Mid-November Reflections
I’ve had to change the title of this post 3 times- these are no longer end-of-October reflections or early November reflections, I guess we’re finally in mid November! My, how time flies. Here’s what I’ve been up to.
(Written in October:) Tirana is getting a late start on fall! The temperature has still been in the 70s (F) during the day, but autumn in Albania kind of jumps on you all of a sudden when a big wind will pick up the last bits of summer air and introduce a mild chill. Evenings are getting colder and the trees are ready to shed foliage that’s held on a little too long. (November edit: The big wind hit on Sunday. I woke up to trees dancing and wind howling. Raked up as many leaves as I could on Saturday only for a fresh batch to be raked the next day.)
I had my taste of the changing seasons last month on a fall break trip to the Albanian alpine region. My hiking itch led me to plan a short excursion to the Theth-Valbona mountain pass, a trail of modest length with some breathtaking views of Albania’s dramatic, whitewashed mountains. I made the trek with Peter, Sarah and Lori, all serving at GDQ. After 8 weeks of classes the breather came at an opportune time to reflect and practice a few routines for rest I’ve tried incorporating into daily school life. I’ve found rest doesn’t have to be sitting in a silent room for hours on end (although I’ve enjoyed my fair share of it), but includes a run through the park, a good conversation with a new friend, sharing meals and waking up earlier to take slower mornings before heading to school. My favorite routine I’ve introduced has been my Sunday nap after church. No alarm, no distractions. I’ll be holding on to that one for a while.
One of the big hurdles I had to wrestle with before moving back to Albania was this- I can trust God’s provision in the big picture ‘calls’ for life, but how much do I trust that He’ll provide in the seemingly insignificant as well?
There have been many times in my 11 weeks of teaching that I’ve recognized how out of place I am in the front of a classroom. I don’t have a formal teaching education, no extensive background interacting with youth in a school setting, a minimal (albeit slowly growing) understanding of lesson planning and textbook-teaching… plenty of opportunities for my doubt and perceived inadequacies to compound into full blown mess. That being said, I’ve been so encouraged by how God has brought so many influential voices into my life that have helped settle some of my teaching fears.
I want to especially thank my first grade teacher, Mrs Bryant, for running me through Teaching Basics 101 over lunch a few weeks ago. Would never have thought I’d still be learning from Mrs Bryant 17 years after sitting in her 1st grade class at GDQ! There are few people I’ve met who are as skilled at teaching as she is. Grateful for how God crossed our paths yet again at such an opportune time.
What I’m teaching:
World History with the 7th graders is a riot. Thank you for your prayers regarding behavior and classroom management. I’ve been grateful for their positive engagement with the material we’re covering. We’re currently working through a unit on Early American Civilizations- learning about what contributes to the rise and fall of large civilizations, how to inquire about the reliability of a source, and starting to introduce a couple more historical writing skills to the class. You can continue to be praying for their dynamic as a whole class and that they’d be working towards teamwork and harmony.
8th grade just finished discussing the Great Awakening in U.S. History and we’ve had some great discussions on how revivals impacted social cohesion and Colonial religious/political identity. They’re a quiet class but quite thoughtful. We listened to Jonathan Edward’s sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God and tried to analyze it as a historical document, a ‘primary source’ for revival, as well as Christians trying to understand the nuanced character of the God we’ve given our lives to. They ask good questions and easily get me off-topic, but they are inquisitive learners (even if it isn’t always about US History).
Here are a couple other photos from recently.
Thank you for your faithful prayer and encouragement these few months. Here are a couple personal prayer requests:
You can be praying for opportunities to exercise gentleness and love in the classroom. I’ve found those generally aren’t my immediate responses to disruption and disrespect but convicted of an often bitter spirit working with stubborn kids every once in a while :)
I’m beginning to introduce a couple new disciplines in my daily life rhythms. Pray that I’d focus on consistency and not perfection.
Peace to you this autumn season!
Aaron