Time to begin slowing down?
When I was “younger”, I had expected my life would begin to slow down by the time I hit my 50’s. Ok, I have been here 2 years……..well? I don’t feel any easing of the brakes – it feels like I have hit the accelerator instead. I have always lived, I might say, “a full life.” But it just keeps getting “fuller.” And I have to confess……I like it. Oh, it would be nice to know that when the weekend came, it would be a time for relaxing and catching up on rest, and minor things like paying bills and cleaning my house. But maybe when I get older….
A new adventure has been added to my weekend schedule….GLO….Gregory Lincoln Outreach, in the absence of any other thing to call it. I feel so loved …..Nathan specifically asked me to blog about it, so here it goes.
The school I teach in is a low-performing school when it comes to the required state testing……ok, and by any other measure as well, to be honest. But it is filled up with kids who started their lives with more to deal with than I will ever have to deal with and need so much before they can even begin to feel successful in academics.
For the past several years the school has offered Saturday tutorials for grades 3-8 – those students who are required to take “those tests” in order to promote to the next grade. Invariably, there are a handful of younger siblings, Kindergarten through 2nd grade, who tag along for something to do or because they are sent along to be cared for.
The group of women in my church I meet with weekly decided to offer something for these younger children during this same time period. Our school is a fine arts magnet and a major focus we have this year is character development. So we decided to incorporate music, art and character education into a fun, 2 ½ hour session during the same time on Saturday mornings that the older children have tutorials.
The last week of school before the Christmas holidays, we sent home a flyer informing the families of this opportunity for their children. We made sure they knew that we were a church group offering these sessions. The first Saturday after school resumed in the New Year, we had 18 children. We started off with teaching self-esteem – the foundational understanding that if you feel good about about yourself, you are much more likely to want to be the kind of person who lives a life that is honest, respectful, and truthful.
The day included 3 – no, 4 – components: story-time, music and art AND a snack time! We had volunteers from our church as well as from another church in our city. I felt we accomplished our expressed purposes – teaching self-esteem and having fun while complimenting our theme with art and music.
But I think I would have to say the biggest accomplishment of the day was beginning a connection with some children that need to feel they are loved and accepted for who they are. There were at least 5 kids there that I know that struggle to feel good about themselves and as a result have major behavior issues at school. My heart’s desire is that these children would come to the end of these 10 sessions feeling like they can be successful in school, at home and in life. I am not so naïve to think that miracles will occur in their lives in this short time…..there is so much more than their school life that impacts who they are. But if a seed can be planted in these young lives that they can be so much more than who they are and that they are loved by the One who made them and have meaning and value, then I will feel these weeks will not have been in vain.
As for my relaxing weekends – there will come a day when that will happen, but for now…..there are more important things in life than a clean house and propping up your feet and watching TV. Ok, I DO need to get those bills paid…..but I am glad I am where I am and doing what I am doing ….One day I will be “old” and then I can worry about those other things, right?
A new adventure has been added to my weekend schedule….GLO….Gregory Lincoln Outreach, in the absence of any other thing to call it. I feel so loved …..Nathan specifically asked me to blog about it, so here it goes.
The school I teach in is a low-performing school when it comes to the required state testing……ok, and by any other measure as well, to be honest. But it is filled up with kids who started their lives with more to deal with than I will ever have to deal with and need so much before they can even begin to feel successful in academics.
For the past several years the school has offered Saturday tutorials for grades 3-8 – those students who are required to take “those tests” in order to promote to the next grade. Invariably, there are a handful of younger siblings, Kindergarten through 2nd grade, who tag along for something to do or because they are sent along to be cared for.
The group of women in my church I meet with weekly decided to offer something for these younger children during this same time period. Our school is a fine arts magnet and a major focus we have this year is character development. So we decided to incorporate music, art and character education into a fun, 2 ½ hour session during the same time on Saturday mornings that the older children have tutorials.
The last week of school before the Christmas holidays, we sent home a flyer informing the families of this opportunity for their children. We made sure they knew that we were a church group offering these sessions. The first Saturday after school resumed in the New Year, we had 18 children. We started off with teaching self-esteem – the foundational understanding that if you feel good about about yourself, you are much more likely to want to be the kind of person who lives a life that is honest, respectful, and truthful.
The day included 3 – no, 4 – components: story-time, music and art AND a snack time! We had volunteers from our church as well as from another church in our city. I felt we accomplished our expressed purposes – teaching self-esteem and having fun while complimenting our theme with art and music.
But I think I would have to say the biggest accomplishment of the day was beginning a connection with some children that need to feel they are loved and accepted for who they are. There were at least 5 kids there that I know that struggle to feel good about themselves and as a result have major behavior issues at school. My heart’s desire is that these children would come to the end of these 10 sessions feeling like they can be successful in school, at home and in life. I am not so naïve to think that miracles will occur in their lives in this short time…..there is so much more than their school life that impacts who they are. But if a seed can be planted in these young lives that they can be so much more than who they are and that they are loved by the One who made them and have meaning and value, then I will feel these weeks will not have been in vain.
As for my relaxing weekends – there will come a day when that will happen, but for now…..there are more important things in life than a clean house and propping up your feet and watching TV. Ok, I DO need to get those bills paid…..but I am glad I am where I am and doing what I am doing ….One day I will be “old” and then I can worry about those other things, right?
posted by Betty @ 9:49 PM
1 Comments:
At 5:06 AM,
ELS Houston said…
thanks, mom. i'm so proud of the very essential work that you're doing. the life you live is such a stellar example of so many of the things to which I aspire.
Post a Comment
<< Home