A Meatloaf and Sink Holes

As many of you know, I work with a bunch of kids that are great, but most people choose not to work with due to their lack of abilities. Upon occasion there is always the possibility of having kids from other ethnic origins in our class, as is the case at this point in time. Somehow, some way we manage to communicate. Well, most times, that is...

We like for the kids to interact with each other as much as possible (until chaos breaks out).  I'm sure it is very difficult for the kids from other countries to understand the our wide array of speech and language disorders, but it seems that the problems are not always with the the kids that speak a different language.  The kids know Jose* is from Mexico and they accept him. They accept his language difference. UNTIL, they think he is calling them names.  Today, one of our younger boys was almost in tears and went to one of the aides saying, 'Jose called me a meatloaf!' <sniff>.... "A WHAT??"   '<sniff> A meatloaf!!!! Tell him to stop calling me a meatloaf! <sniff sniff>'  The aide, bewildered, went to 'hear' Jose.  Almost unable to compose herself, the aide explained to the upset boy, "Don't worry, he's not calling you a meatloaf.  He called you 'AMIGO'.  That means you are his friend!" 

That isn't the only time the language barrier has caused ruffled feathers for other kids in the classroom.  Last May, one of my other boys came up to me and said, "Ms. Jackie, you better tell Jose to stop calling me a sinkhole!"  I'm thinking, sinkhole??  Dang. (OK, it could have been worse, ya know??).  I ask the kid a couple of questions and we go over to where Jose is and all of a sudden it hits me!!  SINKHOLE??   (OK, inside I am just rolling....)  I tell the kid, "No,he's not calling you a sinkhole, he is saying CINCO.  It's May 5th, Cinco de Mayo!"

*The names were changed to protect the innocent!  Or is it guilty?