To the Rescue

So I was in the middle of teaching my 11th grade American Lit class today, when I heard a knock at the door. Glancing behind me, I noticed my cooperating teacher standing in the doorway (she had gone down to the office to run an errand) holding the hand of the cutest little girl I've ever seen and mouthing the word "HELP!". Confused, I looked down at the girl and noticed streaks down her cheeks where she had been crying. She was holding back sobs bravely, but I think the classroom full of high schoolers had also helped to put her into a little bit of a shock.

I walked over to the doorway and Beth (my CT) whispered, "We need a Spanish speaker. This is one of our pre-schoolers, and she's been crying uncontrollably in class repeating something about her sister in Spanish, but no one can understand what she's saying. Can you help?"

My heart broke. I wondered how serious it was.

Squatting down, I smiled and asked her what her name was, but she couldn't take her eyes off all of the big kids in the room staring at her, and she flushed and the tears came again. Duh. I should have known. But I took her by the hand and we moved into the hallway where I sat down and asked her again. This time I got "Maria" out of her between sobs. I told her that her teacher was worried about her and asked what was wrong. I was expecting the worst, but I wasn't anywhere near prepared for what came next (in the cutest, timid Spanish voice you've ever heard):

"My...(sob).....sister....(sob)....took my.....(sob).....hamster this morning....(sob).....and now we don't know where he is! (WAIL)"

Now, my first reaction was to die laughing because I so totally was NOT expecting that, but luckily I was able to choke it back and simply bite my lip. When I had composed myself, I said that I was so sorry, and that I was sure that he was ok. I told her that when school was over we would help her find her sister and get her hamster back. I asked her if she could go back to class for now, and she said she could.

Beth said she skipped all the way back downstairs.

Crisis averted. :-)