Teaching English Through Intimidation: School Supplies transcript
At some point, almost every elementary school teacher feels that students are taking advantage of their kind and patient nature.
Once this happened, during writing time. I explained that I was ready for more writing and less talking. I must have made my point because I recall everyone furiously writing at their desks, heads down, no conversation.
The lucky English Language Learners who had been invited to my table for extra support, were also on their best behavior.
I sipped my coffee and we got started. Everything was going fine, a bit tense, but quiet ~ until my attention was drawn to a little girl ~ let’s call her Francesca ~ an English Language Learner who had not brought her eraser to the table.
“Francesca!” I snapped. “Where is your eraser?”
She gave a dramatic, Mediterranean shrug, quickly responding , “I don’t know where my eraser is!”
I started laughing, which was not the reaction my class had been expecting. Then everyone relaxed, and that was the last time I startled an entire, grammatically correct sentence from a second grade ELL student.
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