(Week 4)
Well, though I have not seen much wild animal life here
since arriving at the Impact Campus (I do not consider a scorpion to deserve
the title), there is MUCH wild life to be seen. The form is quite cunning and
subtle. It may look subdued and docile, but to be sure, timidity has only a
small presence where this wild, boldness lives. And the eyes…oh, those eyes.
Deep, dark eyes that house questions, mischief, and joy. They search out of
curiosity and cry when injured. Some eyes do in fact possess shyness while
others convey only inaudible noise with hopes of surprise and coming laughter.
They, at first, seemed only to have two arms. (And then, you soon discover you
are very wrong.) They are there. And then, they’re not. Some cling, climb, and
call out. Some show off and only want you to look their way before finding
another amusement…”wild life” is just another name for “children”.
Priyanka (pronounced “pree-YAWN-kuh”) is in Standard IV.
When we started her lessons, she was behind in all her school work. I was given
the task of reviewing all the chapters in her previous studies for a full week
of mid term exams. She sat in her chair, saying nothing, looking at me while
she guessed her answers. Within the first week, I found out just how behind she
was in her classes and how impossible it all seemed to catch her up, review for
her tests, and motivate her in the process.
She is easily distracted and I soon found myself feeling
impatient with her. But just when I was telling the Lord how frustrated I was
because I had nothing in common in which to relate to her (I am no longer 10,
love school, and can concentrate for inhumane amounts of time), I found some ground
I could possibly work with! Priyanka is an artist. Her notebook covers and
margins in her workbooks are covered in drawings of peacocks, flowers, and
oodles of doodles. The other day, she told me she when she grows up, she wants
to be an art teacher.
As I watched her to try to learn how she best takes interest
in a subject and comprehends information, I was also given the realization that
her memory is a bit photographic. It’s like her mind takes little pictures of
small amounts of information: single words, diagrams, pictures. When I watch
her with the task at hand, I see her trying to focus, but she doesn’t know what
she is looking for. What if somehow it is possible to get her to look through
her lens, tell her how to adjust it, and tell her what to look for? And then,
she takes the picture. Hmmm…so, yesterday, she had trouble with her science
workbook. When I gave her markers to highlight important words and to draw
lines to separate the big words into syllables, she loved it! Whether she just
wanted to color, I have no idea, but perhaps her mind will understand…
Please pray for her! And for me! We both so desperately need
understanding and patience with ourselves! And Priyanka is a wild one. Her
heart is bold and her spirit is not easily broken. Discouraged? Yes, sometimes.
Distracted? Definitely. But she is as bold as the colors she uses in her
drawings. And someday, she may teach other children the beauty of the
combination of creativity and color. She just needs some concentration...here's to the wild life!
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