Keepin' it Real

It has been brought to my attention several times in the last month that I never get upset and I never "lose my cool." The truth would actually be that I just don't show when I'm upset. The people that know me well can testify to this.

So...lest anyone think that I have it all together, let me tell you some of the other stories about how my first week with kids went.

Monday was rough. Really rough. I left work Monday extremely discouraged and wondering how in the world I would ever survive an entire summer working with middle-schoolers each day. Before Monday, I honestly thought I was prepared. I have worked with middle school kids extensively and typically build rapport with them quickly. However, what I failed to think about was the fact that I have never had to be in an authoritative role. I am always in the role of friend, with the purpose of building relationships, and therefore don't have to give a whole lot of direction. Very different than being in more of a teacher role.

Part of my job this summer is teaching academics. I was assigned reading and so I spend three 45 minute rotations twice a week working on vocabulary and reading. I had chosen Prince Caspian as the book and was very prepared for my lesson. However, the kids got there and reported that they had already read the book in school and had no interest in reading it again. Then two kids absolutely refused to read. And when I say refused to read, I mean they told me "no." Of course, I was stressed out, didn't know how to handle the complete disregard for authority, and became quite flustered. They never did read and I left wondering how I was going to survive the summer.

Things got better on Tuesday. We went on a field trip and everyone had a great time. No incidents and all of the kids obeyed very well.

Thursday was the next day for academics. During the week, I reassessed how I wanted to approach reading, keeping in mind that it is summer and learning is not their favorite thing. I even decided to switch books. We are now reading "Forty to Life," a book they started last summer and loved. Great decision. More kids read and best of all, they were engaged in the book. Listening intently even as I read to them and remembering all the details of the story. I was so encouraged! While I am somewhat disappointed that not all the kids will read, I recognize that some kids are not going to be comfortable with that and I still think there's value in me reading to them (most of the kids still read Thursday).

So, I am still a little unsure about how everything will work out, but I am very encouraged and looking forward to the challenge the middle-schoolers bring to life!