At the end of my first class of the day with a group of 5th graders, one of them suddenly shouted, "Oh! Today's Teacher's Day!" and without any warning, every single student jumped out of their seats and came barreling up to the front of the room to hug their teacher and me, shouting "Happy Teacher's Day!" and giving us kisses on our cheeks.
O_O
You'd think after three months I wouldn't be "culturally shocked" by much any more, but having twenty 10 year olds kissing my face and hugging me real tight was definitely completely bewildering to me. I kept thinking, "This can't be legal. Is this okay?" before realizing what country I was in and how touchy-feely everyone is here all the time. :)
A few class periods later I was with my favorite teacher. She began to tell me how Mr. Nacho's mom (who is the language teacher to the kids in Primary) was telling her how much Nacho loves me and how much he's learning from me. ^_^ To have my favorite teacher in the whole school telling me a compliment she'd heard about me was amazing! :)
I have been noticing that Nacho and the other boy I tutor have been getting oddly really good at English as compared to the day I began with them a few months ago, but I figured it was probably just because of their English classes at school. But maybe I'm just selling myself short? I mean Nacho is in the same grade as the girl I tutor and he speaks a million times better than she does. I teach his class one hour a week at school and talk to those kids and he's way better than they are.
When his mom approached me about tutoring him, she said she just wanted me to come over for two hours a week to play with him and hang out - all in English. She wanted him to become comfortable with the language and not shy to use it. She didn't need me to teach him specific things or use any books - just to make it seem fun. Thsoe first few weeks he wouldn't say a single word. He was scared and uncomfortable. But after we broke through that phase, he's been amazing. He'll only speak English for the entire hour and he never really tries to switch into Spanish. He loves having me over and when he doesn't know a word he'll just stop and look at me and I'll whisper it to him.
Considering this little guy is only a 6 year old in 1st grade, I suppose I really should be giving myself a little credit for his love of speaking a language which only weeks ago he refused to utter a single word in. He always begs his mom to let me come over on other afternoons and begs me not to leave. He even asks if he can come to my tango lessons because he loves dancing with me. :)
Then there's the second grader who I tutor. We have to use books sometimes because of his parents, but the times he learns the most is when we're playing soccer or with his cars. I remember a few weeks ago when his dad asked him what his name was and he couldn't even answer him. Now, he can tell you all about himself, all about his favorite mammals, amphibians, insects, birds, foods, etc. He knows more about viviparous and non-viviparous animals than I do (I didn't even KNOW that word before he taught it to me!).
As for his sister, I've taken to helping her with little craft projects and cutting things out and coloring things for it. But each time I cut or color, I have her answer a question in English about herself. This is how I started things out with her brother. Now when I go to cut she yells, "First - one question!!" It's really interesting to see how when she says something wrong and I repeat it back to her with corrections (but not "correcting her," rather just nodding my head and re-stating what she said correctly with excitement), it only takes me two or three times of doing this and suddenly she never makes that mistake again:
"What color is your dress?"
"My color dress is blue."
"Oh! Your dress is blue! What color is your skirt?"
"My color dress is red."
"Oh! Your dress is red! What color is your shirt?"
"My shirt is pink."
O_O
It's way impressive to listen to. Freak'n little kids!
I also started playing "foot phone" with her on accident this last lesson and she LOVED it. It's a thing Julia and I have done for forever when we're being silly - I never considered it as a way to teach English! Haha. She was laying on the floor and put her foot in the air so I grabbed it and said, "Hello!?" She immediately answered, "Hello!" It continued into a full conversation - all in English! The FIRST TIME she has spoken all in English. She thought it was so fun she kept "calling" me on her foot phone and doing the same conversation over and over - only she started asking ME the questions. It was way strange, but a delightful epiphany. :) Haha.
Anyway, on the way back to Nacho's house this afternoon for his "lesson," his mom put on a CD and Nacho started singing "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story! It was ADORABLE to hear him singing it - haha! Each class has to do their own song and dance in costume for the Christmas festival on the 21st of December, and that's the song his class is doing! I wish Woody could be there for it - haha! :)
After Nacho's class it was off to Madrid for Tango Tuesday. While on the train into the city, I got an email back from Mrs. Hinchey - my Spanish teacher from middle school!! She wrote me that my Spanish was AMAZING and that she would LOVE to have her 7th and 8th graders to become penpals with my students!!! ^_^ YAY!!! She has 130 students that could participate and would love to get started whenever! :)
Getting her email made me feel SO successful! I came up with this penpal idea all on my own and contacted people I knew all on my own and got them excited about it all on my own. Maybe I'm not bad at this teaching silliness? Maybe I'm kinda awesome and innovative at it at times? ^_^
I told my favorite teacher about my penpal project idea and she said that the head misteress had been begging her to do an exchange like that with the school she knew in Ireland, but that my favorite teacher just hadn't had the time nor energy to do so. I can't wait to tell that woman that I came up with it on my own and already have four schools and 300 kids interested!!!! ^_^ YAY ME!!!
While basking in the glow of my mini success, I wandered around Madrid before tango class and went window shopping, ate my pizza and looked at the Christmas decorations they're setting up. They're SO adorable!! They are making a little Christmas market in the big Plaza Mayor and there are little booths set up and a big, golden, glowing carrosel in the middle of it all!!! There are big Christmas trees all around the city and lights that will be hanging over all of the main streets (even my street in Alcala has lights that will be lit up in the shape of a bunch of grapes - grapes are a New Year's Eve symbol here - sorta odd... haha)! The lighting of the lights festival is on Friday night; I can't wait to see them all!!
Christmas in Europe is going to be SO QUAINT!
When I finally got to tango class, I was welcomed by the teachers as usual and told that since I missed a class this month, I was welcome to come to the intermediate class on Thursday to make it up.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was so excited I just about peed my pants!!
All class long I danced like nobody's business and kept thinking about what intermediate class would be like! In beginner class, I'm clearly the best female dancer there (just say'n) - as I have lots of dance experience and try to be conscious of my posture and footwork, all while following the lead (even when they mess up and I know it). I have two leads I love dancing with - Julio, who is perhaps in his 50's but a jolly man who's always giggling and has a very firm but comfortable lead, and Martin, who is quite possibly still in high school for all I know, but dances at an advanced level and is there to help out when there aren't enough leads (he might even be the teachers' son - I still haven't figured out the relationship there???). Anyway, Julio is a hoot and whenever I mess up and do something silly because there's no fixing the mistake once I've made it, he always says, "Oh! That mistake was virtually undetectable. You are just such a smooth dancer!" Hahaha. :) We're the only two in the class who get the giggles and it's awesome. Totally the way dancing should be, in my opinion. Martin, on the other hand, is very serious and extremely quiet. He has black curly hair and reminds me of my awkward dancer friends from Fond du Lac! He's my favorite to dance with because he can tell I can follow well and will lead me into so many steps I haven't been taught yet, but that I can (generally) follow without much of a problem. For that reason, dancing with him is exhiliarating. To always be on your toes and to never know what's coming or if you'll even be able to follow it - that's dancer bliss!
I still remember the very first time I ever felt dancer bliss. It was way back in the first semester of my Senior year in high school. I was in the ballroom dance class (I didn't want to take gym class - Woody suggested it as a clever way to get your P.E. credit - hell yes to Woody!), and we were studying swing (most likely Lindy Hop). One of the past students who was into the dance and good at it came in one day to dance with us to give us a feel for what it felt like to dance with a competent lead. I remember my turn with him and him just throwing me all around the room and doing crazy lifts and spinning me all around. The music was so fast and he was such a solid lead. It was AMAZING. I remember stumbling out of the dance room, panting, beelining for the water fountain and thinking to myself how much better that was than even the best of make-out sessions. :) Tee hee.
Anyway, tonight Martin went to ask me a question while we were dancing (which he never, ever does). I was so caught off guard by it and he is so mummbly when he speaks that I didn't understand a word of his question. What I did understand, though, were my answer choices: "No or More?"
"Eff," I thought to myself. "I'm just going to have to flip a coin in my head and pick an answer. Even if I ask him to repeat it, I know I won't understand any better the second time." I mulled over the two answers and what they might signify, and finally decided the question must have been something like, "Would you like me to keep working on the new step, or would you like me to do new steps?" He HAD been sticking to the new step - which was very unlike him - and I had started to wonder why he was being so boring tonight. I figured my logic must be right, given my two choices of a response, and answered, "More! Please more!"
He stopped and looked at me. "Really?!" he asked.
"Effff!!" my mind squealed.
He continued doing the super boring new step over and over until the teacher yelled, "Cambio de pareja!"
As I danced with the new partner (who was not very good so I had extra space in my head to think rather than to try to do any of the steps correctly!), I racked my brain for any of the words that had been in his question. WHAT HAD HE ASKED ME!? And then, all at once, it fell together. "Would you like me to continue to go over today's step more?"
God d&%# it!!! >_<
As soon as the teacher yelled, "Cambio de pareja!" again I ran back over to Martin. In slightly awkward Spanish I breathlessly explained myself: "I didn't understand your question right. That question you asked me while we were dancing. No - no I don't want you to go over today's step. No more of today's step. It's boring. Anything but today's step. I'm sorry - I swear I can speak and understand Spanish - just not when I'm here. Something about this room makes me totally awful at Spanish. I don't know why!!"
Martin just stared at me like I was nuts, thought about it for a second, and then gave a tiny smirk and danced with me, happily limiting himself on the use of today's step this go-around.
>_< Brother.
Nothin' like looking like a total American weirdo.
While we danced he asked where I was from - but he asked the question under his breath and mumbling - so AGAIN I didn't understand him. I just stared at him instead of trying to answer incorrectly again and he said, "Can you really not understand me? Where. Are. You. From."
Jeeze louise, dude. Ennunciate your words for a foreign girl focusing on not stepping on your toes. Man! ;)
Between hugs, kisses, compliments, private lessons, Mrs. Hinchey and tango, it was a pretty ducky Tuesday!
XOXO
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