Last Monday I took on the challenge of working with a group of about 5 boys who can't really read. Over the past two weeks my group has grown to about 10. For the first part of the time we work on phonics. I have flash cards and we go around the circle sounding out the words on the cards. Then we watch a short phonics video. Sometimes it seems really cheesy, but most of them seem to like it.
Most of them are doing really well with this, and I question how much work we need to be doing with this. They've got most of the sounds down, as well as a lot of the words on the flash cards. There are only a few who are still struggling with this.
For the second part of class half my kids, who are pretty good readers go back into the classroom and work one on one with some of our reading volunteers. The other half sticks with me and I have one of them pick out a book for me to read to them. As I read I sometimes ask them to read a word for me. This seems to be helping and I think most of them are enjoying it.
It is a lot of work though. Most of the time I have all 10 boys on my own and it is really hard to get them to all stop talking and to sit down at the same time. I have no idea how teachers, especially elementary school teachers do it. Here in the inner city some teachers have 30 kids in one classroom, with no helper. No wonder most of the students are 2 or 3 grade levels behind.
It is super easy to be passive when working with the kids. Partly because they are so darn cute, but also they are little boys with a lot of energy. I have been trying to figure out ways to harvest that energy to actually be able to get some work done, but it is so hard with so many at a time. I don't want to be mean because I know what it is like to be a little boy and have a lot of energy, but I still have to teach them something. Last week and this week have been a learning experience in trying to balance my passivity with being too strict. I have spent a lot of time in prayer over the past couple of weeks, seeking some direction with this. I will share more about that in my next post.
Even though this has been really tough it has strengthened my relationship with the teacher I am working with. It gives us to talk about and discuss, bouncing different ideas off each other. She sees me as a reliable volunteer and is more comfortable asking me to help out around the classroom. It is an answer to prayer. Thank You God!
On Tuesday the second year interns were able to host our weekly intercession night. We had the two couples that are living as urban missionaries over for dinner and then the rest of the interns came over. It was so great to be able to cover our neighborhood in prayer, as well as for people we have met and the different places we have been serving for the past couple of weeks. It is so important to cover our different ministries in prayer and I have found that it is something I really enjoy doing.
Last week the second year interns were also able to go to the beach before heading up to Pella for the weekend. We went with the guys that work out with some one of the other interns and Ascent Staff. A lot of them had never been to the beach before, so they really enjoyed it. It included a lot of messing around, tossing around the football and frisbee in the water. We also had some good conversations. It was so much fun!
While in Pella I was able to meet up with my mom and sister and go out to eat with them. I think we all really enjoyed a little time together.
Prayer Requests:
- That I would have wisdom in teaching the little boys I have been working with.
- That God would continue be building relationships between me and the kids.
- Tonight we are having another movie night with some guys from the inner city. Pray for a good turn out as well as good conversation and just a lot of fun.
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