Optimism-- Is it contagious

and faith.. it is crucial.

I have been making my students do some writing assignments that are strictly about their lives.  They can write anything they want, in any way that they want.  They can tell me about who they are- through writing they can show me WHO they are...and this has been a very humbling and amazing experience.  I have been looking forward to this all year- teaching this unit, learning who my kids are, more about where they come from.  I love them so much.  I wish they could see how amazing they are and what they have achieved from coming from what they have come from.  I have something special in my classroom.  I do not really know what it is, other than the fact that my kids have started to trust me with who they are, and they feel like (hopefully) they can be themselves when they walk through the door.  Most of them come from very hard things.  The things that they have had to overcome baffles me to this day..and some of them are still trying to overcome these things to this day.  They have no clue how wonderful they are, or how much they can impact our society just by being the best possible version of themselves.  Many of them have been told that they cannot achieve anything...they are not smart enough, they shouldn't have been born...I have one kid who told me his mom told him that "she wished he was never born and that she should have had an abortion".  Thinking about these things, listening to my kids as they tell me some of the intimate details of their lives makes me think about how great my kids are.  I do not know if I was told that if I could keep going on and be okay.  But this kid that told me that, he is going to rise above the situation.  He wants to be different, he is a sophomore and already talking about college.  These kids are our future, and they just need a little hand to help 'em get up sometimes. 

I showed some of the video Freedom Writers in my classroom.  This is one of my favorite movies because I see so much of my kids in the kids that are represented in this movie.  My kids thought I was CRAZY when I first came in, and quite frankly I would not be suprirsed if some of them did not like me.  But, through talking and just really wanting to get to know my kids, I have been able to break this barrier with them.  I really think it is the Lord through me, because there are many times I get frustrated with them and such, but my goodness how wonderful our classes have become.  We are a family.  That probably sounds silly, but really, we are a family.  People who did not used to get along, are now pretty good friends.  When they see each other in the hall, they say hi, they even refer to each other as brother and sister.  (Which half the time is probably making fun of me because I have talked about how we are a family, and they are brother and sister..)  But regardless...my kids have learned to look at each other through a different set of eyes.  To look at each other without judgement.  Now, it would be niave to think that there will still not be judgements, prejudices, or stereotypes that are given to others, but what I hope is that they have learned how to look at people for who they are instead of what they look like.  I know this may not seem like something that is important to learn in English, but things come so much easier in a learning enviroment when there is a trust and respect that has been established.

All this to say, I hope my second year will be as rewarding as my first.  I am going to miss my kiddos when they graduate to jrs...some of them seniors ;)  Erin Greuwell's character in "Freedom Writers" says it so poigntly, "When I am helping these kids make sense of their lives, it makes my life makes sense.  How often does a person get that?" 

 

I love what I do.  I love who my kids are.  I love that the Lord has put me in a place where I am getting to do something that I have always wanted to do, and I am getting to teach the kids who NEED to be loved on daily.  One thing I have learned from the past two years is that no matter what, the Lord will always line things up.  You may not always be in your ideal position, but He lines you up with His will and what He wants for your life.  And in the end, you just have to trust that He knows far better than you do.  This is proving true in my life, and thank Jesus I am finally getting to a place where I can see that.

I would have included a picture of my kiddos in this, but when my computer got stolen, so did many of my pictures, so there will be pictures of them to come :)  I need to take some more!  I will post a blog with an update in pictures soon as well!! Love you guys...thanks for always indulging my more serious side ;)  And the goofy side always!  LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUU!