After a year as the second grade teacher at Santa Monica Bilingual School (SMBS), Joe Hill has returned for another round with his students. Read on to find out more about his third graders’ funniest comments, his creative takes on Honduran cuisine, and his favorite thing about Cofradía life!
What’s the funniest thing a student has ever said?
The funniest thing a student ever said to me was when one of them called me a “bitch” during math centers. His name is Joseph, and he’s kind of a goofy kid. While he can be really funny, he gets bored easily, and I had a lot of trouble motivating him to do his work. During most math classes he would look for ways to avoid working, like going to the bathroom for half an hour, sitting in his chair and pretending to sleep, or just making a mess out of all the materials.
One day, his table was doing a basic division exercise. Joseph asked for my help with one of his problems, and when I came over to his table, I was happy to see that not only was he trying to do the math, but that he was actually extremely excited and focused. After he solved one of his problems correctly, I tried to encourage him by saying:
“Great job, Joseph! Do you think you can try another one?”
To which he joyously responded, “YEEEEAAAAAHHHHH… BITCH!!!”
I was a little concerned that an eight-year-old was shouting a misogynistic curse word during math class. But at the same time, it had taken me almost a whole year to get Joseph excited about math, and I didn’t want to crush his enthusiasm. More importantly, I knew he probably had no idea what “bitch” meant, and was likely just repeating something he heard on TV or in a song. So I took him aside, and gave him a talk that went something like this.
“Uhh… Joseph, do you know what you just said?”
He stared at me.
“Okay,” I continued. “I’m really happy that you’re excited for math, but ‘bitch’ is not a good word. We should never say that. So it’s okay for you to be excited, and it’s okay for you to say “Yeah!,” but please don’t say bitch.”
Joseph told me he understood. He then went back to his seat and continued his division problem. I still don’t know if he ever found out what that word means. But since that day, Joseph has always been excited about division, and has never called me a “bitch” again.
Science is both my most and least favorite class to teach. While science lessons are some of the most fun I have in the classroom, really good science classes are difficult to plan, require many materials, and often leave me physically exhausted, as third graders can be difficult to manage when they’re excited about something. It can also be challenging to make an activity that is both fun and reinforces the necessary concepts.
Yet despite the difficulties, science excites me as a teacher, because it is the subject in which students are able to think independently. They look at something happening, and then try to explain what is going on based off of what they know, which develops so much of their critical thinking and creativity. I also love organizing special projects for them to apply knowledge and new concepts, such as their recent bridge building project (pictured here), where they used their knowledge of force, gravity and mass to try to make the strongest bridge with a limited set of household materials. They love the chance to be creative and build things with their hands.
What’s your favorite Honduran food?
My favorite Honduran food is something I invented while visiting Lago de Yojoa. The team always goes to the same place for our team-bonding trip, and it offers various, delicious breakfasts. I really wanted a super baleada, which came with beans, eggs, and an assortment of vegetables and meats, but I also wanted pancakes. So I asked one of the ladies who worked there to bring me the super baleada — but instead of putting the contents inside a giant flour tortilla, to make a giant pancake and wrap all the beans, eggs, vegetables and meats inside the pancake as if it were a giant tortilla. She was apprehensive, even a little bit nervous, but did as I asked. After I was presented with the exquisite and succulent product of my own imagination, I flooded the inside with syrup and eagerly consumed my breakfast. Whenever I return to Lago de Yajoa, I ask for this breakfast, which I have named the “Jojo Desayuno.”
What is your favorite place that you’ve visited in Honduras?
My favorite place I’ve visited in Honduras is Cayos Cochinos, a group of several keys an hour’s boat ride north of La Ceiba. It is a national park and has some beautiful beaches and wildlife. I got the chance to hold a baby Boa Constrictor! The beaches also have the clearest blue water anywhere in the country. It’s home to a Garifuna community that’s very welcoming to tourists. I want to go back before I leave Honduras, and would recommend it to anyone who wants to explore Honduras’s Caribbean islands.
How do you relax and decompress when you’re not in school?
While teaching demands a lot of our time, it is important to invest in the things and people that are meaningful to me outside of work, so I always make time to enjoy some other activities. I ran cross-country in college, so I try to go running at least a few times a week to keep healthy. I spend the weekends with my girlfriend, a Honduran woman who lives about two hours away from Cofradía. We usually do some kind of fun activity, like hanging out with friends or family, going to the movies or beach, and then just spending time with one another. I try to go to church one a week as well. I usually go to Roman Catholic Mass, but every now and then I like to try out churches of other denominations. While BECA is a secular organization, my faith provides me with the kind of balance and support that I need to work and live joyfully, so I make regular worship a priority.
What made you decide to stay for a second year?
I wanted to stay with BECA for a second year for a few reasons. After a year as the second grade teacher, I knew so many things I wish I had known at the beginning of the year — things about my students, their families, the curriculum, designing and giving lessons, and so many quirks about how Santa Monica works. I decided to ask for another year so I could hit the ground running with the same group of students in third grade.
I also stayed because I’ve come to appreciate how much Santa Monica exemplifies the real meaning of the word “community.” SMBS is a team of nuns from various countries, dedicated Honduran staff, foreign volunteers, and, most importantly, families who pour so much of their precious time, effort and money into a school they hope will give their students the skills they need to be ready and able when they are the adults leading their community. Santa Monica families will do anything they can for the school, and then ask what more they can do to help. They are the kind of people who work full-time jobs and still make time to make the school a community. They make time to talk with the teacher and check on how their child is doing in classes, they make time to clean the hallways, to work on construction projects for new facilities, to volunteer to help with special field days or holiday celebrations, or even to invite their children’s teachers over for a home-cooked meal. Whenever I feel frustrated or discouraged about how things are going at school, I think about how much our families put into this school, and remember that I also want to do my part for a community that has been so welcoming to me.
Last, but definitely not least, I wanted more time with these students. They have worked so hard, learned so much, and have overcome challenges (both inside and outside of the classroom) that many others will never have to face. I cannot wait to see how much they will learn by the end of this year.
