Day 4 in Browning 2016
Today was another action-packed day at the De La Salle Blackfeet School. We arrived prior to the beginning of classes and had time to play with the students. What started as shooting around, slowly transformed into a highly competitive game of lightning. Although our basketball skills are still lacking, we managed to hang in there for much of the game.
Following morning assembly, we moved into our respective classrooms (4th for Kaycee and 6th for Kurt). The excitement from shooting around carried into the classrooms and brought an energy you could not overlook!
In 6th grade, the day began with science which is difficult for the best of us, but especially so for these riled up kids. After the previous discussion on mitosis and meiosis, the kids were ready for something…more. So of course, the teacher rolled out Magic School Bus to illustrate the formation of a baby chick in detail. This video surprisingly encapsulated all the energy the children contained and brought their focus to a deeper understanding of the chick life cycle.
Back in fourth grade, we also were struggling with this difficult subject and were treated to a Magic School Bus episode on plant growth. This helped with the students understanding of plant nutrition, and brought me back to my days in elementary school.
Throughout the day, we were reminded of all the blessings that come with assisting in classrooms full of bright, excited children. One was a blessing of patience. In the sixth grade classroom, Leah somehow found it funny to repeatedly splash me (Kurt) with water throughout their religion lesson. Even though at first I thought about telling her to knock it off, I tried my best to contain my frustration. I knew that she might never stop no matter what I said, so I decided to take it from her perspective and laugh at myself. This reminded me that I shouldn’t always take the moment so seriously and it helped me to patiently find the humor in moments of frustration. Another blessing I (Kaycee) experienced was the seemingly unending energy of children. While this sometimes seemed like a curse (especially late in the day), it was refreshing to remember to find excitement in every aspect of my day—even boring science classes. One particular student, Brooke, seemed to always be laughing. I loved the joy she contained and the reminder to me to take the time to enjoy myself regardless of the situation. As well as patience and laughter, another blessing we experienced was a blessing of awareness. When sixth grade was in the language lesson, Mr. P asked if I (Kurt again) could work with a student named Shawn. Previously, from our interactions I did not believe that Shawn wanted anything to do with me. While we were working one-on-one I decided to give Shawn a little break from his schoolwork and I asked him if he had made an origami fortuneteller that he picked up off the ground. He told me that he did make it and explained to me how to use it. I asked him if he could make anything else, and he said he could make a paper crane. I told him about my attempt at making a paper crane and how the wings couldn’t flap. So he proceeded to show me how to make a proper paper crane, and then gave it to me when he was done. We carried on a short conversation before we had to return to class. This conversation made me aware of what a nice and courageous gesture this was from Shawn. Even though I had only been around for a few days, he was able to open up about himself and teach me a few things along the way.
Although this is our last night here, we are looking forward to a full day tomorrow and more blessings to come!
Brought to you by, Kurt and Kaycee
Carroll College Campus Ministry 