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!
Bessy – Confession: she could
pass as a relative of my previous student, Geovanny, whom I had a particularly
difficult time finding positive things to say about and being patient with in
class. I was worried that every time I would look into her face I would see his
and just cringe. Thankfully that is not the case! (Not only did I learn to like
Geovanny but I also never think of him when I see this little girl.) She is
very intelligent. She gets excellent scores on any assignment that I give her
and since alphabetically she is at the top of the list, I typically use her
papers as an answer guide for the rest. It is super encouraging as a teacher to
start off grading with such an academically-strong student!
Emelyn – Emelyn reminds me of a
fairy. She is really clever and catches onto new concepts quickly, but she is
usually lost in her own world while learning. I frequently find her wandering
over to something on the wall or to another student’s desk, but without her
really realizing that she’s out of her seat. When she’s doing her work, she
just sort of whimsically sits there until she completes it, and then her little
voice pops up to participate in the group lesson or let me know that she is
finished. She is also very girly with her beautiful long hair and assortment of
bows and head bands. She has a weird obsession with organizing things on my
desk and after one occasion when she completely rearranged my bookshelf, making
it frustratingly difficult to find anything, I have had to keep a close eye on
her and ask her to stop.
Eny Yulisa – This little one embodies
the word ‘precious.’ She is the tiniest girl in my class, possibly even in the
whole school. Her noggin barely reaches my hips when she hugs me every morning
and her feet do not quite reach the floor while she’s sitting in her desk. She
is incredibly smart, loves to use her English, and she works carefully through
class, hardly getting anything wrong. She’ll spend her lunches just sitting
with us teachers and chatting away; just the way she talks can almost be
characterized as proper and poised, she could talk even the cruelest person
into saying ‘yes’ to her! My favorite thing she does is she will ask to use one
of my markers and when I say yes, she will run across the room shouting
“Wahoo!” Then she will ask to switch out her one marker for a different a color
and when I say yes again, she will bounce right back across the room shouting
“Wahoo!” And let’s be honest, how can you not love those dimples?!
Gabriela – She may not be the
smartest crayon in the box, but she has her shining moments. She is actually
really clever in Reading class and I am impressed with how developed her
comprehension skills are. She is a slow worker and loves to color coordinate
all her notes. When she smiles her eyes crease and for a moment I have a little
“chinita” in my classroom. (Although, this picture makes her out to be a tough
girl.) Whenever we do a fun, physical activity she gets into it the most and
always ends up at my side loving every moment of the lesson. Her inner joy for
life is so contagious.
Gissela – (The ‘G’ is pronounced
like an ‘H’) She is ridiculously quiet but when she starts giggling, you are
guaranteed to erupt with laughter because she is so dang cute. She is such a
soft-spoken and sweet little girl – whenever I glance over at her she is
usually swinging her legs, twirling her hair, and grinning back at me. I have
already grown a soft spot in my heart for her because she is not the most
popular or social girl in the class, but there are countless things to cherish
about her, she just needs a little encouragement to come out of her shell. She
is a very slow worker so I constantly have to stand over her to keep her
focused. She loves bringing flip books over to me and making me guess what is
underneath each flap.
Karla Nohelia – What a smarty pants this
one is. I was nervous about having her in class because she is our principal’s
daughter, and her father is a teacher at the public school, but she is great.
She knows the answer to everything and has a hard time raising her hand before
talking or keeping her mouth shut when someone else cannot figure out the
answer. (We have had a little conversation about giving everyone an equal
chance to participate in class.) She is also very girly and is constantly
twirling her way around my classroom or doodling flowers and hearts on her
page. She is a leader in the classroom amongst the girls and very confident in
herself. I can always count on her to help me out if needed.
Lenny – Lenny is very shy. She is
quiet like Gissela but barely even interacts with her classmates. (However, I
have seen her at home and that is where she comes alive!) Jake told me that the
first time he sat down with her and her family to let them know that she had
gained acceptance into our school, she bawled her eyes out. I’m very glad she
is at the school because she has a lot of great potential. She is extremely
smart and will always do well in school. I make sure to call her every time her
hands go up because it is such a rare occurrence. I wish everyone would behave
like her because she spends most of her time just sitting quietly in her chair
and waiting for directions. She is also very artistic and creative. When we
made our class puzzle pieces, she turned hers in last and had created a
masterpiece. She is such a diligent worker and always turns out amazing work!
Noemi – She is my little shadow.
She is also a bit on the soft-spoken side but she sure loves to talk to me. If
she’s not glued to my hip, I am guaranteed to find her trailing close behind. I
am already falling in love with her greatly because she seems like one who
undeservedly lacks a lot of attention at home. She is so curious during class
and always rummaging through my things to discover something new. She
participates more frequently in class and learns the new material pretty
rapidly. She absolutely hates reading so I am going to have my work cut out for
me trying to change her mind. She is full of love and has already drawn me a
beautiful picture that reads, “I love you too much.” Gah, my heart melts for
her!
Ricxi – She is another sweetheart
in the group but a little more sensitive than the others. Her father told me
that she has been bullied in the past by the other girls so I keep a careful
eye on her. She gets fussy when things don’t go her way either with her friends
or is she does not understand the lesson. She constantly asks me to check her
work step-by-step so that she is confident there will be no mistakes. I think
it’s fair to say that she requires a little more patience from me, but I never
want one of my students to feel inferior. She draws me some beautiful pictures
and makes sure to say thank you as often as she can. She is the most willing to
help me pass things out, clean up, collect papers, or organize the classroom. I
sincerely hope this year is better for her.
Rut – Rut is by far my sassiest
girl. She can get the attitude that she runs my classroom or like she is entitled
to anything she wants; she is not one to take the word ‘no’ easily. Because of this
she is probably my most troublesome girl in the bunch. She doesn’t like
listening to my orders so I find myself having to shout to get her attention
and repeating requests with her. However, her energy is infectious and she is
always smiling. (I just need to learn how to channel her energy into
productivity.) She loves to dance! She likes to organize and lead a group of
girls in a dance number for the weekly primary devotions. It is absolutely
adorable to watch her up there shimmying and shaking her little booty in front
of everyone. She is a fearless risk-taker!
Sofia – Her verbal English is
outstanding. Rolando (one of my spectacular students from last year) is her
cousin, and her two older brothers are in 9th grade so she gets a
lot of practice and exposure to the language at home. She can carry a normal
conversation with you in English and she often translates for her classmates if
no one understands what I am saying. However, every superstar has their weakness
and hers is math. It does not come as easily to her so I have to find extra
time to work with her. She may be pint-sized but she has a loud presence in the
classroom. She is small but also comes with a lot of sass. She is another
leader amongst the girls and is never afraid to voice her opinion. I hope she
learns to use that power for good because a lot of the other girls really do
look to her for help.
Xotchil – (Pronounced “so-chi”) She
is the psychologist’s daughter. The psychologist joined our team last February
when Abundant Life’s orphanage moved to La Unión and her daughter ‘audited’ 2nd
grade. Xochtil was smart enough to be in 3rd grade last year, but
she did not know English so she sat in 2nd grade for half the year
to learn it and try to catch up. Her English is still notably the lowest in the
class but she is learning quickly. She is a smart a little girl once she
understands the words. Her first week of school was a little rough because she
was constantly disturbing my class by talking to others since she was not
paying attention to me (for a lack of understanding anything I was saying) and
would frequently copy answers off of her neighbors’ papers. But after talking
to her mom that behavior is gone. She is much more attentive in class and
dedicated to learning on her own.
Please
pray for each of these little girls 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 girls are given an
opportunity for a significantly better life with this education.
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