I'm feeling uncharacteristically full of the charity tonight. For one thing, I had to go have a heart-to-heart with my fire-breathing Boss Lady today, something I'd been dreading and postponing for weeks. I finally went in and did it today, and you know what? She was so nice about it. I take it all back about her; sure, she has a little tendency to hear what she wants to hear rather than what you actually say, most of the time, and her people skills leave a little to be desired...but actually, deep down, she's a kind and understanding person. It's just the everyday outward persona that could use work.
Also, something happened right before the boss talk that made me feel the love for my fellow man: I have this student, a girl about nineteen. She's taller than me, and kind of big, which is tough for a 19-year-old girl anywhere, but especially here in the Czech Republic where every girl is a glossy size 2 and was born with a boyfriend. She's in my writing class, and the essays she writes are beautiful, so well-written and eloquent, despite the grammar mistakes. But from what I read in them, it seems like she feels pretty damn bleak about life. One time I was walking towards the door of the classroom and she was outside talking on her cell phone, and crying. I didn't know what to do...I mean, it's been like eight years since the last time I cried in public, and at that point all I wanted to do was burst into flames and incinerate anyone who so much as asked me if I was ok. And I fucking hated the teachers that tried to get all touchy-feely guidance counselor on us. So I walked by like nothing was happening, and I didn't say anything when she came into class fifteen minutes late. With tears on her cheeks still, poor girl. It made me feel so powerless...I mean, she was speaking Czech on the phone, so I couldn't even tell what kind of shit was going on.
Anyway, so her essays. They're so damn good. And they're in a foreign freaking language. Every time I grade one of them, when I give the little comment next to the check plus she always gets, I have to think of new ways to say 'Your writing is AWESOME, and YOU are awesome for writing it.'
And thus to the point: today after class she comes up to me looking really shy and happy, and hands me something. It's a four-leaf clover. And she gave it to me.
That made my week, y'all.
Also, something happened right before the boss talk that made me feel the love for my fellow man: I have this student, a girl about nineteen. She's taller than me, and kind of big, which is tough for a 19-year-old girl anywhere, but especially here in the Czech Republic where every girl is a glossy size 2 and was born with a boyfriend. She's in my writing class, and the essays she writes are beautiful, so well-written and eloquent, despite the grammar mistakes. But from what I read in them, it seems like she feels pretty damn bleak about life. One time I was walking towards the door of the classroom and she was outside talking on her cell phone, and crying. I didn't know what to do...I mean, it's been like eight years since the last time I cried in public, and at that point all I wanted to do was burst into flames and incinerate anyone who so much as asked me if I was ok. And I fucking hated the teachers that tried to get all touchy-feely guidance counselor on us. So I walked by like nothing was happening, and I didn't say anything when she came into class fifteen minutes late. With tears on her cheeks still, poor girl. It made me feel so powerless...I mean, she was speaking Czech on the phone, so I couldn't even tell what kind of shit was going on.
Anyway, so her essays. They're so damn good. And they're in a foreign freaking language. Every time I grade one of them, when I give the little comment next to the check plus she always gets, I have to think of new ways to say 'Your writing is AWESOME, and YOU are awesome for writing it.'
And thus to the point: today after class she comes up to me looking really shy and happy, and hands me something. It's a four-leaf clover. And she gave it to me.
That made my week, y'all.
posted by ridley at 5/18/2005 03:00:00 PM
1 Comments:
That is so sweet! You must have really touched her soul. Girls that age (I've been one, you've been one and I have a couple)are often torn and troubled. Between friends, family, life, whatever! And when you are not average sized or at least you aren't what you think you should look like - it's even harder.
I'm sure that all your students were blessed by your presence this year and I'm praying that you will have a safe, relatively uneventful trip home (well at least to NY where you are almost home and will have many friends waiting.
Kitty :)
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