Pleasing the Teacher.

Many times, I've received papers full of the professor's correction. By the time I had in my final draft, the paper looks exactly as if the professor has written in himself. Student's are often in conflict with themselves. Do I write what I really think or do I write what my teacher wants to read? Because my grade depends on it, of course I choose the latter. I mean, who wouldn't? I had one professor who asked her students to critique a book. When my critique questioned the credibility of the author, she returned my paper with soooooooooooo many red marks, I thought the paper had gotten shot! My second draft was much different of course. I wrote it praising book. When your at the mercy of a professor, what else can you do?

Who are these people??

Define the term ESL. What exactly makes a person qualified to be branded this term that carries a negative connotation? When some people hear ESL, the words immigrant, right-off-the-boat come to mind. The image of an uneducated person seems to be the poster example for ESL students. This makes me feel very enraged because what people don't know is that many of these students are in fact, professional's back in their own countries. These men and women should be praised for their bravery and for their determination to learn a new language. They have difficulty adjusting to the educational system in America but they recognize that they must get an education in order to have a better life. I commend these people because I know that it would be very difficult for ME to do this.

Spanish.

I am the Spanish teacher whose kid can barely speak Spanish. How weird, right? Each and everyday, my husband and I struggle to teach this girl the language and it can be sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo frustrating! Of course, I do my best to speak and read to her, but she doesnt show much interest in it. When she was little, we alternated between the two languages, the very same way we alternate when we speak "Spanglish". However over the years, English has become the more dominant. My husband and I discuss sending her to DR for a whole summer, but I'm way too attached for to her and there is no way I can send her there for so long. I feel like we are loosing a our culture and a bit of who we are. I imagine that our grandchildren will have no relation to Dominican culture by the time they are grown. This makes me very sad.