Week 1 with the Kids

Well my 4th semester is over a week gone. I am now readjusted to home, and my job is already a week over. I have been working at Christian Wee Learn this past week. It was the first week with the K-5 age group. How should I describe this stressful job? Well, stressful and hard. It is completely different from working outside, trimming trees, as I have done for the past 2 summers. Now I am staying with around 18 kids each day. Along with Jessica Breeden, we are trying to teach these kids how to behave and not cause major problems.

So the 1st week was a little rough. The first few days, the kids thought they could get away with anything since they had new teachers. But we were wiser than they. We did not allow anything to be done until we knew for sure that they were allowed to. I had a whole list of questions for those who have worked with that age group before. Once they understood that we were not going to let them get away with things, many of them were quite better. But there were still those who pushed our buttons everyday.

Please pray that these kids will continue to learn how to behave. I have told them several times this week that if they would just listen, they would have fun. So we are rewarding those who listen and do as they are told, hoping that the others will see the importance of being good. But we are also punishing those who do misbehave, and it is working ever so slightly. My goal is for every kid there to have fun. I do not want to be the mean teacher that punishes the kids everyday, but when they do not listen, punishment will come.

On Tuesday, we will start the new curriculum. As I have mentioned before, it is a Bible Drill type curriculum. We will finally have them split into 2 age groups (which will probably help) and they will rotate through different types of activities everyday (instead of free time all day). This will allow them to have time to learn, have time to play, and allow us to get to know them better.

Although it was a long, stressful week, it is over. A new week will begin on Tuesday. We will have a more organized schedule for them as we start on Tuesday. I know that it will only get better as the summer goes on.

As far as Union, I have not been to campus since the end of finals. I know that construction is moving along as planned, and we are expecting a more accurate projection for the completion of the dorms at the beginning of June. I cannot wait to get back to campus later this summer to see the progress, but with gas the way it is that might be a while. My trips to Jackson will be few and far between.

Matt