At my school last year, a few of my students felt comfortable enough to dress as me during a spirit week day (One was quite the doppelganger, being mistaken for me a couple times throughout the day). But this year, I don’t think any students are going to opt to embody me in their spirit at all. We are not going to llevarse de miedo, literally "carry away from fear," or get along really well. In fact, I'm a little afraid because I feel like I’m back in my first year of teaching, when I struggled to establish rapport with my students.
Now sure, this rapport takes time. I’m sure no student during my first year in
But I get the impression that it’s not going to be the same here. Rapport involves reaching some common ground, and I just don’t know how much I have in common with these students. There are basically two kinds: the locals who have enough money to go to private school (or parents whose jobs at the school gets them free tuition) and the foreigners who have moved to the country to do some type of church-related goodwill.
I never was privy to the entitlement of the first group of students; my mom never drove me to school simply because I didn’t want to ride the uncool school bus. And I’m not exactly the model of spirituality the other students might hope for. On the very first day, one student asked me about my religious beliefs. He didn’t seem upset when I told him I practiced morality instead, but he did point out that his father was a Baptist minister.
The problem is, with this lack of diversity – which the school plans to maintain in the interest of keeping instruction individualized (and finances in check) – it’s hard to find students who are willing to share in my brand of cynicism and sarcasm. I have all 50 high-schoolers, and not one has responded enthusiastically to my clearly brilliant and witty teaching methods yet.
I am keeping an open mind that perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised as the year progresses. Who knows, maybe I’ll even find my inner privilege and piety. But I’m not holding my breath that I’ll be held in high enough esteem to be flattered with imitation – I’d even take mockery – any time soon.
Hang in there, Kim. I've been around the grossly affluent and entitled, and small Southern women's college life (with a Baptist heritage) has meetings beginning with prayer and students telling me they've chosen our school because they prayed on it. You'll get through it. They won't change for you, and you won't for them, but once you uncover the few similarities, you'll work them. The good news is they need you. :)
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