Over My Head | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: Over My Head | Previous Challenge Entry
By Christina Banks
03/13/14
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It wasn’t my idea to jump from second year Spanish straight to fourth year. However, I will admit, I was flattered when Señor Hernandez made the suggestion. There were only two of us given the opportunity – me, an average student who nearly failed the first quarter of Spanish 1, and Bert Westman, who hadn’t received marks lower than an A since 2nd grade.

I’m not sure why I agreed. Perhaps it was the confidence Señor projected or an insane moment when I thought I was as smart as Westman. Whatever excitement possessed me to accept the challenge, it soon dried up as I labored over a year’s worth of vocabulary and grammar during my last summer of High School. While my friends partied at the pool, I waded through fifteen vocabulary lists and plunged into three new verb tenses. As the summer came to a close, I wondered if I had made a mistake.

The first day of class validated my fears. Señor Hernandez welcomed the class in two English sentences before switching to rapid Spanish.

“Esta es la clase de español. En la clase de español, hablamos español solomente. Ahora, abra sus libros en la página doce.”

With those three sentences my head felt like it was going to explode. I tried to keep up with the lesson, but five minutes later I was completely lost. If Señor Hernandez had not written the assignment on the board, I wouldn’t have known what was expected for the next class. I was out of my depth and I knew it.

Señor stopped me at the door after class. “You were quiet today.”

I wanted to hug him for his use of English. “I feel like I jumped into the deep end and now I’m drowning.”

“I won’t let that happen.” He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Let’s give it a week and see if you can remember how to swim.”

It was the hardest week of my school career. I spent hours in the evenings pouring over my textbook and Spanish-English dictionary. Even with all the study, I still felt in over my head.

As I entered the room on Friday, I planned to ask immediately for a transfer down to the third year class, but Señor was busy with another student. Instead, I found my seat. When the bell rang, Señor Hernandez taught in Spanish as he had every day that week. This time, however, I understood much of what he said. As the class continued, I surprised myself further by volunteering to answer a question. My Spanish was slower than I would have liked, but the words came out in the right order. I couldn’t help but grin. Señor Hernandez smiled back.

I decided then I would not ask to be transferred to the easier class. I was still a long way from doing the breast stroke, but at least I was treading water.
___
Based on true events

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