Sunday, September 8, 2013

If these boys were Superheroes

As soon as I knew that I would be returning for a second year of teaching here I started to scope out the 2nd graders since they were my future students. I wanted to identify and know them before starting the school year in August so I could anticipate what my class would be like. My assumptions and expectations have been smashed by some and amplified by others. Here they are in their cute forms!

Abner ­– The Gentle Giant. This guy may be large but he is full of sweetness. (His older brother is in my 8th grade math class and they are two of a kind.) He is so jolly all the time and can turn into the biggest giggle-bug in the classroom. He is not very smart but he makes it easy on me to be patient with him and work a little harder. He wants to succeed and I love that attitude in him. Whenever he knows the answer and is dying to give it, instead of yelling “Miss! Miss! Miss!” like the others, he puts both hands in the air (touchdown style) to increase his chances of being called on. He is very artistic and draws some hilarious pictures – to emphasize his boyish kindness he recently decorated one of our vocab cards with flames and hearts. He has a big crush on Kara and is already planning out his moves on how to take Lenny’s place in her life.

Carlos – The Bouncy Ball. Boy does this little guy have energy and he never tires out during the day. It would take bungee cords and superglue to keep him in his seat, and a leash to keep track of him when we go outside. For how energetic he is, I am really impressed with the excellent grades he gets. I would have thought that with all that bodily activity going on he would hardly have any time to pay attention in class, but he does! He gets some of the best grades in the class and it still surprises me. My favorite thing about him is that whenever he raises his hand, he always seems to forget why he put it up. There is an inevitable time lapse between when I call on him and when he remembers his question for me. (Almost like his body just had a major twitch that resulted in his hand inexplicably going in the air so he feels like he needs to ask something.) He also gets a really concerned look on his face when he asks to go to the bathroom so I hardly ever say no to him – I don’t need any accidents in my classroom!

Elman – The Repeat… he’s back! This face may be familiar to you because he was in my class last year. If a student has a failing average (from all the quarter grades) in any class by the end of the year, it is Honduran law that the student gets an opportunity to take a cumulative test in that subject. If they pass this recuperation exam, they move up to the next grade but if they fail then they are considered for being held back. Elman had 5 recuperation tests to take: Reading, Language, Spelling, Science, and Basic English. He actually passed two (Spelling and Basic English) but failed the other three so the principal and I had a meeting to decide what was best for him. He struggled all year in my class and I highly recommended that he be held back. His English was low and he would always be at the bottom of his class if he continued on. I wanted to give him the chance to succeed. Since I was his teacher last year, I already know how to work accommodate for him. The repeat material would be really great to develop his English. He is already doing great in my class! He has his moments of confirming my decision in holding him back because of low grades, but he equally has his moments where I am proud of his progress. I still love this little guy with a fierce love.

Francis – The Musician. If you hear desk-drumming or singing in my classroom, I guarantee you it is coming from Francis. Because of him, I am looking for more ways to incorporate music into my classroom and lessons because he is, without a doubt, musically-minded. He is famous amongst the primary grades for his solos during our weekly devotionals. (He is a Honduran Justin Beiber in the making.) He is too smart for me to keep up with. Also because of him, I need to come up with challenging extra work for early-finishers because he races through anything I give him and almost always gets 100%. When that happens, the artist inside of him gets working right away on a drawing or a paper creation. For now I let him work on those types of things because I know he understands the material and this way he is staying quiet and well-behaved. He is also too cute for me to punish because he has some killer dimples on those cheeks!

Gersan – Mr. Smooth. Just thinking about this little boy makes my heart flutter – he is beyond adorable! I know he is 9, but doesn’t he have such a great baby face? He is such a little gentleman and would look great in a miniature tuxedo. His intelligence is out of this world and he is always eager to participate in class – he practically crawls out of his seat and onto his desk trying to reach his hand higher while shouting “I! I! I!” He is such an obedient child and will do any task that I ask of him. He is one that I want to protect and to not let Honduras change his kind heart; his innocence is something I genuinely admire. He helps anyone in class and keeps the other kids in line for me. I could see him being a great pastor some day.

Juan – The Monkey Man. It may sound cruel but look at that face… and paired with his monkey noises? The resemblance is uncanny. Juan is my oldest at 11, but has the tiniest little body (despite the size of his head). Whenever I see him outside of school he runs and jumps on me with a giant monkey-hug. His smile is the definition of contagious and I will do anything to see it each day. He is a little lower on the academic level but just needs additional work. I recently had to spend extra time with him practicing addition-with-carrying math problems; after 20 minutes of working together something finally clicked and he has not gotten a problem like that wrong since! When he finally understands things, those are the moments when I feel the most proud as a teacher. He will raise his hand as many times as it takes for him to get the right answer in class.

MatiasThe Strongman. He is already too grown to be one of my cute little boys. He doesn’t give out hugs and he doesn’t draw me any hearts. Thankfully he doesn’t have a sour attitude or make fun of the other boys, he just isn’t into all that sentimental junk anymore. (I think I can excuse him for this because I get my fair share of hearts and hugs from everyone else.)He isn’t very outspoken in general. He just kind of sits in his chair in the back corner and decides to participate every once in a while. He does have a soft side and will help the girls who sit around him with their work. He is decently smart but could benefit from paying attention a little more. I have no real complaints about this kiddo! He’s just your average kid – not a real tough guy but certainly not a softy.


Please pray for each of my little men by name. Pray for their spiritual and academic growth throughout the year. Pray that the Lord would provide me with the right wisdom and techniques to teach them in the best way. Also pray for their homes and families, because each one comes with a story that would surely break your heart. Living here is no dream but these boys are given an opportunity for a significantly better life with this education.

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