The Cast of Characters

As my time here is coming to a close, I'm starting to think more about each kid's personality than whether they're going to do well in the class.

First I would like to introduce Nelson. He stands out because he is a sixteen year old among eleven year olds. We've been working on question words this week, and whenever I get to him during our oral review, I am shocked to hear "I have sixteen." Since he's older, he is at a much more advanced stage of puberty. The other day I caught him rolling up his sleeves and examining his muscles in class. The boy next to him, one so little that his feet hardly touch the ground, poked them, perhaps out of jealousy. I just ignored him, embracing a little bit of chaos.

This little boy is also worth introducing. His name is Vidal, and he doesn't take his backpack off during class. Him and his even tinier best friend Diego can't sit still during class and constantly bicker with each other. When they start picking at each other's hair, we ask, "Is Diego your dog? Then why are you petting him?"

We also love to tease Kevin. He is very smart and very loud about it. When he finishes a task early or whispers the answers to another student, he begins to chant "Es facíl. Más. Más," in a fairly apathetic voice. But if he gets it wrong, he's in big trouble because we begin mocking him. That gets a smile and several minutes of attentive silence.

Our other smartest kid, Jenny, is the exact opposite. While it's clear that she's naturally gifted, she also has the best study skills ever and is only too eager to do what she is told. She stays after school for extra help even though she understands way better than anyone else in the class. Last week she finished the test and the post-test activity before time was up, so I told her to draw. She looked at me blankly and asked what to draw. I told her to just use her imagination. After a few minutes she calls me back over to show me several little illustrations perfectly labeled in English. She reminds me a bit of me when I was little, so I want to tell her to dream more and to gain some confidence.

I hate to say it, but none of the other girls are terribly memorable. They are all giggly, hate speaking in class, and love clinging to my elbow. I wonder if this silence and uncertainty is a product of their indigenous culture, or if this is true of girls this age all across the world.

The only thing that really sticks out about them is the way they run screaming across the playground when Kevin chases them. It's a behavior that I believe is recognized across all cultures.