document it before my life gets baby crazy. (Just a warning this is a long post!)
To begin, let me say this is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do! Who knew teaching could be so much work?? Especially in your 1st year! Especially after just having 2 major foot surgeries and being pregnant. I learned a trick or two about morning sickness and teenagers... they don't mix. I had a bad 1st trimester and was sick 2-3 times a day, so running to the bathroom in between classes kind of became a usual routine for me. Luckily, I never got sick in front of my students.
I remember being so anxious about getting my classroom ready and setting up lesson plans and a syllabus and rubric, etc. I think I was more worried about my foot than the actual students, like how the heck am I going to stand all day? And how will I be able to walk around the classroom a gazillion times if my foot looks like it has elephantiasis? Somehow I trumped through. And my sweet students would help me out in class, offering to carry me to the bookstore instead of making me walk there. Actually that is more creepy than sweet. However, they would always be polite about my "pimp limp", as I called it.
I had so much fun with my students! After the first 2-3 weeks of school, I was able to just be myself. It was great! The most fun part was, that I was in charge!! I don't know why anyone would let me be in charge of 35+ teenagers but they did, and I sure had fun with them. I would have my students do karaoke (in Spanish of course). I even brought my karaoke machine and we would all sing-a-long and dance with the person using the microphone. We watched music videos, did plays, had fashion shows, make storybooks, skits, dressed up...it was awesome! I organized a "spanish choir" and "coerced" (lol) my students to participate, we preformed at the World Language festival. I also did a Colombian dance (in front of the school) at this same festival. Yikes! What was I thinking? Mucho fun but mucho embarrassing! Well the best part about all of this was that we did it all in Spanish! My favorite language!
I didn't allow any English to be spoken in the classroom and one day I was showing my classes the Aladdin music video to "A whole new world" in Spanish. It was fun but I wanted some more entertainment. So I told my students if the guys sang Aladdin's part really loud and get into it and the girls sing Jasmine's part really loud and get into it, we could have an English day. They totally went for it! And it was the best! They sang their sweet little hearts out!
There were some not-so-great times in my classes too...particularly in 6th hour (haha). If my classes were my children, 6th hour would be my rebellious problem child, that I still love. It is also the class I wrote the most referrals in, and also the class where there was a fight in the classroom.
Let me explain. I wanted to have a fun culture day in Spanish. So I taught the kids some nursery rhymes in Spanish (like duck duck goose) and we played those in class. Then we played a musical chairs type game. It was a lot of fun and I didn't want them to miss out! So we played and it was great! Everyone was participating, well mostly everyone. In order to do these games we pushed all the desks out of the center of the room. So it was already a little chaotic. After we finished I had the students put the desks back and all was well until Student A bumps Student B (both boys - larger than me) with a desk. I don't know what is going through those little boy's heads but for some reason they thought it was code for "let's fight!" They started pushing each other and once I saw, I ran over but it was a little too late. Punches were being thrown and somebody got slapped. (haha). I yelled for them to stop, and they did (miraculously) but Student A seized the opportunity to take advantage and punch Student B one last time. So annoying. So they continue fighting and I am yelling at them, I don't remember if it was in Spanish or English? I had a stack of papers in my hand and in my smart brain I decide, "hey, I can break this up! but they are bigger than me and I will most likely be on youtube for this!" So I proceed to get their attention, roll up my papers and start swatting the boys with it while yelling for them to stop. (Can you imagine this? Am I adding to the fight? I like to think I was "doing the right thing" haha.) As I turn to my students and yell "get help" I see them all gathered around jaws dropped and phones out...to document the moment of course! Oh, and no one ran for help. I actually think they were enjoying the moment!? Well luckily my friend (and male teacher) Mr. Rossi comes in to say hello and sees what is going on and immediately tackles the two boys. hahaha. This was so funny, but then I remembered I am the teacher and I take action! So I run and call for backup. So the boys were separated and the officer came and took them away and they were suspended...and the next 5 days in class were so quiet and lovely....haha.
Anyways, I love all my students! Well, most :) And I will never forget my teaching adventures. I don't think I even touched the surface of my funny teaching moments. But at least I documented the "fight". Right? Maybe we can learn something from this, like, don't play nursery rhyme games with teenagers? Who knows?
For now here are some pictures of my students ( I hope this isn't illegal!)
5th hour, Spanish 3-4
3rd hour, Spanish 1-2
2nd hour, Spanish 3-4
4th hour, Spanish 3-4
6th hour, Spanish 1-2
I am truly going to miss my students! (I already do!) Even though we may have had our "rough patches" they were always sweet and kind to me! They even threw me a surprise baby shower on the last week of school and bought my little one lots of cute gifts! I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to teach them Spanish and it's culture. I learned a lot this past year and will never forget this first year experience. I seriously can't wait until I can go back and teach again, but for now, being a mom sounds perfect to me!
