Popular Brazilian Musician Anderson Karvlaho and I after a beach concert at the Atlantic Ocean. If would not have learned a second language, chances are we would not have been able to be best friends......
Celebrities. They are the people we want to be. Athletes,actors and actresses, race car drives, singers, television personalities, rich people with no talent that just have money.. we want to be them.. We shape our lives around their likes and dislikes. If they drink cola, we drink cola. If they shave their heads, America becomes something of a "chrome dome" nation overnight.. Yet it only lasts for a moment.. some people are popular for a few months, and others a few years.. We have classics like Elvis and Marilyn Monroe that are sort of timeless, their popularity spanning generations. There are people today who believe that they are living, and that their deaths were staged.. for what ever reason, please people, let them go!.What gets me though is that at this point, many of these icons that are the most popular are not entirely contributing to the well-being of society, nor were some when they were alive. Elvis was a drugged out mess, Monroe had affairs with JFK, not exactly the best kind of role models, yet their presence lingers on . There are a few celebrities who have really stepped up though, Warren Buffet and his billions given to good causes, I am sure he is not perfect, but he is using what he does have to make the world take notice, and live life better. George Lucas, Christopher Reeves..amazing people.. just take a moment to look them up.
Often times I like to introduce people here on this page, who are work -a- day Joes who should be given awards.. People whom the world should trend after immediately, because what they are doing changes lives, and it lasts in the fabric of community. Many of these people are not asking for recognition, and they usually blush a bit after they read my praises. I feel that it is important to voice our gratitude to these individuals, because the world often takes for granted those who are way makers, life changers, in a real way. Being appreciated, allows people to continue on their worst days, and to celebrate the rest in between. Today I present to you all my beloved Spanish professor. I will call her just "Señora L" for now. I have been Señora L's student for 17 weeks now.. 15 weeks a year ago and now for two weeks into a new college semester. She teaches high school students by day French and Spanish, and college level Spanish at night. Many of her students follow her into the college classroom, because her teaching becomes a whole life experience.
Often times professors are concerned with point systems, and grades. If a student doesn't understand material, they need to get a tutor, and study more at home. If you fail, many just say, take the class again. Señora L, has however set a very high bar in the area of compassion and learning. . She makes learning easy and rewarding. Students who want to learn Spanish but struggle, can. Señora L often gives praise, and complements when students speak or read, especially to those who are shaky to help build confidence. She talks with students about the materials, and tries to teach real life applications such as telephone conversation, dealing with family members and talking to a doctor. Many text books cannot teach these skills. You have to lean it by practice. On line studies often lack real life expressions and the real life situations that arise. In an emergency, people do not speak in plain measured voices, and they certainly don't follow a script. You need a teacher to teach this, and one that can help you understand why people say the things they say. We play games and often use techniques that grade school kids use like songs and question and answer. While some people might laugh, they are great because they can be done by anyone. Again, this professor teaches a whole life, real life, experience.
Yesterday in a Spanish II evening class there was a student who had been out of Spanish lessons for a very long time that had been struggling. This student wants to learn, and Señora L knows that. Students who feel defeated in a college class at the beginning will often check out mentally for the rest of the semester, or self destruct their study habits. This is especially true when they feel they cannot understand material. Students with children and jobs are often strapped for time, and tutoring can be out of the question. Señora L, looked the struggling student in the eyes and said "listen, you know the stuff, and we are not going to leave you behind, it has just been a long time". She then begins to draw her"caja mágica"or "magic box" for verb conjugation and starts a review. There was none of the typical professor questions "Why did you take this class, or why didn't you review your stuff before we started?". You could see a look of new determination in this students eyes, not only did she feel she could learn with the "caja mágica", but she began to understand that she was a part of the class as a contributor. Language classes tend to become like mini families because they have to talk a lot about what they are doing. When a student struggles to share, read, or understand they can easily feel left out of the class. Señora L. has no orphans.
So why a language teacher for today's hero? In a world where globalization has taken hold chances of living in a neighborhood with a bi-lingual family is growing. Many areas that were considered English speaking rural or American suburban, are now multi-ethnic neighborhoods. When we meet our neighbors one of the best ways to live in peace is to have communication. Real life interactions with other human beings change lives, and build understanding. Señora L is giving students a real life ability to take part in this world. Her games that were fun, suddenly become a conversation with a human being. "Where did you live?", "How many children do you have".. no "I don't like movies, but I do like books".. people are connected because they know something about another person. That person is not just a body, but a human being with a connection to you. While I am sure the world will go on worshiping athletes and famous singers. I'd rather spend my money taking Señora L's class than buying a starter jersey or poster. Even if the masses never know me, if I have one neighbor who remembers me in kindness it is all the fame I will ever need. Muchas Graçias.. Señora L..
