They Say Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery...

Well, today, I discovered that it is also a proof that I am having some kind of impact on my students.

I try to make my classes fun – going on the idea that if learning is fun, you retain more. What that tends to turn into, though, is the kids laughing at my antics – my silly faces, my big gestures, my REALLY bad drawings on the chalkboard. I like to believe that it helps them remember the things we are learning that day, but I think they might really just remember the funny face.

Most days, my students have exercises to work on in class, or homework exercises to go over. When they are ready, they bring them to me to check. As I help and correct them, I talk the kids through it. I point at the part that needs corrected – typically with my pen – and ask questions to try to get them to the right answer. Now, in all honesty, I think most times they just guess until I smile and give them a big “yes! That's it.” But, still, I feel like I didn't GIVE them the answer. That's an accomplishment, right?

It is always hard to get the students to speak English. As often as not, I ask a question and they give the answer in Azeri, which illicits an over exaggerated, exasperated “In ENGLISH!!!” from me. The kids typically giggle, then struggle through the answer in English. Again, somehow this makes me feel like I am being semi successful as an English teacher.

So, today, my 5th formers were working on an exercise about opposites in class. They were given a word and had to write down the antonym. There is always a lot of whispering back and forth as they try to get the right answers. For some reason, I zeroed in on two girls sitting together. They had absolutely no idea that I was watching them. Lala was struggling with the word “summer.” She asked Shafiga for help. Shafiga sat up very straight and pointed at the word with her pen. She asked Lala what it meant. There was some azeri back and forth before I heard Lala say “yay” (the azeri word for summer). I saw Shafiga nod her head and ask – in azeri – what the opposite of yay was. Lala enthusiastically said, “gish!” To which Shafiga emphatically responded, “In ENGLISH!” Lala eventually got to winter, and I dissolved into giggles. Luckily the two of them didn't notice – they continued on with their exercise while I smothered my laughter.

Now, I am fully aware that the kids get a really big kick out of almost everything I do, but to see it so perfectly and unintentionally mimicked was taking it to a whole new level for me. Getting kids to emulate my ridiculous teaching antics isn't really my goal as an Peace Corps volunteer, but, for now, I'll take it. I mean really, at least I am having SOME kind of impact in the classroom, right?