Teaching Hillbilly

Because of a request for more New Zealand stories, I've decided to include one of my favorites:.

While teaching high school science there, I was constantly teased by my students about my "accent"which to their ears sounded very strange. So, when I changed schools and began teaching on the South Island, I decided to try something new. The first day of school, the principal had all the new teachers up on the stage and introduced me by saying, "This is Ms. Quinn, and you will notice that she speaks quite differently than we do". But I didn't get to say a word.

When the students entered my classroom for first period, I greeted them with, "Hi, y'all we shurr are gonna have a great year!". The looks on their faces was shock. So I contined my ruse, by saying, "Do y'all think I talk funny?" and they all nodded their heads. "Well, I speak Hillbilly and if you would like I kin teach you to talk like me", I continued. They all agreed that they would like to learn this strange language so I began.

"Now youns over cher you say 'I shurr aim tarred and them over there say 'Well, poosh that cooshin over here and set a spell". I had to write it phonetically on the blackboard and they practiced til they had it...then I explained what it meant (translation....I sure am tired and Push that cushion over here and sit for awhile). The kids loved it. I resumed speaking normally and they said, "Ms Quinn, you really don't talk like that!" and I agreed that I had no accent.

They were so enthralled with"Hillbilly" that I agreed that if they were very good, I would teach them some more. At lunch that day I got back to the staff room and the principle came up to me and said, "I shurr aim tarred!" and laughed hilariously.

At our first parent teacher night several months later, the principal came up to me and said, "Ms Quinn, all the other teachers are gone and you have a line of parents waiting to see you!" I asked him to bring them all in at once and knew what they wanted. Sure enough, one parent said, "We are here to learn some Hillbilly.....and we want something the kids don't yet know" So, after making appointments to see them all later in the week, I said "In West Virginia, we have these little shacks up on top of the mountains where rangers watch for forest fires....they are called "far tars" (fire towers). They loved it!