Yesterday one of my students came up to me after school and asked me for an extra practice worksheet. She wasn’t just looking for some extra points to improve her grade, she genuinely recognized a skill she was struggling with that was jeopardizing her ability to do well in math, and given that she’s a 9th grader, it’s pretty crucial. While some people may hear a request like that and think of the extra work it takes to put something together, I am overjoyed! Even though it could be an indication that I may not have taught that particular concept very well the first time, that request tells me this student not only wants to get a good grade, but that she wants to genuinely understand. I’m new to teaching, but already my heart breaks for the students who struggle in school and ultimately become convinced they aren’t smart enough and can’t learn. I try every day to ensure the students in my classes who have a rough time with math do not feel like this is as good as they’ll ever do. I want them to believe they have a chance, that they can always strive to do better, and that one subject is not representative of their ability overall. Not everyone is going to excel in every subject, particularly math, and I understand that. I want my students to understand that too and not be ashamed by their grades, to be proud of what they are able to accomplish, and know that who they are as people and the way they treat others are more important than their grades on a test. Some days are more successful than others; I am learning as much as my students!
We are currently finishing up our fourth week of school, although last week was our first full week! We cancelled school for two days when hurricane Irma went by during week 2. Irma had little to no impact in our area and Jose was never even close. Hurricane Maria is currently projected to go north of us and stay offshore, we will likely get some rain tomorrow and/or Friday. Please pray for those in the Eastern region of the Caribbean as they were impacted by Irma, and are also being hit by Maria.
Other than the hurricanes, we’re starting to fall into routines here. In addition to teaching our respective classes, Hannah is leading a 7th & 8th grade girls Bible study along with Miss Ashlie, one of the other teachers. I will be starting the 7th & 8th grade boys Bible study next week. Hannah and I are also helping with Junior Worship (1st through 3rd graders) every other month on Sunday mornings. In addition, all of the missionaries get together on Sunday evening for a devotion and prayer. Some of us also hang out on Friday evenings sharing a meal and watch something, play games, or just visit.
This week we have our first group of visitors for the year. Groups, usually from supporting churches, come to visit, help in the schools, and experience some of the culture. We integrate the visitors into our classrooms and spend some afternoons with them doing something outside of the school. Monday for example, the visitors, some of the seniors from the school, and several missionaries including us went downtown to the market and purchased food for several families in need who are connected to Sonlight.
With all of that going on, every day is full! But it is a good fullness. It’s not the busy of commuting to work, running errands, events out of obligation, etc. It’s a life full of people we are either teaching something to, or learning something from. Every day is full of opportunities for us to show the love of Jesus to our students, to the people who come visit, and to uplift our co-workers. Every morning when I wake up, I remind myself that while I am a math teacher, my goal every day is to love students and show them who Jesus is.
Hannah & Bryson in Haiti 