Despite the unique challenges my classroom and students have presented this year, there are some little and big things I have watched grow and change, and I want to share some of them.
First of all, one of my little students who was so shy she didn’t speak for the first two months of school has begun speaking to me (promptly after I brought a random chicken to class and let her hold it and help me name it). And this isn’t just any talking, she is speaking with such precise grammar and big words that I am daily shocked to discover the lovely language ability she possesses. Also, she doesn’t just talk to me occasionally- she talks to me throughout most of the day, about everything from how her shoe is untied to friendship problems in the class to things happening at home. I cannot believe the huge progress that I have seen her achieve! She went from being a painfully shy girl who wouldn’t smile, make eye contact, speak, or participate in class, to a bubbly little girl full of smiles and laughter and stories! I had to call her out for talking for the first time in class yesterday, and it was the most hilarious thing because the whole class was SHOCKED, and I think she was too! But she didn’t burst into tears or shyly look into her hands, she made eye contact with me and had a huge playful smile dancing across her face. What a lovely child full of surprises! The other day as she was leaving to go home, she looked up into my eyes and told me, “Teacher, I am going to miss you when you leave!” What a shock those kind words were! My darling student, you don’t understand just how much I am going to miss you too. Another huge thing that has changed is my number one troublemaker. The first few weeks of class were SO difficult with him that I found myself repeatedly crying after school. He would throw temper tantrums in class, refusing to do absolutely anything that you asked him to – no matter if you asked him kindly, gave him an incentive, threatened a punishment, or gave a punishment – it was always the same horrifying response of an angry and destructive outburst. Multiple times he hurled things at other students before I could throw myself in the way, destroyed the classroom decorations and furnishings, threw water all over his desk and those around him, trashed all the backpacks of his classmates, and even yelled mean things to God in the middle of class. At this point we realized that school may be a better place without him, so we created a plan for him and his family to follow. He had three chances, or he would be kicked out of the school. And this is when I started REALLY praying for him. I know I should have started praying like crazy earlier, but it just didn’t happen. Yes, I prayed for my students, but not with the vigor and soul that I should have. In fact, we all started praying for him. With a complete change in the classroom organization and seating arrangement, I set out to make my classroom a safe place, despite this student, but also for this student. At this point I was getting a lot of complaints from the other parents about their children’s interaction with him, and I kept trying my very best but struggled with knowing how to stop his angry outbursts when I couldn’t see them coming. Many things have happened since then- new seating arrangements, a new sensitivity to emotions, a new “I’m sorry” policy, a new punishment system, new teamwork strategies, new fun things to learn, new family-like groups and increased rewards for good behavior, and the student I have now is completely different. He is kind most of the time, he loves to help one of the little girls in the class when she is struggling with math or an untied shoe, he prays respectfully and even leads out in small group prayers, and he often wears a contagious and loving smile. Yesterday I introduced subtraction to my first graders. The look on his face when he grasped the idea and was able to use his own fingers to subtract by himself was priceless. He kept showing me that he could do it- and it gave me a deep happiness because I could tell how much joy it brought him. That’s who is he is now- a loving boy who needed a safe place, a warm hug when things were tough, and someone who was stubborn enough to get past his barriers and see the huge sweetheart that he is. He loves bringing me pictures that he draws of bees, stars, and of his family. I am thankful for him being in my class, and that I have the privilege of being his teacher. I definitely did a lot of growing, and I can see that he has too. Wow, isn’t God amazing?! I would have never thought all that was possible. Praise God! I had a fun moment today when I let the kids use scissors for the first time (we finally had enough for each student to use one!!). We made snowflakes together and it ended up looking like a snowstorm hit our classroom with all the tiny pieces of white paper covering everything! I guess that is going to be the closest thing we will have to an actual snowstorm. The best part (I’m TRULY kidding) about all of this is that my floor is made of red bricks with sand in between them. Sounds strange, I know, but I am teaching inside of a large, white tent and this is the ground that they placed it over. This makes sweeping literally the worst thing ever. As I sweep, it usually ends up mushing leftover food and pieces of pencil shavings and papers into the cracks between the bricks- making those items irretrievable. So tonight’s task will be lots of fun, especially with the layer of white over everything! But just like Edhy always says, "Life is never flat!" Your continued prayers for each of my active, challenging, adorable, learning, gorgeous children as I do my very best to teach them are greatly appreciated! Until next time... Miss McEddy
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I am startled that I have already been here for basically three months and that my time here is about ¼ of the way over. How can that possibly be? There is so much still to do, so much to see, so many more words to learn and people to meet! Yes, I will be beyond excited to see my family and friends again, but I just know I am going to miss this beautiful island and her beautiful people something fierce.
Strangely enough, I’ve found it hard to live in the moment here. During the daytime there is no other way BUT to live in the very moment you are in due to the craziness and stress of it all, but during the evenings, it’s different. I find myself either so in love with the culture and its people here that I am saddened by all the places, adventures, people, and foods I will be missing when I go back to America. On the flip side, some nights I lay awake, wishing I could have a hug from my Mom, a burrito from Taco Bell, or even just a lingering moment to sit under a fall tree back home. This morning I realized how tragic it is that I have not been living in the present every moment I’ve been here so far. This is something I will begin working on, but I know it will be hard. I can’t completely ditch my life back in America for a year and then come back expecting everything to be the same. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that at all. If I want the same friends I had before, I have to keep working on those friendships and it’s best to keep tabs on the other things happening over there too. If I need the support my friends are giving me, I should be willing to give that same support to them as well- even if I am thousands of miles away. Amazingly, I have felt little homesickness here. I wasn’t sure what to expect with homesickness because of my strange childhood where I gallivanted across the globe with my family, but so far that part has been pretty chill. I cannot say I have been completely without that emotion though, because every now and then something will remind me of America or my loved ones, and it will bring me a deep-seated longing to be with them again. I had a funny moment the other evening when the three of us SM’s decided to go buy greasy food at Burger King just down the road. Despite the fact that I hardly even go into Burger King in America, the AC and greasy food and foreigners made me feel rather homesick. Maybe once I head back to America I can go into Burger King when I miss Timor Leste! Even though I haven’t felt too much homesickness, other strange emotions have cropped up: like restlessness. Maybe this is a symptom of homesickness, I am not really sure, but let me tell you: it sucks! Restlessness is much worse than many other emotions because I seriously have no idea what to do with myself! I usually end up cleaning my classroom, hand washing my clothes, exercising, or even exploring the shops and streets in our town. These things definitely help, but I’ve found that the best way to combat the restless disease is to hang out with other people who feel the same way. I can’t fully speak for the other SM’s here, but I have a feeling they also experience it and can understand the way I am feeling. We spend many afternoons climbing things, singing, playing sports, or just talking about life. Those times spent with them are really meaningful to me because I feel connected, valued, and a part of a bigger purpose. God has used the other SM’s here (and many other people) to bring joy into my life, and I am thankful for that! Two events that helped me to stay present are the highlights of my time here so far. One was a trip to Hera, a farming village a few hours away, and the other was a trip to Jaco Island. In both of those trips I got to experience the beautiful culture here up close and personal, which was amazing. Many embarrassing moments occurred while trying to blend in and sticking out so badly- but it was worth it. I learned SO much more in those few days traveling around the island than I did in a month living here in the city. I came back with a head swimming with new Tetun words, tummy filled with new and delicious traditional foods, my heart filled with the joy of making new friends, and my faith strengthened by the testimonies of our brothers and sisters across Timor Leste who endure so much for our Lord. My First Grade Class Update: My kiddos are doing amazing! They have learned so much already and I am very proud to see that. There are always behavioral problems in my classroom due to the number of students, but God is slowly teaching me patience and giving me more wisdom as I ask for it. Art week was a few weeks ago, and that was so fun for me! I had them making different art projects every day: from plastic bottles colored with permanent markers and then cut into spirals to make classroom decorations, to circle art, to popsicle stick owls. One of the last projects I had them do was to draw things about themselves on a cutout picture of their profile. My kids weren’t as creative or careful as I was hoping, but nonetheless- I think they turned out looking pretty cool. It’s almost time for our very first grade printouts to be handed out, so this is going to be a stressful next few weeks trying to pull the information for 19 kids together pronto. Honestly though, the challenge is kind of exciting! I love my kids so much and I am so thankful for them, even when it gets crazy. Keep praying for my kids to grow more like Jesus and that God will continue to give me the patience and wisdom I need to be a good teacher to these wonderful children. Random Updates: I was given a bike today! I am so excited to get to use it and bike around town! Now walking to the way to the beach will probably take half an hour instead of an hour. Weee!!!! Here goes more adventures! A beautiful black chicken flew over the wall and into our yard the other day, so I enlisted Meghan’s help and went out to catch her. We were able to catch her pretty easily (because Meghan is that speedy and I’m great at scaring chickens) and I promptly named her Harold. I kept her in my classroom all day, with her foot tied to a long string and the string tied to my chair. The kids and I fell in love with her and wanted to keep her, but you know how these kind of stories end. I took her back to the neighbors who live on the side she flew over from and asked if they wanted her back… and the young man I was speaking to didn’t really understand English, grabbed the chicken, and tossed her down into their yard. I slunk back to our compound, sad that I couldn’t keep Harold. Oh well! Maybe she’ll come back for a visit someday. Thank you all for your continued prayers, love, and support while I am away! I will try to do better at keeping this updated, but no promises! Until next time... Julia |
AuthorI am an elementary education major and am in love with Jesus Christ. I want to serve Him as best as I can, which has lead me to this missions experience. I also love painting and drawing, cooking, crafting, and spending time with people I love. I grew up living in a whole bunch of different places as a child, so the airplane is a place I feel comfortable. Archives
February 2017
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