Did you need proof other than the 15 ADD boys or the gang members in Debate that the counselors hate me?
Maybe the fact that she sent a girl from China who has been in the States 1½ months to join Fake Kid Government Club would prove the point.
Here's a sort of transcript for our conversation:
Me (in a louder voice, with bigger eyes, and many hand movements--a sort of bug eyed, hearing impaired hula): Do you know what court is?
Her: "Ahhhh..." (head buried in pocket translator)
Me (still with the hula): "A court? Court? Court?" because as you know, repeating a word a child has never heard will often endow her with a sudden and full understanding of its meaning. Then I think, "A lawyer!?!"
Her: "Lawyer! I know lawyer!"
We celebrate this victory a moment
Me: "Well, we pretend to be lawyers!"
Her: "Pretend? Uh..." again with the translator and she looks up, puzzled as to why we'd pretend to be lawyers "Pretend?"
Me: "Yes, yes!!!” Bolstered by this success, I attempt to explain Mock Legislature. “Now, do you know...uh...lawmaker?"
Her (clearly anticipating the "pretend lawmaker" explanation and already baffled): "Yesss... Lawmaker?"
Me: "Our students” (Big eyes! Loud voice!! Hand gestures!!) “pretend to do that also."
Girl Across the Room Who Owns Ferrets: "Ms. E--you forgot to tell her about the media branch!!"
I attempt to singe her eyebrows off with a look across the room that indicates I quite have enough on my hands, thank you, ferret girl.
And I begin the hula again
"So you might think about it. We have a lot of fun. It's ok if you aren't sure, though. We are just glad you came today!"
Her: "Uh...yes."
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2 comments:
You should think about becoming a UN translator. :o)
"We pretend to be lawyers..."
Don't you love those moments of clarity, when you have to distill what you do into a sentence?
This is either what some people(those who see teaching as a secular calling, akin to becoming a monastic of some type) call "a teachable moment" or what others (maybe those who think they see Elvis in their pancakes)see as a cue to exit, stage left, to greener pastures where there are no desks, bells, whiteboards, or contraband cell phones.
I'm just sayin'...
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