Our after school program is beginning to pick up steam. I have been focusing the majority of my energy on that while Emily began working in a local elementary school this week. The after school program has about 18 students right now and is still slowly growing as word gets out. We have 5 middle school students all of whom flunked their grades last year and are very far behind where they should be. With them we have decided to do some intense vocabulary and spelling work. All of the other kids ages range from pre k through 6th grade. Its been nice to see some of the kids from our summer program return to take part in the after school program. Our main goals are tutoring and homework help. Soon we will have work-study students from Jackson State University helping with the program. Some of the kids really need one on one help with their school work so the more tutors we can recruit the better.
I'm finding that working with kids, especially the middle schoolers, isn’t an easy task. For all that I try to pour myself and my energy into them they seem to not care. I’ve had to come to the realization this week that in this type of work there is no instant gratification but rather a slow change maybe only visible upon looking back. At the end of the day I don’t feel that I’ve done a whole lot to help the kids but I must realize that real change doesn’t occur overnight. I cant expect students to show gratitude for me and my energy everyday or ever. I know that some are grateful to be in the program but have no way to express that, which is fine. Hopefully as we go through the school year the small breakthroughs, like helping a third grader understand syllables and be able to sound out words, will add up to produce a child that is better prepared to enter the world with the tools that will help them break the cycle of their poverty. So we find strength in the little breakthroughs and hope at the thought of what these kids could be.
Emily’s first week at Poindexter Elementary was very hard. The principle tore into her on the first day, saying in front of another Americorp person that she was not his top choice and adding other personal insults. We have heard more about this man as the week has gone on including stories of teachers leaving the school because they just couldn’t work with him. He runs the school like a prison. The kids don’t talk around the lunch table but instead there is an eerie silence. There in no recess, instead a Physical Ed class once a week. Emily is struggling at the thought of spending a whole year in this school but she is finding hope in the possibility of being a light of love to the prisoners, oops, I mean students. There are so many issues when a white person from out of town comes in to work in an all black school. Sadly even more issues may be raised when that person is a woman. The locals, especially the ones with power, tend to see you as someone coming to change things and to do it your way. Our hope is that with time, through a lot of pride swallowing and tears, the principle (or “the devil” as he has been called) will come to see that Emily has not come to change the system but to serve and help.
3 comments:
J & E---I know that gratitude will be slow in coming (or never). When I think of the big picture though, I imagine that some of the concepts you are helping instill in the kids will make a difference for the rest of their lives. Have you ever had the experience of "the light dawning"? Even learing to tell time or understanding a math concept. Not only has the child learned something, but they have renewed confidence that they even have the ability to learn. From what I understand of your experience, self esteem is something the kids lack and really need. God will bless you for your work and others of us really do appreciate the sacrifice you are making with your time and energy. You are also becoming richer, deeper people through your experience that will effect who YOU are for the rest of your live.
PS...I'll meet you in December!
Johnny & Em, We've been regularly reading your blog, but haven't ever commented here.... Wanted you to know we pray for you and are so proud of you (not in a condescending way!) for what you are doing. We're excited that you are learning and growing in faith, and are providing a light of true eternal hope in the dark cycle of poverty and deep hopelessness you encounter in the people there(while working to serve in ways that are currently tangible to those who need to see that God and the hope of Him are for real right now, not some far-off unrealistic promise of la-la land). Did we already mention that we are proud of you? We are proud to know you, and we believe God is pleased at your love for people that He loves, and we believe that He will be faithful to give you strength and love for them in the midst of horrific situations (Lady) or where-the-heck-did-that-come-from unfair treatment (principal>Emily)! We love you so much and look so forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with you! JALS
JB looking good in the Oregon hat. Oh yeah, come on.
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