My Classroom

It was decided last year at Elk Ridge that all of the foreign language teachers should move out to the portables because then we can be as loud as we want without disrupting our neighbors. I think that was a fine idea but I'll admit I was a little surprised when I walked into MY portable after having seen the others. Why? It was filled to the brim with 2 classrooms-worth of junk. I couldn't even walk through it. I knew I had my work cut out for me. Not only that, my portable is probably a decade or two older than the others and has burnt orange carpet from floor to ceiling. So I just thought I would give you a taste of the the portable 2 flavor...

Ugly Utah Plates.

It's BIG. It's ORANGE. It's the Utah license plate. There's no way I was going to get the plate that had a skier on it. No need to remind me that Utah is snowy and freezing all winter long.
I was so sad to succumb to the law, but it was time for me to register in Utah since I guess I do live here now (wierd). I got my plates at the beginning of January, but then they just sat in my car until January 30th when I realized I had better get my new plates on because my Oregon stickers had expired and I really didn't want to get pulled over for expired tags. I had just gotten home from work, and the sun was already going down but there was a little bit of light, and I just wanted to get the job done.

So with the help of a leatherman (the only tool we have in our entire house of 5 girls) and my roommate Andrea there to document the whole experience, I had a license plate changing ceremony. It was a sad day and the end of an era for me and my car.

I think my favorite part is that I am still wearing my dress and shoes from work. The neighbors thought I was wierd--my car was parked on the road so everyone who drove by slowed down and stared at me.

I am and always will be an Oregon girl at heart!

Estoy "embarazada" embarrassed.

So, for the past several weeks my students have taken a particular interest in my love life and I have no idea why they find my lack of love life so fascinating. It all started when I accidentally got a text during 3rd period. They were all working on their starter, the class was engaged so I snuck a peek. It was my buddy Josh writing to see if I was going to his house to watch LOST. I quickly sent him a note back saying, "heck yes". (Side note: I don't have a TV and I hate waiting until Thursday to watch it online). Well, some kids caught me texting. I defended myself by saying that I had to let my friend Josh know I was coming because I hate missing LOST.

"What, is Josh your boyfriend?" they all asked. No commentary on the fact that I like LOST or that I don't have a tv.

"No Josh is not my boyfriend, he is my friend, just like so-and-so is YOUR friend."

"But Ms. Spravzoff, do you have a boyfriend? Do you want Josh to be your boyfriend? What does he look like? Why don't you have a boyfriend?"

And thus, a myriad of questions were proposed in about 30 seconds. Stupid me, I tried to answer them all instead of saying MYOB por favor. I was advised by several 14 year olds to get myself on Match.com and that if I set my standards too high I might end up alone forever. Now, I can laugh at all of this, I think it's all pretty amusing. But it didn't stop there, several other classes wanted in on all the dirt, and decided that they needed to take my picture to set me up on an online dating service. Then over the course of a few weeks, students would come to class,
"Ms. Spravzoff, are you friends with Mr. So-and-so. I really think he's your type. I think you guys should date." Well now I've got all sorts of prospects according to my students, and right here at Elk Ridge. Never mind that some of them are twice my age, or married! All I could do was laugh.

The next time they ask me any questions about my personal life my response will be "None of your business!". And let's be honest, I should just keep my cell phone hidden until 2:50.



P.S. Just an FYI, embarazada doesn't mean embarrassed, so don't go around saying that, it actually means pregnant. Avergonzada means embarrassed. And que verguenza means, How embarrassing!