My Grade Nines
- pete
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
As the year winds to a close and the seniors prep for graduation, there is a different energy to the school. Students are itching for summer while stressing about final exams, and teachers try to stay focused on work while thoughts inevitably drift off to summer vacation.
This is my last year at Escuela Bella Vista and these three years have been rather incredible. The school itself has its quirks (what school doesn't), but the experience has been a good one. The open-air building gives me fresh air and sunshine every time I walk out of my classroom door, the birds chirp all the time, and little mini-dinosaurs (iguanas) roam free. I love it. My supervisors give me support and advice when I need it while respecting my autonomy. A difficult balancing act to hit, but O'Reilly does it well.
That being said, I think when teachers reflect on a school year, the students are the first thing that comes to mind. Without a doubt, I can say that my grade nine students were terrific as they absorbed as much US History as I could throw at them. Because they made such a positive impact on my life, I think it is appropriate I share some snapshots with you.
Not only are they charming, they are also brilliant. They put together some impressive science fair projects!
What a lovely group! These girls know that one of my classroom rules is they can't chew gum. But they also figured out that they can chew gum as long as I don't see it. They take pride in secretly chewing gum throughout class, then showing me after class is over. Well played, ladies... well played.
So many smiles from these girls! Maria is an unsung hero, quick to tell me that my tests are "just fine" every time I reflect that they might be too easy. Ariangel can't hide her moods (which is good because she is happy about 99% of the time). And I can't remember a time when Isabel walked in my classroom without smiling. So much good energy! Plus, they all do a great job of making me feel old.
Again, constant smiles (except on test days). Carlotha has unlimited energy and positivity, Clarissa is a genius, Anabella won our school's award for "kindest student", and Vee has that rare mix of intellect, street smarts, charm, and wit.
I don't know if it is a blessing or a curse for these two boys (or maybe a bit of both), but they are trekking along as the only boys in a class full of 14 girls. They are super fun and have a goofy sense of humor. Nico has pulled some Bart Simpson-level pranks, and Sebas enjoyed pointing out that my computer mouse and water bottle were disgusting. Their lab experiment was to measure bacteria colonies on different surfaces. They know I'm a bit of a germaphobe and asked to swab my water bottle and computer mouse. The irony was not lost on me as those surfaces came back with the most bacteria. I then disinfected everything on my desk thanks to their brilliant scientific work. Nice job, boys!
You can't cage a bird (or at least you shouldn't), and that was my conundrum with Miranda. She has such a dynamic and spicey personality, I had trouble keeping her quiet during class. As much as I wanted to teach, I also wanted to hear whatever story, joke, or anecdote she had to offer. I'll miss you next year, Miranda!
Such lovely gals. Not only am I going to miss their big beautiful brains, I'm going to miss their big beautiful hearts. My students were kind enough to volunteer with the younger kids and help them with arts and crafts.
Ha! Ah, sweet Clarissa, helping out Luca's little brother. That group cracked me up. Every time I'd walk by the 4th grade kids, they'd yell out "what's football!?" to which I always replied it was something that you carried and threw (obviously), and needed helmets for. They enjoyed correcting me, and I enjoyed their enthusiasm.
To cap off the year, I thought it would be fun to take the class on a field trip. Officially, we were going to observe colonial architecture of old town Maracaibo, but that was a thinly-veiled excuse just to go out and have some fun.
I rented a Tranvia bus for the day and we went around old town for the educational part of the trip, a quick stop at the park to goof off, then lunch, ice-cream, and an afternoon at a fun bounce house.
Our field trip was on 16 May (Matt's birthday). After seeing a photo of him, the girls decided to shoot their shot.
It was a fun day! The park was a nice way to burn some energy.
It was cool to see some historic places of Maracaibo. Admittedly it is a bit run down due to neglect and poor governance, but it does have a rich history. Maracuchos have immense cultural pride, but nothing tops their fondness for gaita music. A part of our tour was to visit some houses where gaita musicians got started.
A fun day all around. My grade nines will always have a special place in my heart and memory. They are positive, cheerful, intelligent, and curious about life. The sky is the limit for them and I have no doubt they'll go far.
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