In the year 1962 (fourth grade? …) we perked up as our teachers wheeled in TVs on tall carts. But no, we were not going to watch reruns of “I love Lucy” or Tarzan movies. We were going to learn Spanish, and on KLRN TV. We were immediately suspicious and it all went downhill from there. In 1962, no one paid any attention to Maria Montessori or held with the concept that learning could be fun and interesting. We were still in the puritanical days. You came to school, you stuck your nose into your lessons and did them. Period! KLRN in 1962 meant amateur, hokey and boring, nothing like the excellent public television we enjoy today.

 

Several times a week we were subjected to cheerful chirpy Senorita Barrera and her puppets and ventriloquist’s dummy. The poor woman did everything but walk on her hands to make it fun and entertaining for us, but we refused to be amused. Of course, we actively participated since our teacher had her eye on us, but at Wilshire Elementary we hated the senorita and her puppets. Our attitude was just sorry.

 

It went down like this: 

 

(Cute music as the senorita entered the a colorful hacienda style set with a huge smile on her face)

 

Senorita Barrera: Hola, ninos!!!

Students (in sullen but subtle monotones): Holasenoritabarrera

 

Senorita Barrera: Que tal??!! Como estas??!!!

 

Students (sullen monotones continued): Estabuybiengracias

 

And so it went. Looking back on the show, I now realize how innovative and ahead of her time she was, and what a good opportunity it would have been if our attitudes had been a bit better. Learning as fun was a new concept that we had certainly never been exposed to. The sets were wonderful, and her props were creative. She used two hand puppets named Pipo and Pipa. But we saved our true wrath for the ventriloquist’s dummy: Ricardene. He was a Howdy Doody / Chucky style thing with those hideous freckles. Out on the playground we nicknamed him Retardene.

 

Now remember this was live TV and it WAS entertaining to watch behind the senorita for the technical people walking across the sets in the background and then running for cover when they realized they had walked into a live broadcast.

 

I have a dim, dim memory of actually making a field trip to KLRN. Somebody help me with this! I can only recall it because we came back and drew pictures about our trip. I lived for drawing pictures (and recess). This would have been in fifth grade.

 

It really was a shame that we were such sullen, narrow-minded little urchins. We looked down on the Spanish language, and down on Senorita Barrera. Our 4^th grade teacher, Mrs. Danforth, was fully bilingual and tried to influence us to be more open to learning other languages, but we would have none of it. After all, America was the master of the universe, wasn’t it? Why should we be bothered to learn a language other than English? We gave only the most minimal of effort. But I must add that Senorita Barrera did actually teach me the pidgin Spanish that I use today to communicate with the many non-English speaking students at my elementary school. Despite my former resistance, I can usually understand a basic conversation in Spanish and even know a lot of insults and cuss words (thanks to my native Spanish speaker spouse). “La Gringa” often amazes the students with how much of their conversation I am picking up.

 

If you google Aida Barrera , you will find that she had an impressive career that spanned several decades. Today, she is considered an icon in Texas education.  In the late 70s, her TV Spanish program had morphed into a new and more sophisticated series: Carrascolendas, that took bilingual education even further. She wrote books.  If only I had been a little more willing to learn from her.