Just because I wrote a treatise on cheating doesn't mean I've eliminated it. I still had to deal with a ton of cheating in the 10th graders' first quizzes this trimester, including a whole turma that I had to punish because I could hear them discussing the answers among themselves. And this week, I give the first quizzes to the 12th graders which seems to always be a struggle.
This weekend, taking a walk along the river, in a thick foresty area just under an hour from home, I saw monkeys. A whole family (or clan, as it were)! And in the wild! It only took two years, but I finally saw my first real wildlife here - and it was thrilling. These were pretty large tree-dwelling, butt-picking, tail-flashing, head-bobbing monkeys who were as interested in me as I was in them. Whenever I caught one peeking out at me, it would look away and head for cover.
Speaking of monkeys, I've been talking about the evolution of man lately. And today, one of my students asked me if it was true that white people come from God, and black people come from monkeys. I said "No!", then explained, again, the theory. Up till now, I have been downright religious about telling kids that they can believe whatever they want, but I want them to try and understand evolution as I'm introducing it. But that was the last straw.
I thought they might have been pulling my leg, so I asked them what church told them that - it was the Catholic church. So I spoke with my 12th graders afterwards and they confirmed it, with more raunchy details.
"Yeah, either from monkeys or mud, depending upon the church." I asked the 12th graders if they believed it, and they seemed pretty set against it, but not completely.
Did I mention how much I love missionaries?
Peace
John
