English Teachers

I have found that in every school I have ever gone to, I have found one teacher that I saw as mine. In elementary school it was Mrs. Mortlock, my 3rd grade teacher. In 6th grade (which I sort of see as separate from the rest of middle school) it was Ms. Rivera. Then in the rest of middle school it was the fabulous Mrs. Swartzendruber. In my American high school it was Mr. Gorman. And you know what all of these teachers have in common? They were all my English teachers. So I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise that here in Kirov, Irina Anatolevna, my English teacher, is also my favorite teacher. We learn together. For instance, today she taught me the word “баба” (ba’ba) which is a Russian term for a homely, peasant girl. One with meat on her bones and rosy cheeks, who can do anything on a farm, from milking cows to butchering one. I taught her the term “rad/radical.” I am translating Russian folk tales and short poems in an attempt to pick up some words before my official Russian lessons start next week and the story of Alladin rhymed rad with Baghdad. Irina then went on to use rad to describe everything, from her students to the weather to her plants.

Without Irina, I think that my exchange would be very different. She is my advisor at school and she allows me to stay in class with her rather than go to boring classes like biology, physics, or maths, so that I can help speak English and learn Russian from her students. The girls in her class are very kind and she encouraged them to ask me questions which led to the discovery that all of the 9th form (grade) listens to the same music as I do. There was even one girl---shy-Lissa, who excitedly spoke to me about music and books---that Irina didn’t know understood English. Of course, happy-Lissa, my guide and (I think) friend, is always very helpful. I am helping her with her English and she is helping to teach me Russian. She and I exchanged phone numbers and we are going to go to the “кафе и синема” (ka’fe ee sin’ema) which is of course, the cafe and cinema, together with a few other girls in my English class.

Irina also took me to the cafeteria, which they call the canteen due to the fact they learn British English, for lunch today. It is one small room with only two rows of tables and a very short line for food. All of the food is prepared by a very sweet woman who cooks all day to provide fresh food for the school. She is very funny and said that she considered her the most important woman because she has the tallest hat.

So I think that the lesson I have learned today is no matter where I am in life, I can trust my English teacher and a good cook!

Пока Пока!

               Piffy