Dante saved the day. I’d almost thrown up my arms in desperation at the beginning of class with 9th grade after what had been an especially trying morning with 8th grade and 7th grade. A few weeks ago, the students were moved around into different groups, and my 7th grade grew to a whopping 35 people, with 8th and 9th also growing to more than 24 each. Lately, however, teaching has been a pleasure; I’ve found my groove and can scare any angst-ridden teen into working with a great smack on his desk with my large wooden stick (it’s true, I’ve done this—if the nuns could do it, why not me?). But on this particular morning, it was all I could do to usher them to their seats and stop talking over me. I was relieved that 9th grade would be coming to class after having spent the last two class periods shooting furious looks at those who would not.quit.talking.
I love my 9th graders because, well, they’re competent. There are some genuinely smart kids who genuinely like English, and when I ask them to buckle down and work, they generally do it. The current theme in their English textbook happens to be Israel and the kibbutz (odd, I know; but the least of my complaints with the book are its unexpected themes). Somehow, I got onto the topic of Dante Alighieri and The Divine Comedy, and from there it was a wild ride for the remaining 25 minutes of class. Each set of eyes was glued to the board as I drew Dante’s different levels of hell and explained a few of the eternal consequences of the sinners. Liars, traitors, adulterers, church leaders gone awry: bad behavior and its consequences—well-matched or not—is certainly one of the most well-known topics on the Ranch, proven by the absolute silence of my students while they listened.
It was incredibly fulfilling for me to see my kids light up about world-class literature. Granted, I love it, too, and I was beside myself with wanting to share all of Dante’s impressive craft. But it made me realize that these kids will go on to high school and hopefully university, and they will have the opportunity to learn about so much that they’ve never been exposed to before. Maybe Maria will fall in love with Dante; maybe Mainor will discover contemporary graphic novels; and Marjorie will realize that a whole world of culture, art and history exists outside of Honduras. I hope all these things for them; but, I am also realistic about the education system here. In just the past few weeks, there’s been talk about shutting down the public university because of strikes or re-opening it as a private institution. I also know that some of my students won’t last through the three years of service to the Ranch that it takes to earn a spot for college.
Dante stuck with me the rest of the day, through arts and crafts with 5th grade and through Mother’s Day cards with 6th grade. It even followed me to my out of control practice with 16 of my 8th graders who are going to read a poem in English at the Mother’s Day celebration. Overall, a very trying day; but, perhaps, next time one of the 9th graders lies to me about his homework he’ll think about the Inferno and where that sin would put him.
Just some other highlights and meaningful events that stick with me from the last week:
1. A hilariously Honduran Ranchero band with three grown men dancing traditional booty-shaking punta at the special employee lunch.
2. Teaching the three little boys in an HIV Support Group that I help to lead about always washing their hands, taking their medicines, and taking appropriate measures when they are bleeding. I can’t explain what it feels like to look into a six year old’s eyes and tell him that even though he has HIV, he can play and run and work like all of the other kids his age.
3. Two rogue kittens who had made a home in my desk at school springing out in the middle of class with 9th grade when I opened the drawers to look for a book. I screamed when I saw something furry that scurried . . . a wild cat chase ensued, with half of the girls up on their chairs and screaming and all the boys trying to catch the poor kittens. They finally did, and threw them out—but not before the whole classroom was overturned.
4. Sitting on the bus behind a Honduran couple, their small son, and their dog and watching, horrified and helpless, while the already drunk husband took huge gulps of Yuscaran (cheap hard liquor) then repeatedly swung at his wife while she blocked his hits with her elbow and shielded her son. The smell of alcohol penetrated the entire bus, and the man was so out of it that he couldn’t even sit up straight. He kept trying to push his dog onto his wife and son. I was absolutely horrified that this little boy was going to grow up in a poor, abusive, alcoholic family and that his mother was likely a daily victim. Just as horrifying was the fact that all the people on the bus simply watched every time the man raised his fist and called his wife vulgar names, as if it were a common soap opera.
5. Satisfying my secret whims by flicking an average of 4 fatty, flying beatles off of my mosquito net at night.
