1161 words by nuwaezuo
Blog about how your project is coming along. Post at least one picture related to the implementation of your project. How was Jesus counter cultural? Is your project counter cultural? Explain
My project is coming along well I explained in my earlier blogs exactly what goes on but I will explain again.
I’ve met many new kids since I’ve been volunteering. Some are very eager to learn while others are forced to be there by their parents. The age of my students range from six to thirteen. Most of my younger students have a problem with completing their homework. They are mostly concerned with going outside and play! However I don’t allow them to play until all homework is complete. I try to create fun ways to make them want to do their homework. I sometimes call competitions to see who could actually complete their work first. One of my students favorite games is the spelling bee. This helps them when they have to remember how to spell words for their test. I have a few kids who are having difficulty reading. Mostly around the age of six and seven. Most of the kids that struggle with their reading skills do very well with math. Go figure! My older kids have been struggling preparing for the LEAP test. Most of them are excited about entering high school but the one thing holding them back is the LEAP test. We did many exercises to help them prepare for their week of testing such as timed quizzes, and test. Besides the leap test my older students were doing well. They completed all of their homework but had a few issues with study skills. They didn’t perform as well on test as they could have because they were never properly taught how to study. I took a lot of time with my older kids helping them to prepare for test when they were approaching. Eventually I noticed a change for the better. Since I have taught them how to study there grades have definitely increased. I’m enjoying every minute of this project. I only wish that I had more time to spend helping out the students. Overall my project is going well.
The only thing that has really changed since then is I have noticed a recent grade increase in a few of my students. The ones with the most potential worked there hardest and made the honor roll. They were really excited and so were the parents. All of these kids have the potential to do well and all I did was give them the hope to try there best. I absolutely love working with these kids and my older kids are still awaiting there leap test results.
Counter culture can be defined as breaking the norms, ideas, values, an so on for a culture. In this case, however, Jesus Christ was breaking the norm in a good sense, like teaching people to love one another. Back in ancient times, no one really care about their neighbor or friends, everyone was for themselves. It’s hard being friendly and loving under harsh conditions like very poor and already has nothing to eat. We can take a step aside and see what it was like being in the ancient times. According to many bible scholars, during ancient times many people were believe to live very poor lives constantly roaming around looking for food. It was like a town full of homeless people. Many cultures back then didn’t have laws or a set government or organization, as a result causes many wars and poverty across the cities. That can be explain by why people were so greedy and harsh to one another, they only cared for themselves. It’s just simply hard taking care of other people when you can’t even take care of yourself don’t you think. Many were even probably worried that their belongings were taken away by thieves. Since, there were no regulations and law to keep everything in order. Jesus Christ however, took a different stance that would seem to be counterculture during ancient times. He teaches people to care for the needy and share your belongings to neighbors in need and teaches them to love one another. Unfortunately, many people are not willing to share anything, because they were so poor already. There are rarely some people that would give up some of their goods/needs despite having so little to share. The special and handicaps were thrown to the side because back then they didn’t know how to take care of them or treat them. With the unstable conditions they are living in many people felt worried for their own lives. Jesus teaches people how to care for one another not just the poor but the sick people in need as well. Jesus is in fact counterculture because many people weren’t taught to share and love one another as they grew up. They were taught to be greedy and selfish. I can understand what others back then or going through. Jesus wanted to teach specifically the people that were rich. He teaches them the goodness of sharing and caring for those in need. Jesus also considered counter culture because he teaches people to “love your enemy.” This is definitely hard because your enemy is the ones that hurts you and deceived you, but despite that, your enemy also has a heart just like you do. Jesus then gives a parable about a good Samaritan who the Jews was prejudice against as an example. I think my project is counter culture because I am expressing disagreement with the current New Orleans public school system. The fact that my project deals with opposing a social issues makes it counter culture. I believe that Jesus would be proud that I am doing a project like this. Jesus was passionate about children and so am I. There times when Jesus would take time with the kids to tell him all kinds of stories about how good God is. If I could I think I would also attempt to teach kids about how God will get you through anything.