My experience at Southwark School is so enjoyable and also remind me of so much to be grateful for in my own life.
I appreciate getting to work with the kids and helping them on different hands-on activities that they really enjoy.
The preschool through eight grade students at Southwark School were all really full of energy and interested in making art.
The students were very creative and excited about sharing there art work.
I felt the energy before walking into both classrooms that the kids were super ready to dive in to a new art project.
One little girl though was very different. She stuck out to me because she was so quiet and while everyone was coloring their kites, she was just sitting there staring at her kite.
I asked the girl a couple times if she needed help or if she wanted different materials to color in her kite but she just ignored me and kept staring. Her behavior was unusual but I know now that many of our students have been through rough emotional times from being refugees, starving, being homeless, being ridiculed and scared for their lives. they have survived when many of their friends and family members have died. They can still have times when they are very scared.
Sometimes our students need extra time to process directions. It is a little scary to watch the face of someone who has experienced a trauma. It is like they aren’t really present with you. They are busy reliving a nightmare or trying to process it and hopefully after a while feel safe enough to come back to the classroom. Today I’m learning to be a guide of sorts.
After a while another art teacher got her to color her kite. I was so relieved that she could join us and have some fun with the rest of the class and even smile!