Teaching has been challenging. It's really not my thing and most days I finish and wonder what God is thinking about placing me in this position. I have been doing what I can and probably not relying on God as much as I should be. I really felt a burden to do more in the way of social work but didn't want it to come just from me. I wanted God to lead.
In the last month or so I have been spending more and more time up at the children's home. I have found that after a rough day teaching, I almost always find joy with the children at the home. I have started working one-on-one each afternoon with Herode. He is a five or six year old boy who is in Miss Brittany's special ed class. He is really behind and stuggles even in a small class. So each afternoon I do special exercises to help his left and right brain connect better. We also squeeze one another because he seems to need that and we talk about behavior and how he can better express what he is feeling. So far there has been a great improvement! He still struggles in school but Brittany has reported that he does talk about his feelings more and I have seen him catch on to our exercises quickly. Of course there is a reward treat at the end of each of our sessions but what used to be a bribe is now just a fun reward. Now that we have developed trusting relationship he is a very affectionate little boy and we have quite the bond!
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| Herode and I |
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| Herode preaching to us |
I have also noticed in my math classes that some students are very quick with their math skills and others are having a harder time catching on and get lost in the large size of the class. I have offered tutoring after school to those interested and have loved getting to know them more individually. One even earned a 90% on her quiz after a tutoring session! This may become more of a regular thing now and I'm excited to get to know more of my students and really help them understand and succeed.
My fourth grade class stretched their creative abilities and we wrote a tall tale together as a class project. In the Haitian curriculum there is a lot of repetition and memorization but not much creative or interpretive learning. We first read a tall tale together and then learned about what a tall tale
requires. Then I broke the class up into groups and each group wrote part of the story. It was so fun
to see them get excited about their ideas and putting it together with pictures and finally into a book. The story does not make much sense but it's a story and it is actually a tall tale so that is success! After about four weeks, we have the finished story. They are so excited to have their names on the front cover as the authors.
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| Fourth grade working in their group |
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| Their finished story! |
I am watching another beautiful sunset from our roof right now and hearing the worship starting up for a nearby outdoor church. I absolutely love living here. I usually don't leave this roof without some tears shed in absolute joy. The days can be hard but I cannot believe he has chosen me to live here and serve Him in such a beautiful setting.
Here are more pictures of the kiddos up at the children's home...
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| Jean Wilson and I |
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| Magdela dressing up with my bag |
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| Me, Magdela, and Kervenson being silly |
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| Silly Kervenson |
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| Vidlon, my wonderful hair stylist and buddy |
