My adoption work ended when the agency closed at the end of the year and this past Monday was the first day of my new third job! My work doing ministry in the Latino community continues, as does my position teaching ESL to adults in a family literacy program, and I am now also an assistant in the ESL program at an elementary school in Hillsboro (one of our next-door towns). I pick up groups of students, Kindergarteners through third graders, grade by grade, from their classrooms, and bring them to the ESL room where each grade sings songs and does all sorts of language activities for about half an hour each day. I also spend chunks of time working on reading with non-ESL students and I have one block where I work with a third-grade boy one-on-one. I am always moving from place to place and have had to learn a LOT of names in a short period of time (I'm not quite there, but I'm close).
So far, I love it!
These kiddos come from all over--many are Spanish-speakers, some come from African countries, some are European. A few trust so easily and already give me hugs and want to sit close to me and hold my hand. Some are so energetic that they are almost never not in motion. Some make me laugh just about every time they open their mouths. Almost all of the Kinder kids are missing one or both of their front teeth, which makes them painfully cute.
In addition to the sweet kids, my supervisor is wonderful and I've gotten to know some other great staff. I'm so thankful for these things that have kept me going during this long week of waking up before dawn and working with only short breaks until bedtime most days! And though I'll be working tons in the months to come, I count my lucky stars that part of my job this week was to lead a group of 1st graders in singing "The Ants Go Marching." Hurrah! Hurrah!
