La Bamba

Last year, my school made me organize an assembly for Hispanic Heritage Month.  I love my kids, love Latino culture, but I hate organizing assemblies.  It's incredibly stressful and time consuming.  And, I guess I found it odd.  My school isn't always very respectful of diversity and I felt like my kids were being used for a dog and pony show.  This year, I hoped they would forget about the assembly.  Especially considering how crazy this year has already been.   I have been completely overwhelmed by reclassification meetings for kids exiting ESOL, screening A LOT of new students for services, my actual student roster increasing dramatically, three classroom changes, a multitude of schedule changes, no planning period for weeks on end, I could keep going but I think I've made my point.  I kind of know that the school doesn't care how busy I am, but I thought the assembly might at least be off the table because the room it would take place in has been off limits most of the school year because of the building construction.

I was wrong.

Less than three weeks before the assembly was to take place, I was informed that I better get on it.  My eyes widened in horror.  Why was this my responsibility?
"Don't worry!!  I'll get you a team!"  I was told.

I knew I wasn't getting a team.  I told the kids it was on and they were in my trailer the next morning, figuring out what we were going to do.  The Chorus teacher told me they could perform the same Spanish-language song as last year, which was a huge relief.  I put up the bulletin board.  Provided a list of "fun facts" about Latinos for the morning announcements.  I bought a ton of full size flags for our parade of flags.  We finalized what the kids wanted to say, in Spanish and in English.  We practiced every morning.  I made a little 'ol Power Point of pictures that flashed behind the kids while they presented.  I made a Spanish-English flyer to be sent out on the school's message system and individually invited all of my Spanish-speaking parents, many of whom had children presenting in the assembly.  I made a Spanish-English program to be handed out.  I bought and spray painted large wings for some of the kids to wear while they talked about the Quetzal's importance in Guatemala.  And, I did my day job at the same time.  

About a week and a half before the assembly, two teachers mentioned off-hand that they were going to help me with the assembly.

"I think we have everything pretty ready, we're just practicing now."  I responded.

They seemed put off.  I was put off, too.  Now you want to help?

Two days before the assembly, I received a text message.  

"I want a forty-five minute assembly and a parent fashion show!"  it read.

That's when I lost it.  

"You said you didn't need us!"  one of the "helper" teachers mentioned when she saw me and the Chorus teacher trying to practice.

"I thought we were ready."  I responded.

"I didn't expect to hear that what I was doing wasn't good enough and to start getting forced additions two days before the assembly.  The kids need time to practice and I definitely don't want to corral a bunch of parents."  

I felt angry and ridiculous.  It looked like I had rejected help.  I busted my ass, my kids practiced like crazy and now somehow, we had failed.  

"We are going to add some music and put pins in the map on your bulletin board to show where the kids are from."  she responded.

"We'll do it.  You don't have to do anything."

"Okay."  I responded, trying not to cry.  

They got another teacher to add music from various countries to my Power Point.  It looked pretty good. The day before the assembly, after school, the "team" that was supposed to do all the international-type assembly stuff met for the first time.  

"So!  Hispanic Heritage Month! I want to eat tacos!"  one mentioned.

"When does it start?"

"It's over in a couple of days."  I responded, placing my forehead on the table in front of me.

Then, the day of the assembly, the person that was supposed to present the music wasn't at work.  People started looking at me to present.  I refused.  I thought I "didn't have to do anything".  And, I hate public speaking and this would be the worst kind, a dancing, heat up the crowd kind of public speaking.  They figured it out.  

The morning of the assembly, I ran around the school gathering about twenty-five kids from all grade levels to practice one more time.  One of the teachers started giving me a hard time.  I answered as cordially as I could, then she barked at me.  I turned, grabbed the kid's hand and walked away.  Suddenly, the principal was there.  She grabbed me and hugged me.  

"You handled that perfectly."  she said.

"Thank you for saying that.  I don't know what I'm doing right now."  I answered. 

The assembly was actually really great.  The parent were thrilled.   As soon as their kids started speaking, I saw a bazillion phones shoot up, filming.  The parade of flags was great.  I was happy that they were happy.  I made a mental decision.  My students and their families love that fucking assembly.  Next year, I'll start early, it will be forty-five minutes long and I will embrace the damn thing.  

"Is that your deodorant?"  I asked pointing a random tube of deodorant laying on the sidewalk while I walked Mercedes, Eduardo's sister, to her mother.  

She giggled.

"Eduardo wears deodorant now!  It's blue!"

"Really?  Is he getting all stinky?"  I responded.

She laughed more.

"Did you try it?"  I continued.

I saw her little side-eye and knew that she had definitely investigated that deodorant.  

"He put it on me and Sabrina too!"  

I burst out laughing.  A full, hard, massive throaty laugh.  The biggest, longest laugh I have had in a really long time.