One Step Forward
Posted on Tuesday, October 3, 2017 by
It was my first day working at Culler Middle School as a para-educator.
Around 1:00 p.m., I went to the room I thought I was assigned to (God orchestrates all things), and I saw that a student was becoming very upset. He definitely did not want to be where he was. I was told my correct room assignment, got settled in my room, and a bit later the upset boy was in my doorway. He had come to my room to calm down.
Through conversation, I found out that his close uncle had just committed suicide, and his mother was not going to let him go to his funeral. The boy and his mother got into a big argument. He was still very upset at school. We discussed how society says men are not supposed to cry. The boy’s grandfather had slapped him because he was crying at his father's funeral. I told him that it's alright to cry. I told him how my father passed away my senior year of high school, and I too didn't want to cry, but it took a special family member to touch my shoulder for me to let it all go. The student brought up God. I let him know I was a youth pastor at my church and that he was more than welcome to come to ours or any other church in the area.
This student is just one of the hundreds at Culler who really struggle, many because of their home lives. Culler Middle School is like a safe haven for kids. Students are pushing their teachers' limits because the students know the teachers won't react like their parents. Many kids are not used to being treated well for a many number of reasons. Last week, a Culler staff member told me that it is crucial for these students to have a positive male role model in their lives because dads are not showing their kids’ attention or the dads simply aren’t in the picture. I hope to use all of these opportunities to continue to plant seeds of God’s love and form trustworthy relationships with these students that feel lost and alone.
Jarvis Green
Campus Life