It has been a while! To all who check my blog for updates, I
apologize for keeping you hanging. You probably know me well enough to know
that no, I did not fall off the face of the earth…I simply forgot about my blog
and have kept myself busy with lots of other things…
Speaking of which, I have been up to a lot recently! First,
school. I’m finding out what it means to be a teacher in May. I still love my
ministry and my kids, and am still 100% invested, but when May rolls around,
you really start praying for June 7th (our last day of school) when
you get to say goodbye to all those little rascals and send them on to torment
the next teacher!
On another level, the end of the year is becoming a time of
panic. As we finish up the year with a final reading test, I am panicking that
I haven’t taught my three kids enough. I do literacy work all morning, every
morning with three third graders who are all at a first grade reading level. We
have a reading test at the beginning, middle, and end of the year that gauges their
progress throughout the year. And I’m to the point now that if I haven’t made a
difference yet, it is too late. There is a month left of school, and two months
left in my volunteer year, and as excited as I am for the end of the year (and
mostly for what lies ahead), I want more time with my kids. I want to see them
through fourth, fifth, and sixth grade and give them everything they need to
get caught up, and make sure they succeed. I love these three dearly, and they
have each been through so much in life. I spend three hours with them every
day, and have gotten to know them well. And as their final test date
approaches, all I can do is pray that God has worked through me this year and
has given these kids the confidence and skill they need to make it in life.
But don’t worry. Even though June 7th is just
right around the corner, I have not seen the last of Visitation. For starters, I
will be teaching summer school with the 3rd and 1st grade
teachers. My volunteer contract ends half way through summer school, but my
principal has offered to give me an actual PAYCHECK to finish out the summer.
So, while I will not be seeing ALL of my kids this summer, I will not have to
say goodbye to my three favorites just yetJ They will continue to receive
my loving harassments all summer (sometimes I feel like a mom…sound it out…you can do it, just pay attention…just try, and you’ll get it...oh the joys of being a teacher;))
Also, I am not ruling out coming back here someday…and I’ll elaborate in the
next paragraph!
Now comes the scary part…ENTERING THE REAL WORLD…well, I’m
not yet. It’s back to school I go. I was accepted to the Adler School of
Professional Psychology in my beautiful city of Chicago . And after a some contemplation (and
a lot of procrastination) I enrolled yesterday, submitted my deposit, and
prayed that I made the right decision. I am going for my Master’s in Counseling
Psychology, and hope to become a school counselor, but in the context of school’s
like Visitation, whose counselor’s are more like therapists; they help kids
adjust to a school social life and help them deal with issues they are having
at school, home, anything. They are an all-around friend and advocate for the
child. And that is what I want to do. And Adler will definitely help me get
there. The mission of the school is what drew me. They are very hands-on and
experience based, requiring a practicum in your second year. They are also all
about service and social justice, requiring a community service practicum, and running
a lot of community service projects, including one in Englewood , where I currently serve. Tying
this back to one day working at Visitation, many of our counselors are current
Adler students and are doing their practicum’s for United Stand, a counseling
agency that contracts out with private schools throughout the city, serving in
schools like Vis to bring free services to kids who need them. I cannot tell
you how excited I am about all of this!!!! It is what I was born to doJ
So yes, family and friends, I will be staying in Chicago next year. I’m
very excited to be so close to home, and have always wanted to live in Chicago . I’m so glad I
get to continue to do so!! I’ll still even be able to pop in and say hi at the
DVUSA office…Mike and Erica have not see the last of meJ
And one of the best things about living in Chicago …the
chance to stay connected to the wonderful sisters of the St. Martin de Porres
convent on the south side of Chicago .
Judi, Judine, Beverly, and Pat have been amazing mentors this year, supporting,
laughing with, teaching, and cooking for Sean, Stephanie, and me. They even
sent us to Jubilee Farm, a sustainable farm run by their congregation, the
Dominican Sisters of Springfield, for a retreat. Julia, Morgan, Sean, and I
spent the weekend walking the trails, eating fresh eggs, and talking to the
llamas, all while learning more about the Catholic churches take on Creation and
what more we could be doing to live in solidarity with the earth. It was an
incredible weekend, and was topped off by spending the day with Sr. Judi at her
motherhouse, where we got a tour, sang the Magnificat (TWICE), and met some
more incredible sisters. We were also promised lots of stories about Sr. Judi,
but alas we were unable to hear anyL.
My year is not over yet, but it is coming to an end, and
this fact is causing me to look back and reflect on my year. And these four
amazing women have played a critical role. Coming into this program, I didn’t
know much about Dominican’s. I was a Jesuit kind of girl! But our mentors have
taught me so much about what it really means to be Dominican. They constantly
put others before themselves, have amazing insight and inspiring thoughts, and
always seek the truth in every situation they encounter. They are selfless and
caring, and have given me every reason in the world to treasure Wednesday night
dinners. They are some of the times I will remember most about my year with
DVUSA. But hopefully these good times will not end here! I still plan to visit
often, if not once a week. I am not done growing spiritually, and need the
Dominican influence in my life!
Okay…onto happier things. I can’t think about the end just
yet. There is so much to do still!! I just wanted to take a moment and reflect
on how much of a blessing this year has been, and to share with you the amazing
times I’ve had. More to come as the year actually does come to an end…and even
more as my adventures will not end here!!!!
Lots of love, Becky
No comments:
Post a Comment