I’m a Teacher
I am
spending my last two weeks in Barranquilla as a “teacher” at El Colegio
Nazareth Olaya. The school is for students in Pre-Kindergarten through 11th
grade (which is the last grade completed before moving onto University). Students
begin learning English in Pre-Kindergarten and continue studying English until
they graduate high school. I have the privilege of working with these students
each day for two weeks. We talk about my life and they ask me any questions
they want to. The rule we have is that everyone has to either speak in English
or slowly in Spanish if they need help with something. Talking with the
students is really neat for me because I am talking to them about my life in
English, but when they have a question and do not know how to say it in
English, I can help them translate it from Spanish.
I have
never seen students so excited about learning; each day, upon me walking into
the classroom, students are raising their hands and jumping up and down saying
they want to go to the library with me. I have worked with Pre-Kindergarten,
second grade, sixth grade, seventh grade, and eleventh grade students. Some
students are nervous to speak English and some jump right in. By the end of the
class period (which we always seem to run over), almost every student is
speaking in English. I work hard to make sure I speak very slowly and show them
that I am just learning a new language as well. I speak in a little bit of
Spanish and let the students correct my verb tense or pronunciation because it
makes them feel more comfortable about making mistakes. Plus, I need their
help! Once we get a conversation going, there is no stopping!
The
best part about teaching English is that the students are full of energy. They
are extremely excited to practice their English and learn new words and
phrases. I took two years of Spanish and two years of Latin in high school and
I never recall any students being genuinely excited about practicing the
language. I remember being excited about getting a good grade on a vocabulary test
or watching a movie in class. We never had any native speakers come to class
and have laid back conversations with us. But, even if we had, I do not think
students would have been jumping up and down with excitement or have been so
eager to practice speaking. This might have something to do with the fact that
I studied different languages in high school and not in elementary school.
However, even the 11th grade students, who are 16-18 years old, were
eager to practice their English with me. Two students even asked me if they
could talk with me sometime one-on-one for some more practice.
I leave the school each day with a huge smile
on my face. Every day I am able to help the students practice and learn
something they are passionate about. I am able to communicate with the
students, of all ages, in two different languages! I have the privilege of
spending time with students who are as excited about learning English as I am
that I am learning to speak in Spanish! We connect with each other through the
common thread that we are all learning an unfamiliar language and need some
help and practice!
My
first week at the school has made me think about what the world would be like
if everyone was as excited about learning about new cultures, people, and
languages as the students at El Colegio Nazareth Olaya are about speaking
English with me. What would the world be like if we were all eager to
communicate in two different languages? What would the world be like if English
was not the language that everyone needed to know, but instead Spanish or
Arabic? Of course, there are many forms of communication that do not require
speaking the same language (sign language, hand gestures, etc.) but, just
imagine a world in which everyone wanted to learn about people different than
themselves. The students at El Colegio Nazareth Olaya opened my eyes to the
idea that although learning a new language is difficult, it is much easier when
you have passion for the culture, its people, and the language.
I imagine a USA in which all
citizens of the USA speak English and Spanish. I imagine a USA where students
in every private school and every public school begin learning Spanish or
another language in Pre-Kindergarten classes (just like in most countries
around the world). I imagine a world in which all people are eager to converse
with everyone in every country. I imagine a world in which all people are full
of energy and excitement when meeting others from different places.
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