Wow how time flies! We are in the last week of the semester for school already. We will have a break for about 6 weeks, and boy do I need it! I feel like my creative thinking is about all used up for the time being, and thats not a good thing when you're teaching creative arts! The struggle that I face here is not so much with art itself. I have always had artistic ability, and even went to college to study art after high school. That taught me lots of techniques and sharpened my ability as an artist. It helped me develop my own style and creativity, but I never had ANY aspirations to use those things in a classroom setting! So here I am, teaching (or at least doing my best impersonation of a teacher) art classes for kids from pre-k age up to high school age.
Here are a few of the challenges I face. The kids here culturally are so stunted when it comes to artistic creativity. Out of the 180 odd kids at the school, there might be a dozen or so that actually demonstrate any real artistic ability. I think there are many kids who have the ability to be really good artists here, but they don't get encouraged to use much creativity, so they have not learned how to use their potential. Most of the kids don't understand concept, so when you ask them to draw a picture and use the whole page, they have trouble. I usually end up with a bunch of random objects drawn in the center of the page.
Another challenge is that being a support based ministry in a country where certain supplies and materials are either unavailable or very expensive, I am very limited in what projects I can do, which challenges my own creativity! I can't do watercolor painting in all the classes because the paints get obliterated after just a couple classes. We have to draw and paint on copy paper because good paper is not available. Projects that involve materials that are commonly available to us in the states become impossible here. And trying to get the kids to understand how to use materials responsibly and to share them results in frustration on my part and the sound of arguing kids.
The whole experience has been pretty stressful for me, and at one point, I didn't think I would be able to continue. I just didn't know what to do next, and often felt like I was far to inadequate to be teaching, and I wanted to give up.
But through this experience, I've learned something. When we are called to serve, and we answer that call, MANY times the things God requires of us will draw out our own weaknesses and inabilities. Its in those times that we truly learn how to be submissive, and to trust in His strength, and not our own. Man that can be hard. I know I still have a lot to learn about trusting God completely, but I am also finding along the journey how he meets each need and supplies us with just enough to go on. Like having a handful of 8 year olds run up after school and ask with genuine excitement when I'm coming to their class next, after feeling like the last project I did with them was lame!
Its in moments like those that God reminds me that trusting Him is worth it, and knowing that maybe a seed has been planted, and that maybe, just maybe, a kids life might be changed. And I am strengthened, and encouraged. Thank you Lord.
Cayle
No comments:
Post a Comment