Earthquake Drills and Hidden Treasure

Yesterday, while working with 3 of my lowest beginners ( beginning to learn English), the PA system in my classroom announced an Earthquake drill .  I knew it was due to happen but I hadn't read the protocol very well . I knew it involved ducking and waiting it out under a table inside the classroom .

It was hilarious ! My students thought I had gone mad ! Their class teacher had prepped them for the drill but my poor EAL students wouldn't have understood a word ! And now, here was Ms.Deepa who seemed pretty normal until now, hurrying them to leave their work and crawl under furniture !  " What? what?"  " why ? " they said between guffaws, even as I tried modelling what I wanted them to do !  The I started shaking furniture, and my body in an effort to convey " earthquake ! "  Finally the Japanese kid understood and immediately ducked under a desk .  The other 2 French kids followed suit .

Crouching there, I tried explaining again because I had a strong feeling about what was going on in their minds . Finally my petit French girl said  "ah ! Exemple ! oui, oui, I know!  tremblement de terre "... Yes , yes... EXAMPLE ! PRACTICE ! I yelled in relief !  Phew!

I was crouched under a big ( relatively big I have a classroom that's built for 7 & 8 year olds )  table . Just as I was wondering if there was anything else I missed from the safety protocol handbook , my Japanese  boy piped in " Ms.Deepa, you table too bad . no strong . you die ! "   Yup ! He was right . My table sure was big enough for me to sit comfortable , but was made of plywood and so flimsy that if there had been a real earthquake . . . Anyway I crawled out , duck waddled with my hands covering my head and crawled under a tiny , solid wood student desk . My neck was growing stiff and so I tried stretching it .

Bad move .

I caught sight of the hidden treasure . I looked around . There , on the underside of each student desk were dried up globs of   the product of  years and years of  gold digging .*

YUCK!!  Now that image keeps popping up in my mind each time I see their little chubby hands !


* In India ( at least when I was in school ) , if a teacher caught you with your finger up your nose , she might say " What ? digging for gold ah ? "