Freedom

Alive

It has been a crazy, intense week, but so blessed. We started with our students on Monday which meant a lot more lesson planning and preparing. I've been awake 19-20 hours a day, working almost all of them. I have never been this tired or worked this hard, but I also can't remember the last time I was this excited about what I'm doing.

My kids are wonderful. I expected learning to manage a classroom would be my biggest struggle here, but I really haven't had any problems yet. The first day they pushed things a little bit, but I think I somehow convinced them that I'm serious. Its funny, because I went into the week feeling pretty intimidated at the idea of teaching high school. If I'm honest, a part of me was probably afraid of my students. These kids live in the roughest neighborhood in Chicago. Most of them have six inches on me when I'm in heels. I felt like I was going to have to act really mean or fake some toughness so that they wouldn't run over me.

And then I met them at the door on Monday, and I realized they are just kids. Their world is different, but they really aren't. They call me Ms. P (which I am loving), fall asleep during class, and are confused by chemistry. I walk all around the room while I talk, and I'm pretty sure they think I am everywhere. I've discovered the magic of the phrase "If I hear talking, I will assume you are finished with the quiz and I will collect your papers." Seriously, its golden.

Freedom

Its the 4th July today. Independence day. Let freedom ring, right? I've been thinking this week about how freedom looks a lot different for our students this summer than it does for us. The teacher I'm working with at the high school told me yesterday that when she took a group of her students down town last year, it was the first time they had seen Lake Michigan. They hadn't even known it was there. Really?

Someone told me about a study that discovered that students in low income urban communities like Englewood stay within six blocks of home on average. And students from our school get shot and killed in that neighborhood every year. They need freedom; they need hope for something different, something more than the cycle that holds their whole lives.

I'm realizing more every day that's why we're here. Freedom. That's why I'm going to NC. Education is the vehicle for what God is doing in these kids lives. We talk about giving them a chance, but He is setting them free, and I'm so thankful for my front row seats. Teaching is a roller coaster of ups and downs (I can tell that in just a week), but I think it is going to be worth every struggle.



He has sent me to proclaim freedom for prisoners and sight for the blind, to set the captives free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. Luke 4:18-19