Saturday, February 16, 2008

What Do You Say?

I spend an hour a week reading to two students in an elementary school here in town. This is the conversation I had last week with my 3rd grade student:
Student: I don't really live here in WESTTEXAS. I live in Mexico.
Me: That's pretty far away.
Student: Yeah, sometimes I get scared when we cross because of all of the beggers.
Me: (stunned silence) (not really sure what to say) (uncomfortable pause) (time to wonder if there is a class that teaches you how to deal with these issues)
Student: We go there a lot because that's where we really live.
Me: It must be a long drive.
Student: Yeah, one time we didn't get back here until 1:00.
Me: In the morning?
Student: Yeah, that was after my brother got out of jail in Mexico and we had to pick him up.
Me: Do you want to work on your spelling words now?

2 comments:

Jennifer said...

Haley: Today at school Christopher told all of us that his daddy does lots of drugs.

Me: What did Mrs. Owens say?

Haley: She just said "Well, we'll talk about that later, now lets go to RECESS!"

Amy said...

Poor Christopher! And Mrs. Owens! I wonder if she'll do anything about that?!?