Saturday, September 24, 2011

God made Miss Rachel :-)

If you have visited this blog before, you say to yourself that the format is different from last time, and you would be right.  I changed the background to make it a little easier to read, and I am hoping you, readers, will like it.

On Thursday, I spent the better part of my day in the first grade.  I am convinced that they are the loudest first grade ever.  My housemate, Chris, tells me that I am exaggerating a little, but I think I am correct.  Perhaps it is the size of the class (28), or the fact that they don't have an aide in the classroom and won't for another week, but this group knows how to be loud.

During their religion class, their teacher reminded them of a song they had learned last time, "God made birds and fishes" la la la la.  Something like that.  Then, she asked everyone to draw four things that God had made.  Ricardo finished first, and brought his picture to their teacher, Mrs. Derenzo.  I was on the other side of the room, and all of a sudden I heard her say, "God made Miss Rachel!"  Ricardo had drawn a stick figure version of me.  Later in the class, Leira brought me her drawing, and said that she had to give it to Mrs. Derenzo, who had left to teach another class.  It was a card that said, "I love you Mrs. Derenzo."  Leave it to the first grade to teach me about unconditional love.

Apart from that, what I continue to reflect on is the idea of "harm reduction," as proposed to me by my housemate, Chris.  I can't fix all of the problems in Camden; I might not be able to fix any of the problems in Camden.  What I can do, however, is what he calls "harm reduction."  Make life better for those whom I serve.  I might not be able to change a child's fluency in English, or their home life, or drum up a full choir for mass on Sunday, but I can smile at the first grade, and listen to what they tell me and sing as well as I am able.  Realizing that I cannot do everything frees me up to do something, and that is the point, after all.

Do something.

Peace and all good,
Rachel

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