Love Your Neighbor, Learn Their Language
Team member Anna Reyes (left) volunteers as a high school Spanish teacher at the Academy for G.O.D. She particularly enjoys helping students come into an awareness of not just the mechanics of Spanish grammar, but the social realities faced by many speakers in the US and how followers of Christ can responsibly respond.
Written by Anna Reyes
This school year, four of our Latin America Team members serve as volunteers teaching Spanish at both the Academy and Institute for G.O.D. Learning Spanish is an important requirement for all members of our team for our work in our international region. However, sharing our skills with students here in the US is important for us as well. It is our privilege to help bridge the communication divide between neighbors here in the states, regardless of whether our students’ paths ultimately take them outside of the US or not.
I volunteer to teach a Spanish grammar course at the Academy for G.O.D. My students are high schoolers on various trajectories towards their life and career goals. One of my favorite questions to ask my students at the beginning of the semester is, “Why are you in this class?” At first, they are confused. The question may seem rhetorical, but it really isn’t.
Team member Lavinia Fernandez (right) volunteers as a Spanish teacher at both the Academy and Institute for G.O.D. She approaches the task by first acknowledging that language is necessarily tied to human speakers and therefore cannot be responsibly approached without considering the perspective of the other.
“What do you mean?” they ask. I respond by pressing the pause button on the busy lives we lead. “Why are you in this room, on this day, beginning a course in Spanish?”
A surprising theme that has emerged from their answers is the desire to understand Spanish speakers, not on the scientific level of translation, but on the emotional level of human connection. When they take a moment to pause and assess their personal motivation, they find more than simply being able to translate their thoughts. They would like to be able to take the perspective of another, a perspective that eludes them due to the barrier of language.
“I want to learn Spanish so that I can talk and connect with people who speak Spanish. Learning this language can help me develop new relationships with people I couldn't talk to before. The skill of learning different languages can help you in a lot of ways, but I think this one is one of the most important ones to consider,” a student said.
Pledges and candidates of the Latin America team benefit from the instruction offered by team member Ben Reese (right) at the Institute for G.O.D. All team participants are encouraged to continue pursuit of fluency and take annual exams to ensure that progress is being made.
Another student reflected after her semester, “Something that surprised me was that we could apply what we learn in Spanish to the world changing around us.”
It is bridging this connection that excites me as an educator. 1 John teaches that “he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God who he has not seen.” Doing the arduous work of learning a language in order to understand another in order to take their perspective is a valuable step towards just such a love of neighbor. Though our classes and the material to cover is vast, I make it a priority to include assignments that can broaden the perspective of my students. We’ve had class discussions or presentations on current events about immigration issues in our nation. We’ve discussed the growing desire among Spanish-speaking Americans for Spanish language children’s books that don’t simply translate stories from English, but make available the stories that native speakers enjoyed as children. I have also offered extra credit to students who volunteer with the ELL program of GOD, not to teach English, but to help the staff and students in service such as cleaning or hospitality while simply observing and reflecting on the experience. Though it is God who gives us sight to see our fellow brothers and sisters with the love that He has for them, it is moments such as these that bring an opportunity for God to move.
Students in the high school Spanish class taught by team member Ninfa Parker (right) approach language from a conversational strategy. Growing up in a truly bilingual environment, Ninfa’s expertise helps students to intuit the artistic side of language learning, developing a feel for the correct use of grammar.
The weekly effort of teaching Spanish is not unlike many educators throughout the US. What’s different is that language acquisition isn’t our only goal. Instead, we aim to increase fluency in our students as well as cultural and political sensitivity. We want them to not only hear, but also understand the perspective of our Spanish speaking neighbors in Nashville and Latin America alike in order to build unity within the Kingdom of God.
Music As A Spiritual Expression
Written By Grant Dailey
Jr High teacher, Mr. Aaseby teaches a course titled “Worship Band” at the Academy where the students learn the necessary skills to not only play an instrument but also facilitate a worship experience for others.
Spend time in the hallways of our school and you will observe (rather, hear) a recurring scene. During scheduled “brain breaks” between classes, students often pause their studies and pickup - not a game on an iPad - but instruments! The addition of our new building has afforded us convenient, close space for students to play one of the readily available instruments. I joked with teachers this week that it feels like a “Guitar Center” in our halls, as students thrash beats, pluck chords, thump bass lines, and somehow manage to pull of vocal harmonies on top of it all!
Each year the Academy hosts a student talent show where the acts include a variety of skills, but at the top of the list each year is a number of musical performances from the students!
What comes off as cacophony is, for me, something beautiful. Music is a key component to our creative arts education at the Academy. There are abundant studies (I’ve included a very introductory article below) that show the benefit of learning music to improving linguistic, cognitive, spatial, and mathematical development. Learning an instrument is also a social tool, as students learn to apply their own ability in the context of a larger, group effort. And, of utmost importance, playing music together can be a powerful spiritual expression, an outlet to creatively express kids’ devotion to God.
The next time your child comes home stomping their foot or humming a tune, know that something special is happening. They are developing a skill that will follow them beyond post-secondary education and into adulthood, capable of creating, problem-solving, interacting, and expressing - all thanks to learning to make music.
http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/the-benefits-of-music-education/
The Freedom to Grow
Written by John Nyago
I was born and raised in Uganda. To this day, my family has a 20 acre farm there on which we grow food and rear animals. The majority of the food that we ate in my house growing up came from this farm. While my family was poor, we never went without food. God was always faithful to provide for us as we worked the ground. He saved us from experiencing famine and its adverse effects.
Growing our own food saved us from having to spend the limited money we had on food. Instead, we could use that money to pay for things such as clothing, tuition, medical services, etc. I don’t know how my parents would have afforded to pay for our tuition if they also had to daily buy food for our family. Though I studied agriculture in school, the majority of my hands-on experience came from farming with my family. So, farming and food production has always been part of my life.
Our society has shifted focus away from educating the next generation in sustainable food production. Now less than 1% of the current population are farmers. In turn, organically grown produce full of nutrients remains costly and often geographically inaccessible to the poor while packaged foods void of nutrients are cheap and readily available. With rising statistics on childhood obesity, we believe children deserve to learn about food they eat, the plants in their houses and backyards, and the relationship between the natural vegetation and human activity.
I am privileged to respond to these issues by teaching gardening and food production at the Academy for G.O.D. We engage students on topics such as nutrition, soil science and maintenance, how to preserve our environment and how to grow healthy and delicious food among others.Growing up in Uganda, I studied agriculture in two different schools for four years, but it was all done in the classroom without ever visiting a garden. I now see the great benefit of the garden serving as an outdoor classroom that brings simple and complex lessons to life. While the classes I took were purely theoretical, I now get to teach a hands-on, practical education in the garden. Students have the opportunity to interact with nature, continue to develop their tactile senses and awareness of the numerous natural processes that take place in the garden.
As we teach our Academy students about gardening and food production, we want them to know how God generously intended for all human beings to have access to food (Gen. 1:29-31), and how they can exercise their freedom and choice to eat what they need by participating in growing their own food. Students experience this reality everyday as they get to eat some of the food they’ve helped to grow and harvest from the garden at breakfast and lunch through our Farm to Table program. I am thankful to teach this course and to do my part in ensuring kids are given the opportunity to participate in the production of their food!
When Unkindness Creeps In
Written by Ms. Corey Foster
Indoor recess can bring about a range of activities, including games invented by students that attract everyone’s attention. In my classroom, during all indoor breaks or recess times, students from both second grade classes convene in the open space to play one of these games. It’s always intense and filled with all the competition, drama, and emotions that you can expect from a group of competitive 7- and 8-year-olds. On one occasion, the degree of conflict surrounding the game caused the entire class to lose game time, so they had to find another activity for the last few minutes. This always comes with a reminder that they can try again later.
One of the many indoor recess games these students have created is a sitting version of four-square which involves rolling, bouncing, and the same competitive nature to get to the top square.
On this particular day, students left the game with a lot of emotions and started to place unwarranted blame on one another. The atmosphere of the room was one of negativity and unkindness. It crept in during a time that is typically characterized by joy. Students embraced the feelings of frustration and hurt that come when being treated unkindly, and they held onto them tightly.
After watching a few students exchange harsh glances and a couple “don’t talk to me” comments were spoken, I stopped the class and made them consider the type of character they were displaying. I sent them to complete their end-of-the-day chores while they thought through their behavior.
As the students worked to organize their physical environment, I prayed that God would guide me to help them work towards the same type of harmony on a social level in the classroom and that God would touch their hearts.
Students returned to the floor for wrap up quietly, not engaged in conversation and laughter like they usually are. We needed God’s presence to get through the range of emotions being displayed, so I asked the students whose image they were created in. They responded that they were each created in God’s image. I asked if they valued the people in the room around them, if they are thankful for them, and if they too are created in God’s image with the same value from God’s perspective. They all agreed.
From there, students slowly began to lift their faces and look around the room. Since cutting each other down had been the response that led to the negative spirit of the classroom, I had students pair up with another several different times: once with another student from the opposite class, then a student of the opposite gender, then a student in their own class, and eventually with a student they had had a conflict with during the week.
While paired up, they were asked to look the other person in the eyes and tell them something they love about them. As students talked with one another, I heard heartfelt comments and wonderful words being exchanged. They were trading in their frustration and negativity for loving and positive words of encouragement.
Students at the Academy learn that when they experience conflict with their friends, forgiveness and prayer brings restoration to their relationship with one another.
The spirit of the classroom began to change. Faces began to lift even more—those that were once filled with sadness and even tears were now filled with smiles and laughter. They hugged each other as they worked to restore their friendships by remembering that they were created in God’s image and they are valuable to one another.
As students finished encouraging each other, we turned to look through the verses that hang on our classroom wall—the verses that these students have worked to commit to memory for an entire school year. I asked the students to look specifically for the verses that would help them remember how to treat their friends according to God’s Word.
They grew louder and louder as they shouted out the truths they’ve learned from God’s Word that show how they are to respond to the friends that God has given them. Verses like, “Love is patient.” (1 Corinthians 13:4a), It’s good to get along like family.” (Psalm 133:1), “Love your neighbor.” (Law 2), "The LORD is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness." (Psalm 145:17), and “Don’t be mean to your family.” (Law 7).
I shared with them that the value of these verses goes beyond memorization and moves into action. I shared that these verses are an opportunity to learn how God would respond and that they have the same opportunity to respond. I challenged the class to take a moment to pray out loud through these verses and for the friends around them. As they prayed with sincere hearts, I too prayed that God would mold them into the type of people who respond to those around them with kindness and love in a world that so strongly values individualism and self-preservation.
As the prayers of each student ended, faces were glowing, and it was clear that God’s presence was with us. Before the bell rang to end the day, one student suggested we sing the song “Lean On Me” to remember this time together and the lessons they learned. In true Academy for G.O.D. fashion, students engaged in a laughter-filled game of freeze dance using “Lean On Me” as the song of choice. The day ended with a giant class hug and smiles all around. Everyone could attest to their spirits being lifted by the Lord and to full hearts. A student led us in one last prayer of thanksgiving before everyone left for the day.
Unkindness was removed from our midst by focusing on the truths of God’s word. God is good. He is close to the hearts of our students. They displayed soft hearts to receive his word and for that I am thankful.
Friendship: A Gold Mine
BRETT MADRON REFLECTS ON ACADEMY FOR G.O.D. CULTURE TOWARDS CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
If you haven’t seen the movie WONDER, you should. It tells the inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream middle school for the first time. As a father of a son with special needs, I related to the movie on many levels, but particularly the way in which August’s differences affect his social integration into the school system. My son Levi is 7 years old and has apraxia of speech, an acquired oral motor speech disorder affecting his ability to translate conscious speech plans into motor plans, which has resulted in his inability to speak. For now, he uses an alternative communication device (aka his ‘talker’) to express himself.
Having a child with special needs like Levi, I think one of the main concerns for my wife, Michelle, and I has been how he will fit in socially in the world. What would it look like for him to have good friends? How do we help him begin to develop friendships? In darker moments wondering, will he be damaged as a person because his speech isn't typical, by people ignoring him, by not being able to express emotions in a healthy manner? Just real questions that sort of linger...but that are finding some relief thanks to the gift of the community which we feel so blessed to be a part of.
The marked difference in the narrative of WONDER and my own narrative is the gift my family has in being surrounded by a community of people and a K-12 Academy that are teaching children at a young age to befriend, accommodate and include children with special needs.
Levi presents about his new pet guinea pig during share time at the Academy for G.O.D.
Some highlight moments have been:
Levi's kindergarten teacher asked students where their favorite place was to go and Levi used his talker to say ‘airport.’ From across the room, Liam Bennecker shouted, “The airport is my favorite place too Levi!” It may seem small, but Levi’s participation and connection with another student are the small steps that we are so glad to see taking place.
Sometimes Levi struggles to keep up in line when the class is going different places. A few students have naturally started holding his hand to help him stay focused and better balanced. This has been fun to watch.
A few girls were on the playground playing ‘Choo choo’ where they line up and put their hands on each other’s shoulders and move around. Levi found a train on his talker and communicated that he wanted to play and they were so welcoming to him joining in.
One day, Levi needed help opening something. And he was just grunting to ask for help. Two girls in his class leaned over and used the sign for ‘open’ to tell Levi to use his signs. It showed that they have paid attention to his signs and have showed the care to want to connect with him.
Again, it’s these small moments and so many more that we are grateful for.
Academy students after their Buddy Break training.
But the same kindness is felt all throughout the Academy, not just in Levi's class. For the past six months, high school students have been volunteering with a program called Buddy Break. Buddy Break is a non-profit organization that provides a once-a-month children’s program for families with special needs. The program allows parents to go out and relax for three hours in the evening while their children are cared for. Every child in the family, special needs or not, is assigned to a volunteer at a 1:1 ratio and they spend the evening playing games and doing activities.
After working with Buddy Break, Academy ninth grader Jack Jeffries reflected on his experience, “It’s been great. During my time there, I've made a bunch of fantastic new friends and just have gotten to do what I love, which is having a good time hangin' with kids! One thing I loved most was witnessing the overall joy of the room. I absolutely love when a kid walks into the room and sees their friend, and their face lights up. It just makes me happy.”
While limitations for sociability do often exist for individuals with special needs, those limitations often get exaggerated because people don’t quite know how to make the step into accommodating and befriending kids like August or Levi. Programs like Buddy Break allow volunteers take this next step, long before adulthood when they might fulfill roles like teacher, counselor or principal.
Merci Warren, Academy for G.O.D. freshman, helps with an arts and crafts activity during Buddy Break. She says, "I've loved serving kids and giving them a great time!"
Academy vice principal Meg Mathews commented, “Our high schoolers have really enjoyed serving at Buddy Break. As a school, we really prioritize getting students the opportunity to serve in the community and live out the education that they are receiving. We hope this experience shows them how they can meet needs that are right before their eyes. The organizers of the Buddy Break Program told us that our students are some of the most enthusiastic, talented and compassionate kids they have on their team.”
As Levi’s Dad, I couldn’t feel more thankful and blessed to be part of such a wonderful thing taking place at the Academy. More than being on par with their peers academically or the latest in therapy technology, kids need friends and good, caring people around them to love them. In that regard, as hard as some days are, I feel like we hit a gold mine.