The Things We Do For Love

It is a well known fact that parents regularly complete tasks, ranging from the mildly unpleasant to totally miserable, for the sake of their children. Adoptive parents start to realize this part of parenthood long before their child comes home - when they first begin the process. From the application, to the homestudy, to all of the government required paperwork the process is a lot of work and none of it what one would consider very fun. However, it isn't really very painful either.

This past month I have moved to a whole new level of what I have suffered for the sake of our son. I have been working since June as a "teacher" at a local High School. The program was advertised to the staff as a "fun" way to get the incoming freshman ready for the school's IBMYP (International Baccalaureate® (IB) Middle Years Programme). We were told to plan a four day interdisciplinary unit and I was initially very excited about our Area of Interaction of Environments and our theme of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It became clear early on, say during the week of planning, that things were not going to live up to my expectations. First, the only ones doing any planning were those of us that were to have students in the rooms with us. All of the multiple "leaders" well who knows what they were doing, but it certainly was not planning. The disorganization alone is enough to drive this type A personality insane.

Then there is the lack of integrity. There have been so many false promises I am quickly losing track. The "leaders" throw each other under the bus regularly and will never admit personal fault for any thing that goes wrong. Considering that one of the characteristics of an IBMYP students, characteristics we are supposed to model, is principled I find this particularly appalling.

The kids are tired! The days are too long, the number of days too many, and the accountability is too little. I am having enough trouble keeping up my own motivation to be here much less the motivation and engagement of the students. This week I had a group where no less than half the students were roamers (refusing to stay in their groups that I mistaking let them choose) and had the propensity to yell even when the person they were communicating with sat only a foot or two away.

My homeroom is sweet, but since the first week they have only been with me an hours a day. The rest of the time I feel like I am struggling for air. One of the other teachers says it is because my expectations are too high, my desire to have this be a truly meaningful experience to great, and I guess I am apt to agree. I am trying to take on a different attitude about the whole thing and perhaps it will help make the last week bearable.

So to get back to the things parents do for their children, in case you haven't already draw your own correct conclusions, the initial motivation for working this summer was to earn funds for all things Christian. Last week, when things were getting more difficult to handle, I placed two of his pictures in front of the computer as a reminder. The money I am earning well help us to put together his bedroom, buy his wardrobe, help pay for the last minute plane tickets we will have to purchase, etc.

On a much less winy note, the fundraiser we started last weekend is going very well. It is certainly a much more pleasant way to add to the monies needed for The Korea Travel Fund. Thank you to everyone that has contributed so far. The three of us really can not say enough times how appreciative we are for all of the support.