Zapatos: A Journey In My Shoes: Orgullo

I love all of my students. I honestly do. I care about each and every one of them. The ones who give me a beso every time they enter and exit the classroom. The ones who try to steal my stamps when I leave them unattended. The ones who beg me to give them more vocabulary words. The ones who eat salt as a snack. The ones who subtly drop swear words in English, just to see if I react. The ones who correct my spelling. The ones who spill red dye all over their desks and then try to clean it with perfume. The ones who shout and wave at me from across the hall. The ones who come to class without pants on because they got soaking wet from the rain. The ones who cheer on their classmates when they do well. The ones who shove desks across the room out of rage. The ones who tell me I have beautiful eyes. The ones who refuse to participate unless a game is being played. The ones who fistfight during recreo over a girl they both like. The ones who I only know by face, as they look up at me cheerfully, hoping for a warm smile.

Everyone has his or her own story. Every action demonstrates something deeper. Good or bad. The more I learn about people, the more I realize how difficult it is to truly hate someone, as we are all products of our circumstances. That being said, I believe it is possible to overcome our obstacles, if we believe that we can. Those of us who are aware of our fortune have a moral duty, not to help others economically, but to offer support and advice. To provide others with a sense of hope that there is more to the world than what they know. Than what any of us know.

It is only logical that you become closer to the people you spend more time with. In terms of students, this would be my debate team. Although I do not actually teach any of them in class, I meet with them to practice more often than I meet with any of my classes. And with 5 of them, as opposed to 40, we are able to get to know one another.

This group is composed of some of the strongest students in the liceo. They began with a relatively high level of English. But the improvements they have made in the past month and a half are remarkable. Their pronunciations are outstanding and their presence radiates genuine interest. They are not only hard working students, but they are incredible individuals. They all have the capability and talent to do great things. I truly wish the best for them all.

After their dedication in the first round, we advanced to Round 2. Our pronunciations were the best of any team, and judges, teachers, and other native-speaking volunteers were sure to let us know this! We scored third; however, the teams in front of us were both semi-private. The winning team selects their students and they begin teaching English in kindergarten (we begin in 5^th grade). The second place team is also one that has more resources and money. Our liceo has some of the poorest students in the region. We accept any and everyone. Watching my team compete was like being in a classic Disney film where the underdogs have to fight their way to the top and their passion is what drives them to succeed. As I gave them my final words before they competed for the first time, they looked at me and said, “Don’t cry.” I did not cry, although I came close when they finished speaking. They did so well.

I am honestly so proud of these kids. For all that they’ve done and for what they overcome each day. As we prepare for the next round, and face yet more challenges, I have complete confidence that my team will put up an even stronger fight this time around.