there are so many things i need and want to say!!!! okok. uh, let’s see… i was supposed to have two blogs already completed and posted by now (between the last one and this one). needless to say, that didn’t happen. ; ) but just a head’s up, those will be about the city of pittsburgh, pics of my house, neighborhood, job building, etc. but until then, i’ll address the subject at hand- THE KIDS!
all week i’ve been in pretty intense training to be a leader/teacher for the UI day camp. everyday i’ve been getting trained on everything from first aid, to public speaking, to legal matters, etc. but recently instead of just talking ABOUT them and learning general procedures on how to interact WITH them, i’m getting to know the actual kids. they are A LOT to deal with…but i think i’m falling in love.
my first introduction to who the kids really are was through spiritual assessments that they were asked to do. in order to determine how effective the program is, urban impact assesses each student academically and spiritually. basically, they get tested at the beginning of the summer program and again at the end and the staffers track the improvement. my job was to read the spiritual assessments that the middle and high school age kids had just filled out and determine where to place them for their spiritual instruction classes. it was a great opportunity to know where the kids were mentally, spiritually, and intellectually. i was initially given only a few to read and assign but i ended up reading as many as i could because i was just fascinated with how they saw God and the world. some were right on, some were exactly wrong (lol), some had no idea, some didn’t even want to try. some were inspiring, some were tragic…and some were HILARIOUS. i wish i could remember them all but here are a few tidbits of spiritual knowledge i learned from the students:
the holy trinity= god, the bible, prayer, and offerings (all four)
ezekiel is the last book of the bible
jesus had exactly four disciples
the MAIN difference between the gospels and the other books of the bible is that the gospels sing.
_________ is going to heaven because he didn’t kill anyone yet. (yet)
moses ‘happened’ after the crucifixion
“what church do you attend?”
“i go to [so and so] church of god in christ”
for how long?
“six hours” (first of all, that’s not what that question meant, but SIX HOURS?)
now, i don’t say that just to make fun of the kids (although it was QUITE enjoyable to read at times). i say this just to show the need for education and specifically the kind that matters the most. knowing mathematical formulas and grammatical structures is quite important. agreed. but what does it profit ANY man, woman, boy or girl to gain the world and all it’s knowledge but lose their soul. nothing. these young people are so lost and confused but yet right on the edge of something great. all they need is someone to take the time/spend the money/ use the resources and just invest in them. they’re really good kids just wearing a bad exterior. everybody thinks they’re the exterior. they’re the kid- the GOOD kid who needs a lot more than what he/she is getting or has access to. it’s all about giving kids the options and tools to be more than they are.
i got another chance to meet more kids but this time interact with them face to face at an event called ‘family night’! this is when the parents are asked to come down, fill out paperwork, and get oriented while their children participate in a free carnival (put on by the staff) and get intrduced to their classmates and instructors. for the carnival activities, i was in charge of the ping pong ball toss (which i completely reworked because it was DUMB at first). so as i would explain how my new and improved version went, i got to talk with kids of all ages. i made my game seem extra dramatic and difficult when i explained the rules and scoring system. kids love challenges and competition! they would do my booth then run directly to the back of the line to try it again. lol. i had initially developed a point system that correspond to the tickets and prizes but after a while i just started giving tickets out to the kids that made me smile (which was most). due to the nature of my booth versus the others, i got a lot of little kids and middle school age kids which was nice because that’s mostly who i will be working with in musically and academically.
after the games, prizes and food were over, i got to meet and interact with five of my boys that i’ll be teaching in class during the summer! i met hakeem, david, daniel, fred, and marquon (i’m getting so much better with names. YES!) we introduced ourselves to one another and went over class expectations then played some team building games to get more acquainted. to my surprise, they were generally well behaved (only because i had heard so many horror stories). i did have one little issue but it was resolved fast and with limited drama. when i asked one of them to move into the circle we had just formed, he informed me that he was sitting in the place that HE wanted to sit in. oh? lol. i had to get a little stern tell him straight up to move. i was thinking, ‘i do like you at this point but don’t test me little boy!’ lol. i wanted to establish right away that this can be super fun, but don’t play with me. grrrr… ; ) oh and one of my students farted. hahaha! i just acted like i didn’t hear it cuz i think he was nervous. luckily it didn’t stink or i would have embarrassed him in front of everyone. (just kidding!)
oh yeah, and i JUST found out that i’m heading up another choir of 4th,5th, and 6th graders (and doing worship but that’s another blog). choir, yeah that sounds easy enough. i get to pick the songs, teach them, tweak them, improve them, etc. easy! yeah, except choir is from 1:00 to 4:30 every firday! WHAT?! grown people can’t even rehearse for that long. what to do? i’m thinking and i come up with a plan. i’ve decided to make my choir session educational and fun. so they’ll sing, get broken up into sections and i’ll have designated helpers run sectionals, etc. but i’ll also teach them some basic music theory, proper vocal technique, ear training, etc. you know, to kind of break up the monotony of singing. we’ll talk, share, have fun, sing and LEARN. that session is too long not to. i’m hashing out the details day by day as i get the chance and have the energy. but it’s going to be goooooood! brother matthew clarence is in the building! (sister act ii joke).
anyway, so much to say, so little energy, so little time. but i’m greatful for all of it. THIS is what i’ve been waiting for. this is IMPACT!
The roughly 100 member choir will be rehearsing weekly and performing at churches colleges and community groups. And one of my biggest tasks is to get them ready for a Christmas concert at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh. Each week we meet for dinner, bible study, and rehearsal (We find any excuse to move into spiritual stuff, ie THE GOSPEL!). It’s a great way to keep kids occupied and out of trouble but most of all, to see lives changed. I believe my official title will be ‘Choral Ministry Associate.’ Yeah, I don’t know either.