Note - Erin hurt her back and has been out of commission all week, so her roommate, Rita is blogging this week. We expect Erin to return next week.
Smiles, disappointment, laughs, weariness, testing, birthday, jigging,
joy. All of these encapsulate my past week.
Last week was a journey full of many hidden surprises.
ISAT testing was taking place in grades 3-8. For 3 hours every morning our
school was on testing lock down for tests that don’t seem to matter any more.
But, because of a deal CPS signed, the students are required to undergo the
stress of standardized testing.
With that said, my fifth graders were champs. After our
routine bathroom run, we would blast the song “Happy” from Despicable Me 2, and
have a 4-minute dance party to get the oxygen flowing through our brains.
Needless to say, there were ear-to-ear smiles as we all clapped our hands. And
for those four minutes we all felt like we were in a room without a roof.
Yet the days could feel long, and students who are normally
tired of school were even less willing to apply themselves. No matter how I
tried to show those students I care about them, they chose not to respond. It’s
disappointing to see smart students start giving up.
I’ve been challenged this week. I am the Lord’s hands and feet. To a child who is so thirsty and,
under all those layers, is grasping for help. I am His loving glances,
encouraging words, and enthusiastic high-fives.
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| Drew, Krissa, Me, and Blair with my birthday muffins |
Although there are
moments when I feel weary, the Lord always surprises me with His joy. On
Thursday it was my birthday. So on Tuesday night during our seminar, Lisa and my fellow student teachers surprised me with muffins and candles! It was so sweet
of all of them to think of my birthday, and I was so surprised! Thursday
morning I wasn’t planning on the students doing anything for my birthday, but
they also surprised me with a very sweet birthday wish on the board. Throughout
the day my students would grin and say, “Happy Birthday, Ms. Clousing!” When we
rotated for Science, my other class came in singing “Happy Birthday”. I
couldn’t help but laugh and feel loved and appreciated by the students and
staff. My roommates were very sweet and spent time celebrating with me that
night. I went to Grand Lux Café on Michigan Ave for dinner, which was
absolutely delicious. Their beignets are divine.
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Wednesday night was full of tap-dancing joy as we went to a
production called The Heartbeat of Home with
the Chicago Semester program. I really had no idea what to expect, but it
turned out to be a show mostly of Irish dancing mixed with acts of tap-dancing,
salsa, and hip-hop. The talent of the dancers was out of this world! It was a
great night downtown!
It was a productive, surprising week in Chicago, and more
adventures are in store for the weeks to come.
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