Still No Time....

I realize it has been a few days since I have written--so for this, you have my sincerest apologies! However, there is so much to say and I neither have space nor time to write it, thus I will postpone the many details of my adventures until I actually have time to sit and process all of the things that have happened.
     So suffice it to say...today was amazing! And that I had an absolute blast. And that I somehow managed to hold it together while saying, "See you later," to the students. And I am beyond exhausted, so I am going to bed now. While the rest of my packing will get done in the morning.
     God is so good!

Blowing My Socks Off!

As I have been reflecting on my past five weeks here and all I have seen and done; I am greatly humbled by what God has and is still doing--and by everything these wonderful people here have blessed me with.
     For so long, I have felt complacent....I had my doubts that I was improving in my Signing and was concerned that I had been loosing what little I have learned. (Last year was so crazy-busy that I barely had time to attend any ASL Socials or interact with any Deaf, thus my Signing suffered greatly.) And although this is my third year studying ASL, I still felt like I didn't know much. I was also anxious about my signing here, fearing I had indeed forgotten things and that I would only confuse the students and create more work for Betsy.
     Not to mention the tantalizing idea of becoming an Interpreter seemed to loom before me like an insurmountable mountain. But God continued to make His will for me as an interpreter, clear. So believing that He knew what He was talking about, I came and have done my best to push aside my self-consciousness and to Sign to the best of my ability.
     I have realized during these past five weeks that, for one, my Signing has drastically improved! Imagine that? When I first arrived, I struggled with understanding another's Signs. My receptive skills seriously needed some work. I had to really focus, uninterrupted to be able to follow a conversation. And to interpret for someone else--Forget it! I was further irked that I always asked people to repeat things and frequently stumbled over my own words--or, hands, rather.  I felt so frustrated at my lack of understanding and my inability to properly put my own thoughts into Signs. I asked others to interpret when I did not understand (which was fairly often) and I would frequently ask, "What's the sign for __________?"
     But this past week, I have noticed, to my great surprise that I rarely asked people for the meaning of Signs and I have not needed an interpreter. In fact, I have interpreted many times for the new girl who came and doesn't know Sign. I also began to realize that as I tutor students, I am able to explain their English or math to them without asking Betsy more than two questions. It's a miracle!
     At first, when I began to realize that I wasn't asking questions or inquiring about how something should be Signed, I was worried. Was I doing something wrong? Was I not Signing enough? And then I understood--I wasn't asking questions because I already knew. I wasn't asking Betsy how to Sign words because I either knew them or could continue my conversation by using a synonym that I already knew.
     As I compare, I see where I have improved: From when I had to work hard to understand someone Signing, to now when I can easily understand someone. Like yesterday for instance...I was at a classroom and Kristian was the entire way across the courtyard Signing to me. He was so far away that at first, I wasn't sure if he was talking to me. Although by the time I realized this, he was Signing so quickly that I nearly missed what he said. But as I squinted and watched him, I understood within seconds and was on my way to fetch Mizael to help clean the kitchen. And I really wasn't concentrating that hard!
     Another thing I have noticed too, that also terrified me at first was that I no longer really pay attention if someone is voicing or Signing. Reading Sign has become so natural that I don't think twice about it. Take for instance the other morning in chapel. Betsy was up front Signing her lesson and I was focusing on her Sign, understanding everything clearly. Beside me, Juan spilled his water and when I got distracted and looked down, away from her Signs, I realized that she was voicing as she Signed. I was surprised. I had understood her Sign so well that I hadn't even realized she had been talking. This also happened in church when she was interpreting. She doesn't voice in church, but I understood her Signing so well, that I thought she was and I asked Rosa if she had talked or only Signed. And the other day when someone said something in Spanish, I responded accordingly, not even realizing they were talking in Spanish. I only knew that I understood them, and what my response should be. Spanish, English, Sign--I don't care how you talk to me, just as long as I understand you. Just sayin'....
     Another thing is that I had been so afraid I had lost some of my Signs...I really doubt that I did. But just after one day with the students, it all came flooding back to me and it was as if I had never "taken a break!" And I am learning so much about Deaf Culture and tons of new Signs that I wonder how boring and stuffy my conversations had been before....
     And I will willingly admit, that obviously I still have such a long way to go and still have so much yet to learn. But I have a funny story. I have gotten into the habit of, if I don't know the Sign for something and there's no one I can ask, I will make it up. I invent it in the moment and if the Deaf person doesn't understand what I'm trying to convey, then we'd go from there, but first, I would do the best I could. So yesterday, I was teaching the new helper some signs and I was interpreting a book for her. I saw several words I didn't know--words I had never used before in all my years of Signing. I invented then off the top of my head and said to use those Sign until I could verify it with someone else. Later I asked about the Signs and realized that all of my "imagined Signs" were actually the correct, legit Signs for those words! Who knew, right!? So cool....And today in the library, Francis was reading a book and asked me what the word "Branch" meant. I thought about it for a second before making up a Sign...(because there is no real Sign for branch.) She laughed and I wondered if I had been terribly wrong. When I asked her what was the matter, she said that Kevin was also answering her question and that, without knowing, he and I were both using the same exact Sign to describe the word "Branch." So he was sitting behind me, doing the exact same thing to describe "branch" that I had just come up with from the top of my head. Neato! How funny!
     But in all seriousness, I am beyond surprised! I had no idea I could understand people this well--or express myself for that matter...especially after only four weeks of school! This is certainly an act of God! He told me before I came that He would blow my socks off--I had no idea He meant it like this!
     I was also astonished when I was told after only my second week here, that I was considered to be "conversationally fluent." Who knew?! I was told that I was advanced and that I knew what I was doing--but I just needed to believe that and have faith in myself. That there is the kicker. Although,  I must admit, the prospect of my becoming an interpreter is beginning to brighten. I may be able to imagine that happening now. It may actually be possible. Although, I know that with HIS help, anything is possible!

Blessings In Disguise!

Ever since I discovered last summer that ESD has a handbell choir, I included it on my "Puerto Rico-wish-list;" hoping that while I was here, I could finally see the kids perform a song. But my dreams were cruelly dashed when Betsy told me weeks ago that she was retiring from her role as "Handbell Instructor." Really? Just my luck.... She said that if I really wanted to hear them, I should talk to Kristian and Kevin and get them on that--because she was washing her hands of it all! In other words: she's finished with the bells. Period, end of story. And the subject is really not open for debate. Hmm, I'd have to figure that one out...
     So during these past few weeks I have not forgotten about them, but instead simply decided not to mention them unless directly asked. No big deal.
     After lunch this afternoon, we all crowded into the library to watch a movie that had just arrived in the mail--that being One Night With The King since it correlated with our Bible lesson about Esther. I had walked into class a little late as we had lost the dog and I was out searching for him. "...All of the batteries in this remote are dead." I heard Betsy mutter. "In fact all of the batteries seem to be dead! Does anyone else have any I could use?" I had no sooner taken my seat when Betsy paused to turn and look at me. Knowing I was in her sights, I smiled and waited patiently for her to comment. "I need water...would you go to my home and take care of that?"
     I looked at her and frowned, "Now? In the middle of class?" The students stared at me as I stood.
     "Yeah, now. Stay away for at least three, four, or five minutes--or whenever you come back!"
     I shook my head as I weaved my way through the conglomeration of chairs, tables and students that crowded the room. "Trust me," Betsy called out after me. Yeah okay, whatever that meant.
     By the time I returned, they had already begun the movie and everyone watched me as I came in. Interesting. So I gathered they had been talking about me. How lovely...what had I done now?
     The movie first half hour of the movie was finished and Betsy turned first to Kevin. "What's happened so far?" Her question was met with a blank stare. She returned the stare with an unspoken challenge before reinstating her question. He sighed, "Uh, I dunno...." She glared at him, "Where have you been? I'm sitting here interpreting this for you and you don't remember anything that's happened?"
     I glanced from Betsy to Kevin. Oh boy--literally. I could see this was not going to end well. Kevin waved at her and I looked back at Betsy. He shrugged, "Well, there was this one guy...Haman?" She nodded in annoyance, "Why won't you focus?" She ignored his next interjection and turned instead to Kristian. "What did you learn?" Kristian sat back in his chair, "I don't know...."
     Betsy shook her head despondently, "Neither of you have been paying me any attention?! I can see I am totally wasting my time!" She shooed them towards the door. "Out! Out with both of you! Go to the chapel, get down on your knees and pray for forgiveness...and that I'll have mercy on your sorry behinds!" They rocketed from their seats and charged towards the door, arguing the entire way.
     Everyone was silent. I risked a befuddled glance at Betsy. I had never seen her like that. It was not like her to react that way--something must have been very wrong. Because she was madder than a hornet! At that instant she turned her fiery gaze towards me. My smile instantly vanished. She jabbed a finger in my direction, "You!" Uh-oh, whatever it was, I swear I didn't do it! She thrust money at me--"Go to the store, I need batteries! Now, go!"
     Inwardly I was slightly reluctant to leave for the store when my kids where there, but one glance at her face assured me that it was definitely a good idea. So Amanda and Juan escorted me to the store and assisted in my quest for AA Batteries.
     We returned within the half hour and when I climbed out of the car, I was surprised to see the campus seemingly abandoned. The classrooms were also vacant, so my only viable alternative being the chapel, which was eerily silent. As I opened the door, I noted with great concern that it too was empty. This allowed for a moment of panic when I wondered if perhaps the rapture had come--and if so--why was I still here?! As I stepped into the room, a cheer went up from the front of the chapel. I jumped and looked to where all of the students stood in uniform behind a table--full of bells and music books! My heart skipped in my chest and my stomach clenched as I bit back the tears that threatened to choke me. It was simply perfect--even down to the little pairs of white gloves.
     "Surprise! Ha-ha, we fooled you!" Kevin announced as I struggled to regain my composure. That I couldn't argue with, "Yeah, you sure did!" I managed to choke out. The others joined in with similar comments and I learned that the entire drama in the library was just part of the whole gig. I realized that these people are great at keeping secrets! And that I'm entirely too trusting. Betsy smiled; "The boys had to come set up and I was trying to think of a way to possibly get rid of you...."
     Yeah, for the time being it worked...but I came right back. Sorry to say that you won't get rid of me that easily! I took my seat and they began playing their song. I alternately laughed and blinked back tears--my heart was so content. And to think, they went to all of this trouble just for me. How special! They ended the beautiful song with a shout of: "All for you, Rachel!" At that instant, my heart exploded. I embraced each one of those precious students and Betsy, thanking them from the bottom of my heart for all they have done for me! What a precious moment!
     Thinking back on it, at the moment when I was sent to buy the batteries we didn't necessarily need, I was less than enthusiastic, but I was blessed beyond words at what was waiting for me!
     Thanks guys for making my day so incredibly special--that meant the world to me! Love ya'll!      

She's Always Watching....

It's Sunday...Let's just take a moment of silence to reflect. And as Betsy so sweetly put it this morning at church: "Ah, it's Sunday! It's the best day of the week because it's the first--but it's also the worst because it's the last day of the weekend...."
     So after church this morning and lunch/shopping with Betsy afterwards, I came home and had a relatively relaxed afternoon. I chilled by myself, rocked out to my music as I put away my groceries and wrote some thank-you notes, then read through my journal. I hung out my laundry to dry on the line and then came inside to finish writing...only five minutes later I heard the pouring rain. Seriously? Oh, this is the story of my life.... I should be used to things like this by now!
     Then when Francis and Rosa returned from their shopping excursion, I hung with them for the rest of the evening. Gosh, that girl is hilarious! She is definitely a comedian. And I know now why my abs are feeling sore.... At one point, I was laying on my bed, talking to my mother and Francis was sitting across the room, trying to get my attention. But since I couldn't see her calling for me, I didn't look at her. But when the flip-flop came hurling through the air and hit my leg, I immediately reverted my attention to her. This method seemed to work swimmingly; she'd have a homework question and when she tossed a shoe at me, I would turn around and answer her. After the first half hour, one would have thought she'd run out of shoes. But that wasn't the case; somehow she always had a steady supply to use as ammunition. But just watch; tomorrow morning everyone will wonder about all of the bruises covering my body. And I will simply say, "My little, seemingly innocent roommate is actually quite vicious and went on a wild rampage. She attacked me in my room...." Well, it's the best I can come up with off the top of my head. However, I know for a fact that the nasty bruise on my elbow is from when I banged it on the wall. Betsy, your shower is too small! Or maybe my arms are too long. I have no idea...but whatever the case may be, that injury was not roommate inflicted.
     But between all of that, I did find time to look over the "report" that my mom had given Betsy to fill out. (It was more like a performance review.) Betsy handed me the paper at lunch and while we had discussed some of the more prominent points, I was dying to know what the rest of the letter contained. So as Betsy's been watching me throughout the past couple weeks, she has been taking notes on my skills as a Signer, my conduct towards the students, my interaction with the other staff, my behavior during class time, and my overall performance.
     Reading it over, I must admit, I was surprised. She gave me an A on virtually everything, summing it up by saying that, "I (Rachel) definitely know what I'm doing...but I just need the courage to do it!"
     I had not expected that. She also said that I would make a great teacher--Wow, I had so not anticipated that either! Who knew?!
     So while I am feeling encouraged, there are still a few things I know I need to work on (like my Non-manual-markers, for one.) Those silly facial expressions get me every time. But when she told me that she thought there could be improvement in that department--her comment warranted an expression she finally did approve of. So I have decided to dedicate my last week here to fixing the errant mistakes I have been making.
     Facial expressions...I've got this. And Kevin will be wondering why I'm insisting we do so much math homework this week...because that's where I can most effectively practice. When he gives me a hard time--I give him a look (actually many looks, depending upon the situation)...but usually one that says, "I'm not amused...." Ha, just kidding. I'll gladly leave the math to someone who actually doesn't despise it and I will go find another, safer place in which to practice my NMMs! Just think; if I stayed with the math, the only facial expression I'd be able to accurately replicate would be that of me hurling...but that won't get me far in my interpreting career, now would it? I can see my professor now, quizzing me about my NMMs...My response? "Well, sometimes I throw up." Uh, yeah, good luck getting a diploma.

Uh, Oops....

For certain, each day brings me further out of my comfort-zone. I mentioned on Thursday that I expected to be a very busy bee yesterday--True that! Oh, if I had only known....
     But now that I know what not to do, hopefully I will be better equipped in the future.
     So first thing after our daily staff meeting, I scurried over to chapel and prepared for the worship I would be leading. The students chose their favorite songs and together we interpreted them for worship. But finally, when the dude who was coming to speak arrived; I vanished to a dark corner where I hunched over my clipboard and wrote furiously, hurrying to gloss my newspaper article into ASL before it was time for my class to start. You see, I had not anticipated this. On Wednesday, I had given the article to Betsy so that she could interpret it for her students in her writing class. But apparently this assumption was erroneous because on Thursday she handed the paper back to me and told me to interpret it for my students in my journalism class. A holi-day-whodi-whati? I'm gonna what?! I blinked. I glanced at her, then at the paper, and back again. Surely I had heard wrong....My pulse quickened and the heat rushed to my cheeks. Oh dear. "Uh, I can't interpret this article...there are many multi-syllabic words and idioms...." I tried to dissuade her. "You don't understand!" But I need not have bothered protesting.
     She simply wrinkled her nose, "Well, remember to not add so many big words in the future--but you wrote it, you interpret it."
     She turned to go and I stared at her back, "But...but...but." This was so not a good idea. She stopped and turned back around to face me; my mouth shut with an audible snap. The expression on her face clearly said, "If you have any questions...ask me when you're done." I made a few more lame attempts to try and convince her otherwise--but her mind was made up. End of story. Oh, fine, I'll do it! Not that I had a choice in the matter, though. So as I glanced over my gloss, I suddenly realized I had forgotten one of the words in Sign. "How do you sign the word 'president'? I have never had to use it before...."
     Betsy looked at me with a bored expression on her face. "You used the word, you figure it out."
     I sighed. Oh, honestly. I tapped my pencil on my knee...now what? Having an idea, I waved discreetly at Kevin and when he looked at me, I finger-spelled the word to him from behind my book. I glanced at Betsy where she sat at her computer and slowly shook my head. He immediately got the hint and turning his back towards her, he subtly signed the word to me. Bingo.
     So as the kids traipsed single-file into the classroom and were finally situated behind their desks, I slunk to the front of the room and sat in the "hot seat," my heart beating a million miles an hour. Betsy had meanwhile, apparently changed her mind; so instead of sitting behind the computer, she took a seat against the wall and turned to watch. Not exactly what I was anticipating. I mean, no pressure.
     With eight pairs of eyes watching me intently, I took a deep breath and willed my heart-rate to slow to a somewhat normal pace before jumping right into my story. After the first several minutes, I was finally confident enough to make eye contact with the kids. To my surprise, this was a great help. I looked at them as I explained about my adventures in Boston and my encounter with Native Americans. They nodded in understanding and began asking questions. Yay, it was interactive! And once I finally began, I realized it was not as bad as I had anticipated. But finally I came to the end and they all applauded. Betsy gave me a reassuring smile as I gracefully left the "stage." Only to be called back up moments later.
     Betsy had explained that they needed to write a story in which to apply their spelling words. "Rachel, come up here." She handed me a marker, "If they have questions, answer them."
     I stood with the marker in hand and looked into the tanned faces. Okay then. So I was doing more teaching. I guess it was time to take action then. "Well, you saw the lady," I waved them to their books. Time to get crackin', as my aunt would say.
     And did they have questions! Every couple seconds, I would see a hand waving and would be asked how to spell a word or need to explain a situation. I am beginning to understand what it means to be a teacher--and while I must admit that at times it is quite tiring, it is also so much fun!
     Then, after an hour, came the conclusion of that project. Next, it was into the kitchen for my Home Ec. Class. Putting things out on the counter, I prayed everything would work out well. Betsy was slightly stressed, so I was hoping this would be easy and virtually painless. She wouldn't have to worry about anything, right?
     Ha-ha. Truth be told, I was trying something fairly new. I had decided to make mini-pizzas using Pillsbury Crescent Rolls and rolling the sauce, cheese and pepperoni inside before baking it. That seemed like such a quick and easy thing to do, but once the kids began assembling their own, I watched on with increasing unease. Okay, so...maybe this was not such a great idea. I smiled as they slapped pizza sauce on their biscuit. I pondered if I should at that moment have lowered my expectations. Eh, fo shizzle, they would be fine. I whispered (signed discretely) to Kevin and Larimar, "This is a new recipe--an experiment. I hope you all like it." Larimar giggled and Kevin shook his head. Now, after all this time, you would think I would have learned by now that Betsy sees and hears everything. So it should not have surprised me when she looked over at me with the look on her face that said...well, I wasn't so sure I wanted to know at that moment what it said. Oops, was the only thing that came to my mind. Then, as if deciding the look wasn't enough, Betsy evenly asked, "What did I just see you say?"
     I wiggled my eyebrows at Larimar and slapped pepperoni on my roll, trying my best to act nonchalant. "Oh, I'm trying something relatively new," She stared at me and I began to have third thoughts about this idea. Yup, scratch that--back to the drawing board...."But, Rosa has made them before and I have made very similar things...so, no worries." I reassured her with more confidence than I really felt. Actually, I was reassuring myself as much as I was her.
     Betsy frowned, "Honestly, that was the last thing I really wanted to hear right now...."
     Oh, right. I nodded, "You have my sincerest apologies." I turned back to the students, some of whom had witnessed our exchange. "Ha-ha, wish me luck," I told Kevin as I gave the other kids a huge grin.
     "Okay Rachel, I'm trusting you on this!" Betsy chuckled and turned around. Nothing like pressure, huh? I bit my lip. Oh, Lord; I don't know how, but get me out of this one.

The students making snacks before the near pizza-disaster!

     We finished assembling what then looked like big hunks of chunky, red, saucy dough...wonderful. How appetizing. The kids were then herded towards the tables and were encouraged to play Uno until their food came out of the oven. I took a deep breath and waited--and waited. That had to have been one of the most suspenseful ten minutes of my life. I shuddered to think what could have been happening to those little balls of clumpy dough inside that oven. Heaven only knows what could have been going wrong behind that door. But finally, to my and everyone's great relief, they came out, looking and smelling wonderful. Which had far exceeded my expectations. If they had even survived the oven, it would have been an accomplishment.
     But the students said they liked them, the staff complimented me, and Betsy was impressed, so I guess the Lord did indeed answer my prayer after all! Oh, what a day!

Anticipating Tomorrow!

It has been yet another wonderful, busy day! And I am anticipating another even busier day tomorrow. I am responsible for leading the morning worship in Chapel and then I will be teaching about journalism--using one of newspaper articles as an example. After a petty "argument" that continued in front of the students, Betsy insisted that I stand before the students tomorrow and interpret my article. It has not taken me long to realize that resistance is futile! Betsy always wins an argument. Period.
     And so it is. After Chapel, I will make my way to the front of the classroom and interpret my story while Betsy enters grades into the computer. At least, that is what she said she'd do. She offered to do that so I would feel more comfortable, knowing she wasn't watching. Oh, okay then. I'll let you know how that works.
     Then while I attempt to recover from that, I will arrive in the kitchen where I will teach my Home Ec. Class. I went shopping for this this evening, so I am feeling fairly prepared for this--thankfully.
     Well, it's getting really late and I am exhausted, so "hasta mañana," my friends! I will let you know tomorrow how things went in the chapel, classroom and kitchen!

Brainwaves and Facial Expressions!

Monday began as a typical day with all of the students arriving bright and early. I again joined the students in the classroom for another wonderful day of school. Now note, that according to Betsy, she gets her best thoughts and all of her ingenious ideas when playing Angry Birds. (Weeks ago, she had agreed to quit, but that only lasted a few weeks. When we confronted her about this issue, she admitted that she had stopped having good ideas, thus she had begun playing again...knowing that it would stimulate her brain and aid in its thought process.) So apparently she had been playing again yesterday because during math class, she rushed into the classroom and slapped Kevin's desk before shouting, "I just had a brainwave!" I know what you've been doing, I thought, envisioning her playing Angry Birds. But without waiting for us to recover from our sudden start, she began to excitedly explain to us the ingenious plan she had just devised.
      After lunch, I sat in the library reading the book my mother had sent along with me. Yeah, I know--the kids were astonished that I homework to do, too. I mean, what was my mother thinking, sending oodles of books across the ocean with me, hoping I'd read them in my "spare-time?" So anyway, as I sat reading The Screwtape Letters and listening to the students practicing their guitars in the background, the door flew open and Betsy stepped into the room, laden with various school-related items. She took a seat next to me and spread her conglomeration of things on the table. At that moment Amanda burst into the room with Juan in tow. "What are we doing for story time?!" She asked as Juan darted towards the bookshelf in search of his favorite book.
     Without looking up, Betsy slowly shook her head, "Ya know, I really haven't gotten that far." She shrugged dejectedly, "I just seem to have no inspiration." (I choked back a laugh and bit my lip.)
     Amanda frowned, "Well, we could at least do a Bible story or something...tell it, act--"
     "I've got it!" Betsy jumped up from her chair, hands desperately chopping the air. "I just had a brainwave!" We all braced ourselves for whatever was coming next. "We should act out the story of Esther...well, you act it out, I'll narrate/interpret it." Without waiting for a response, she nodded decidedly. "Good." So that was that.
     Gone was my laughter as I sat stunned, wondering what exactly had just happened in those previous twenty seconds of my life. And why had my name just been mentioned? Inwardly I cringed...that was not a good sign...literally. And while I really should not have been surprised, I couldn't help the little flutter in the pit of my stomach when they informed me that I would be Esther in our Bible play. Oh dear. But, in reality, it was so much fun! Amanda was a fantastic Vashti and made a wonderful candidate as we girls all stood in a line awaiting our turn to "meet the king." Amanda grabbed Larimar's guitar and with a grin, she called over her shoulder, "I'm going in with a bang!" Oh my gosh, this girl is hilarious!
     We continued the story this afternoon with me as Esther, Betsy as Mordecai, Amanda as the scribe and Mizael as Haman. Let me tell you, we laughed so hard! And just a warning: tomorrow is the day Mizael (Haman) will be hanged! And while I'm not anticipating anything too drastic, I am thankful that Rebekah (a qualified nurse) is on the premises.
    Then it was on to math class. You all know what that means.... *involuntary shudder* I no sooner sat my butt on a chair (which by the way, I'm finally able to do as it's been slowly healing from the traumatic encounter at Charcol Frio) when Betsy told me to grade Kevin's homework. Oh boy--literally. But then, when I found a repetitious error, I kindly confronted him, asking him to reread the problem to see if perhaps he could find where he had originally made the mistake. Let's just say; that entire ordeal was much more than I'd bargained for. Instead of simply fixing that one errant problem, he then asked for guidance on several of the other problems he had to solve. And problems they were indeed! I conceded to helping since no one else needed me at the time, and leaning over his book, I read the equations. After a while, we formed a system that actually worked quite efficiently. He would figure them out by himself while I used the answer book (an advantage of being the teacher's assistant) and then we'd compare answers.
     He would figure out a problem and then look at me, with an eyebrow raised, "Correct?" I would nod and he'd continue to the next one. It did not however, take him long to realize that apparently my facial expression changed slightly as he wrote his answers, depending on whether it was correct or not. I noticed this after he wrote an answer and I smiled. "I knew it was right," he told me proudly, "Your face told me 'yes.'" Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow. Okay, Mr. Smarty...bring it on. He finished the next one and looked at me. I fought to keep my facial expression neutral. He stared at me quizzically, "That right?"
     I stared back at him, "What do you think?"
     He caught on within seconds and knowing that I laugh at everything, he devised what he must have thought to be a brilliant plan. I on the other hand, disagreed. After each problem, he made a goofy face, thinking that if I laughed, his answer was correct. Honestly, I don't cave that easily! So I devised a plan of my own....I desperately needed to work on my facial expressions (one of the Signing parameters, I don't excel in, but am determined to.) This was the perfect opportunity to practice. I waited until he had completed the next problem, checked his answer and then looked to me for conformation. He wiggled his eyebrows and made a face. My stony expression remained unchanged. It was obvious that he had not expected this reaction...His facial expression clearly told me so. I chuckled inwardly as he tried once more to get a smile out of me. Again, so such luck. I didn't even blink. He heaved a sigh. "Tell me! Right?"
     I raised an eyebrow and shrugged nonchalantly, signing, "What do you think." I laughed as he groaned and rolled his eyes, responding with, "I think yes!" I glanced down at the book and paused for suspense before adding, "I think yes, too." I watched as he scrawled his next answer and again looked at me. I forced a frown and ducked my head. "Oh Kevin, really?" I rolled my eyes and compared his answer to that of the book, still hidden on my lap. I grabbed my red pen and shook my head, still frowning.
     One glance at his perplexed face and I about lost it--very nearly blowing my cover. He was beginning to freak out. "No! No! It's not wrong--" He signed dramatically. "Ugh, really!?" He ran a hand over his face and I bit my tongue as he wearily eyed the red pen moving closer and closer to his book. His fingers drummed nervously on the desk, "I understand it..." he tried again to dissuade me and prolong the inevitable.
     I shrugged. Willing myself to keep my face blank, I lowered the pen. The instant it touched his book, he yelled before slapping a hand to his forehead and slumping in his chair, seemingly defeated. I squelched the nearly overwhelming urge to laugh. Seriously, dude--It's not that big a deal. He jumped up and cracked his knuckles as he watched me write with the dreaded red ink on his paper.  =) A smiley was all I wrote. After several seconds he glanced at me. "What?! It's right?" He slapped his knee and only then did I release the laugh I had been suppressing all that time. "Yup, it's correct."
     He jutted up from his chair, arms/hands flailing. "What?! What?! It's right? Why did you do that?"
     I simply smiled and signed. "Because you said I was so easy to read. Do you truly think so?" He slumped back in his chair as I continued. He wasn't getting out of this that easily. "You also said that my facial expression always tells you yes. Does it really?" I tapped my pen on the desk. "I'm not as easy to read as you think...."
     That seemed to subdue him for a little while at least. And a little bite of humble-pie would never hurt anyone. But what made it all the funnier, was thinking back on it, I had asked many individual people a few weeks ago about their opinions of my signing...ironically, him being one of those persons. His immediate advice to me?  "You need more facial expression!"  Ha-ha, yeah, you got it, Amigo!  No problem....