I’m not a teacher.
I’m not a teacher. That’s the first question everyone asks
English students in university — “Are you going to be a teacher?” Since day one, my answer was always a firm
and resounding “NO.” And in my mind,
whenever anyone asked me that, they were obviously
referring to high school students… the idea of working as an elementary school
teacher was daunting and exhausting to me.
I’m not a teacher. That’s the first question everyone asks
English students in university — “Are you going to be a teacher?” Since day one, my answer was always a firm
and resounding “NO.” And in my mind,
whenever anyone asked me that, they were obviously
referring to high school students… the idea of working as an elementary school
teacher was daunting and exhausting to me.
As always, the Lord chose one of the most ironic ways to
teach me about His glory and what it means to serve Him faithfully. Every morning, my teammates and I walk a mile
and a half to the church we’re working with and take over their nursery
school. There are three classrooms with
around thirty to thirty-five kids in each, roughly ages three to
six-years-old. The teachers are young– twenty years old or so– and they’re still in school themselves. The pastor asked us to teach English, because
that is one of the most valuable things these kids can learn.
teach me about His glory and what it means to serve Him faithfully. Every morning, my teammates and I walk a mile
and a half to the church we’re working with and take over their nursery
school. There are three classrooms with
around thirty to thirty-five kids in each, roughly ages three to
six-years-old. The teachers are young– twenty years old or so– and they’re still in school themselves. The pastor asked us to teach English, because
that is one of the most valuable things these kids can learn.
So here I am in Rwanda, occupying a small, concrete block of
a classroom with no colorful posters, no big rug to sit on, nothing interactive
or playful, no interpreter, no class rules, and an unbalanced amount of
discipline — i.e., the teachers hitting the kids with rulers and the kids
hitting one another with fists. The kids
sit on long, low wooden benches and to call their fights “outbursts” would be
misleading, because they spend more time wrestling and smacking one another
than they do actually listening.
a classroom with no colorful posters, no big rug to sit on, nothing interactive
or playful, no interpreter, no class rules, and an unbalanced amount of
discipline — i.e., the teachers hitting the kids with rulers and the kids
hitting one another with fists. The kids
sit on long, low wooden benches and to call their fights “outbursts” would be
misleading, because they spend more time wrestling and smacking one another
than they do actually listening.
To keep their attention for an entire morning would be a
losing battle, so my teammates and I devised a plan. We break the morning into thirds and divide
time between the classrooms –some of us teach English, others of us sing
songs, and another pair leads games outside.
After a couple of frustrated and largely failed attempts to teach the
alphabet [Carly: “This is the letter ‘A.’
Can you say ‘A’?” Class: “A A A A A A!!”
Carly: “Very good! (holds up the
letter ‘A’ again) So which letter is this?” Class: “R!!!!!”], I figured it would
be better for me to get away from the teaching part.
losing battle, so my teammates and I devised a plan. We break the morning into thirds and divide
time between the classrooms –some of us teach English, others of us sing
songs, and another pair leads games outside.
After a couple of frustrated and largely failed attempts to teach the
alphabet [Carly: “This is the letter ‘A.’
Can you say ‘A’?” Class: “A A A A A A!!”
Carly: “Very good! (holds up the
letter ‘A’ again) So which letter is this?” Class: “R!!!!!”], I figured it would
be better for me to get away from the teaching part.
I lead the songs instead.
My history with Awana and Sunday School has served me well — we sing
songs like “This Little Light of Mine” and “Jesus Loves Me” all morning. All
morning. After singing these little
children’s songs upwards of ten times a day, I was starting to go a little bit
crazy.
My history with Awana and Sunday School has served me well — we sing
songs like “This Little Light of Mine” and “Jesus Loves Me” all morning. All
morning. After singing these little
children’s songs upwards of ten times a day, I was starting to go a little bit
crazy.
This little light of
mine. I’m gonna let it shine! Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible
tells me so. Jesus loves the little
children, all the children of the world.
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands!!
mine. I’m gonna let it shine! Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible
tells me so. Jesus loves the little
children, all the children of the world.
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands!!
I felt like a Best of Barney episode stuck on repeat. The worst one for me was “My God Is So
Big.” I am OVER that song — I’m over the
motions, the repetition, the words… I
told my teammates last week, “If I never hear that song again, it would
probably be all right with me.”
Big.” I am OVER that song — I’m over the
motions, the repetition, the words… I
told my teammates last week, “If I never hear that song again, it would
probably be all right with me.”
But then last Friday, as I was leading the kids in the song
and watching their excited faces shout the words, I actually heard it for the
first time in a long time.
and watching their excited faces shout the words, I actually heard it for the
first time in a long time.
My God is SO BIG.
So strong and so mighty.
There’s nothing my
God cannot do.
God cannot do.
Jesus told us to have faith like a child and so often that
means to simplify things down a little bit.
Our relationship with God is something that, at its core, is so simple — God is good. God loves me, so I love God. I will give my life to praise God. The end.
And what is that song if not the perfect reminder of it all? My God is
so big. He is so strong and so mighty — there is nothing my God cannot do.
means to simplify things down a little bit.
Our relationship with God is something that, at its core, is so simple — God is good. God loves me, so I love God. I will give my life to praise God. The end.
And what is that song if not the perfect reminder of it all? My God is
so big. He is so strong and so mighty — there is nothing my God cannot do.
After Jesus gave me my little attitude adjustment, things
have been good — fun, even. The
three-year-olds are still a small nightmare [today I tried to sit on the floor
with them and they were literally punching one another in the head to be
nearest to me], but the older classes have started to follow directions. They actually raise their hands now
[sometimes], they know the songs, they want to help me lead. I feel like I understand a fraction of the
satisfaction teachers must get when they see a class start to come
together. Instead of feeling completely drained
when I leave, I feel excited and energized — and if that’s not proof positive
that God still performs miracles today, then I don’t know WHAT is.
have been good — fun, even. The
three-year-olds are still a small nightmare [today I tried to sit on the floor
with them and they were literally punching one another in the head to be
nearest to me], but the older classes have started to follow directions. They actually raise their hands now
[sometimes], they know the songs, they want to help me lead. I feel like I understand a fraction of the
satisfaction teachers must get when they see a class start to come
together. Instead of feeling completely drained
when I leave, I feel excited and energized — and if that’s not proof positive
that God still performs miracles today, then I don’t know WHAT is.
I certainly don’t see myself rushing home to get a teaching
certificate when I get back to the States, but I can love these kids for as
long as I’m here. I am starting to see
them like Jesus sees them — beautiful, hungry for affection, needy for
love. I’m still no teacher… but I can be
a servant. And I’m starting to think
that that is exactly what Jesus wanted me to learn all along.
certificate when I get back to the States, but I can love these kids for as
long as I’m here. I am starting to see
them like Jesus sees them — beautiful, hungry for affection, needy for
love. I’m still no teacher… but I can be
a servant. And I’m starting to think
that that is exactly what Jesus wanted me to learn all along.
