It sure did feel good to teach again and to work with students this week. It was definitely a learning curve for all of us--the staff and the students. Except for one, most of our students had only ever been here once, and that was for a week of camp. Coming here for school and family life is a whole different story, so those boys were very emotional by the time Friday came around and they knew they were going to get to go home for the weekend to see their families.
As a teacher, I could only be somewhat prepared for that emotional dynamic to this ministry. Until you meet the kids, work and bond with them all week can you really begin to empathize with them. I mean, they all love it here. They love being in a safe, secure environment. They love the houseparents they live with and even the interaction with the houseparents' younger children. They love the big home-cooked meals. They love the structure they have in school, even if they're still pretty reluctant to work at this point. Every day we start our day by writing in a gratitude journal (and on a gratitude poster), and every day they write something about how thankful they are for being here. But on Friday, they all wrote the same thing on the poster. "I am thankful for GOING HOME." Sure does tug at your heart strings.
We're learning quickly why God brought each one of these boys to New Song, and my teammate and I do not take this privilege to teach them lightly. We'll be working hard to catch several of them up to their grade level as they have very obviously been those children that slip through the cracks. It's definitely going to be a challenge. My teammate looked at their current levels and said, "I don't know what the right answer will be to how we're going to do that." And my response was, "The right answer is that they're here." With two of us and only five of them, and a safe, secure, Christian family environment, we can do so much more than had they stayed where they are. We can give them hope that they honestly didn't have.
This first week was mostly about getting to know these boys, teaching them routines, procedures, and setting expectations, and pulling them aside to talk things through when needed. It was really all hands on deck, but next week I think we'll all be able to settle into our specific roles as they kids resettle next week. Everything won't be so new, and they'll be aware that they're here for school and not camp. LOL. We started our afternoon enrichment classes like Bible, Leadership, Spanish, Fun Science, and Friday afternoon chapel time. I also am really excited about our daily Read Aloud time right after lunch. I also got them started on a program where they can submit their extra assignments digitally, even with pictures and videos, and their moms can see their work. One of the moms sent me a message after seeing her child's work and video and said, "That just made my day." :)
It was definitely one of those weeks where I wanted to pinch myself just to make sure it was all real. What a privilege to be chosen by God to work in this unique teaching and discipling opportunity. Have there been a few tensions along the way? Of course, especially when people change roles within a team. But at the same time, it's been a neat opportunity to grow together as a team and to support and encourage each other.
I am really looking forward to see just how far we can take these boys, to see them develop leadership skills, to see them grow spiritually, and to make an eternal impact on their lives.
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