I was covering two days of a U.S. history class. As they were juniors and Ms. G's classes tend to be on the good side, I wasn't too concerned when a few students gathered together while they did their work.
Of course, I made a point of going over to them and looking over their shoulders. And they explained their grouping.
"Kevin needs our help. He doesn't speak any English."
Hmmm. Now I'm suspicious. There are some students at that school that don't speak any English, but usually the teachers give me a heads up (and they give the student an alternative assignment or the student has a "helper"). But why volunteer that information so readily? I hadn't asked.
Plus, the boys were having way too much fun in their little group.
Day two in the class. I was a little stricter with them, but the boys still found their little group. A couple of them went out to the restroom. When one of the boys returned, he stood over another boy, and it was clear something was going on. So, I approached.
The boy sat down. He pulled out his backpack, and then I saw that it had been flipped. So, now I understood why he was upset. I gave the other boy my best "really?" look. I growled at them to get back to work (and stop messing with each other).
It was only after I left the group that it hit me. The boy who had been upset? Was Kevin. Who supposedly doesn't speak any English.
Funny how we were able to communicate pretty readily in English when he asked to use the restroom and when he returned and we discussed his backpack.
This is why I am dubious when I am told a student doesn't speak any English. Because they lie.
But luckily they are really, really bad at this lying thing.
oh my gosh, how hard it must be to teach someone that don't speak English. Better yet how hard it must be to be a student in a class when you don't speak English! Teachers face so much, and like I have said before, it takes a special person to be a teacher. You rock.
ReplyDeleteIt's a challenge. I've covered beginning English language development classes, and they work really hard to get them up to speed. It helps that they're surrounded by English speakers every day.
DeleteIt's probably a good thing they're not better liars. I don't know why they always think they'll get away with it! :)
ReplyDeleteIf you're going to lie, at least have the self-respect to stick to it! Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteI know, right?
DeleteTo test whether its true if they don't speak English, might be fun to say something that they would like to hear like "you can talk for the rest of the class" and see if they "get" it or not and then you'll know for sure if they were lying or not.
ReplyDeletebetty
Yeah, they'll try anything, won't they?
ReplyDeleteOh yeah. I've probably heard every lie at least once.
DeleteI like Betty's suggestion, lol.
ReplyDeleteIt would be pretty funny.
Delete*hangs head*
ReplyDeleteI was actually pretty good at it back then, at least when wanting to sneak off and meet my boyfriend. ~grin~ Perhaps my parents were in denial, for that matter.
ReplyDeleteYour parents were in denial. They didn't want to think their good child was up to something. Because if your child were to try something like that, you'd see through it in a minute, if you cared to look.
DeleteHow do you know if a teenager is lying???? Their mouth is moving...Nah I am not that cynical, but they do lie a lot and as you say mostly badly.
ReplyDeleteNo need to walk that back. It's mostly true.
DeleteKids like that tend to ruin things for the good kids because it makes teachers suspicious and not able to trust any of them. Better safe than sorry.
ReplyDeleteThat's true. It's better to be a little suspicious, even with the "good kids", just in case.
Delete*groan* I've run into stuff like that once or twice. It's incredibly satisfying when you actually know the language in question and switch to it just to see their reaction.
ReplyDeleteI kick myself for not taking Spanish in school. Although, there are enough students who are from other countries (Egypt & Indonesia to name two) that just knowing Spanish wouldn't cover it.
DeleteI'm glad he didn't stick to the didn't know English. Silly boys
ReplyDeleteI'm sure he forgot.
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