Thoughts and Amusings

Words can not express the day I have had today.

If we are doing it right, we find that we fight against not against earthly stuff but against spiritual stuff much bigger than ourselves.

Today I , Lisa, who weighs a mere 53 Kgs, taught the ICT rotation. 3 different classes, max 10 students at the intermediate.

Set 1:

• D arrives late, along with some others , has tagged his top, up his arms, class becomes unsettled. E and F do some work but find youtube to be a great source of entertainment (bone thugs ) . D starts mouthing off. I can't get anything out of him, he sees no point in school, no point in being there and the threat of any consequence doesn't seem to matter. Principal enters. Tells me to let D do whatever for the rest of the lesson as D may whack me. This obviously makes controlling rest of the class an issue however what can you do when you have a child like this?

Set 2

• All going well, class settled, (i have a better idea of how the lesson is meant to work and am thankful for this) however this group features some tough kids too. Turn back for second and two boys have each other in a neck hold. Tables pushed, chairs knocked over. They are much bigger than me. The librarian runs for the nearest male teacher. By this time the other boys are trying to pry them apart and I am using everything the Holy Spirit can give me to pull the smallest one (who is about my size, but way more muscular) off. Male teacher drags bigger boy off.

Set 3

• Have 4 of the perhaps most ARGH kids in the school. However I believe all kids are entitled to a clean slate and we are going well. All until Goren (known for this behaviour) looses it. Swears, looses cool. Tom, sensing an opportunity, as usual, calls Goren a faggot. Goren goes for him. I grab Goren, but not before Goren has gone for another child and the class is now in uproar. (Librarian lady has again run for help but we can't find anyone this time and these kids are much bigger than the last lot) Unfortunately more names are thrown around and Goren is totally gone now, his eyes are glassed over, and is unresponsive, he sees a kid walking past in the corridor and for no apparent reason, runs to the other side of the room, opens a door and, lashes out at him and we now have another child involved. By this time back up has arrived, after what seems like eternity (by this time I have sent what seems like every child I can think of for help) Goren later threatens to kill himself with staple gun.

In all of this I am super thankful for the Christian teacher who in the midst of set 3 grabbed me because i was visibly shaking took me to the staff room and prayed over me and then prayed over the situation for the anger to subside in these kids. What an amazing woman of God. Thank you Lord Jesus.

Can I just ask that wherever you are that you please please pray for these kids (and ones like them in your own community) and their teachers, I am not a unique case (and neither are they) , it wasn't just 'because i was a reliever' before you throw me that line ( and its not, just because they are bad kids) . The issue lies much much deeper.