Before school was out, we were asked to write success stories from our time at ISK this year. I thought you might like to read about mine!
One of the main reasons that I became a teacher was because I sincerely believe that one life can make a difference in another life. As a math teacher, I’m not sure how many of my students will go on to become an engineer, an astronaut, or a mathematician. However, what I long to install in my students’ minds and hearts even more than a love for mathematics and the sciences is a love for giving to the community around them. One of the after-school activities that began this spring was a community service club, which has given our students a platform to begin to experience serving the community, and I’m glad to say that it has left them hungry to do more.
We have had several planning meetings in which a core group of 4-6 students brainstorm and try to organize projects in which the student body of 7th – 12th graders can participate. The first project was a tree planting day on the weekend before the local schools started in Kabul. I am proud to say that it was completely organized by students. They contacted the Ministry of Agriculture, which donated 100 trees. They researched the schools in the area that needed trees. Some of the even went and dug up extra trees and brought them to replant.
As the morning of the work day arrived, I must admit that I was a little anxious. What if the students decided to sleep in? What if they just wanted to play around instead of work? Would we be able to plant 150 trees at 6 different schools in a day? I really did not need to worry. I have found that our students are extremely responsible with their commitments. We had around 30 students and 8 teachers participate in the morning and 16 students and 4 teachers participate in the afternoon. If the students finished planting the trees at a site, they began to look around and pick up trash or rake the yard or anything else that needed to be done. I did not hear one person complain of the heat or hard work. As they were working, the students were laughing and joking with each other. I love to observe the diversity of our students function so well together. I watched as students from different countries, religions, and ages came together to work as hard as they could to reach out and help others. At the end of the day I had students who I would have never expected to come and work, walk up to me and ask when the next project would be taking place. Ahhhhhh…. There is nothing sweeter to my ear as a teacher than when a student has “gotten it.” And this lesson is one I hope they will carry with them always, long after the quadratic equation has faded away!
We have had several planning meetings in which a core group of 4-6 students brainstorm and try to organize projects in which the student body of 7th – 12th graders can participate. The first project was a tree planting day on the weekend before the local schools started in Kabul. I am proud to say that it was completely organized by students. They contacted the Ministry of Agriculture, which donated 100 trees. They researched the schools in the area that needed trees. Some of the even went and dug up extra trees and brought them to replant.
As the morning of the work day arrived, I must admit that I was a little anxious. What if the students decided to sleep in? What if they just wanted to play around instead of work? Would we be able to plant 150 trees at 6 different schools in a day? I really did not need to worry. I have found that our students are extremely responsible with their commitments. We had around 30 students and 8 teachers participate in the morning and 16 students and 4 teachers participate in the afternoon. If the students finished planting the trees at a site, they began to look around and pick up trash or rake the yard or anything else that needed to be done. I did not hear one person complain of the heat or hard work. As they were working, the students were laughing and joking with each other. I love to observe the diversity of our students function so well together. I watched as students from different countries, religions, and ages came together to work as hard as they could to reach out and help others. At the end of the day I had students who I would have never expected to come and work, walk up to me and ask when the next project would be taking place. Ahhhhhh…. There is nothing sweeter to my ear as a teacher than when a student has “gotten it.” And this lesson is one I hope they will carry with them always, long after the quadratic equation has faded away!
2 comments:
How cool! I love that you didn't hear any of them complaining. I think back to our youth mission trips and choir tours, and unfortunately, I doubt that was the case with our group...or at least ME!
I'm so proud of the work you are doing. Can't wait to hear more about it.
Legacy... that is what I thought of when I read this :) What a powerful one you are leaving!
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