Good News and Bad News

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I'll start with the sad news. As of last week 11 has become 10. A member of our team was offered a job on the police force in Portland. It's close to where his family is and a pretty rare opportunity so, despite non-stop guilt trips, Brooks left AmeriCorps to take the job. As happy as we were fo him, it was really strange to adjust to a slightly different team dynamic. A couple other teams have lost members for various reasons, but we never would've predicted one of us would leave!

I won't say much more about that since Brooks was the first person on our team to stumble across my blog online, so Brooks If you're reading this- you're greatly missed but the rest of us are enjoying getting to sit in the front seat of the van every now and then.

Now for the exciting part- we found out project 3!!!!

We're leaving the sunshine to head way up north to a peninsula an hour and a half north of Seattle. We'll be working with Sunfield Education Association, an organic farm in Port Hadlock, Washington. Sunfield provides food to community food banks and educates the public on sustainable gardening. Our team will be doing a variety of tasks to expand the program while we're there such as building a greenhouse and new livestock pens, planting and weeding the gardens, and working with the community to teach them how to grow their own food.
There's also a Waldorf school on the farm. Waldorf is a very liberal type of classroom where the focus is around children learning through feelings and experience. The students have responsibilities on the farm as part of their education and our team will also have opportunities to work with them, so more teaching! (I'm one of two people excited about that.)

Www.sunfieldfarm.org

That's the sponsor's website. It seems like a really great organization and our work should be a lot of fun! I'm very excited, but trying to soak up the sun while I can!!

I am really going to miss my Kindergarteners! I had really hoped that a new tutor would've been hired before I left so that there would be transition time for the kids and I could put emphasis on them getting a new teacher instead of the fact that I would be leaving. I did remind them that I was a temporary teacher and told them that I was not leaving because I wanted to or didn't like them. I didn't tell them that I was leaving this week, I just said soon. I'm thinking if I bring in presents on my last day all will be forgiven.

It's been really fun to get to know their little personalities. As much trouble as they can be they all have such simple, sweet ideas of fun and fairness. They can be so adorably predictable at times; any bad attitude/lack of motivation can be turned around with a sticker, they will literally fight over a job no one wants to do if I ask for a "Class Helper", and any time two or more boys are moving in the same direction someone will inevitably fall down.
They can also be surprisingly unpredictable at times. As much as they fight each other they're quick to notice when someone else is upset, and they come up with really smart ideas at the most surprising times. It's interesting to look at them and think about the people they're going to become, because it's so hard to tell when they're this little. Every now and then I catch a glimpse of a grown-up personality trait, but it's impossible to predict what opportunities or events will be in their future. I took the bus from the school to downtown and as I looked around at the many types people in LA I thought about how everybody was a kindergartener once. Every homeless person and gang member once drew pictures of shapes and got excited about stickers, just like every doctor or lawyer. Could their teachers tell when they were five? When do they stop believing our conversations about doing their homework and not hitting each other?

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Comments

[Art Hagy]

Wonderful, wonderful
Kristen, it is so wonderful to hear you talk about you students and how you relate to them. You love them in the fullest sense of the word. I am so proud to be able to say that I know you. That part about wondering who they will be as they mature, if they mature, was so insightful. You are a blessing to all of us.

[Aunt W]

next step
I'll bet those kiddos are going to miss you big time! I could easily see you in a primary class. You have a ton of energy and positive attitude. Your next job sounds right up my ally. Got your Birkenstocks? :) sounds like fun.