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Thursday, January 21, 2016

Last Night in MKE

Our last night in Milwaukee. The time has flown, yet we feel like we've been away from home for a long time. We have seen many schools and talked with many school leaders and teachers. Our discussion about what we've seen and what we've read have been wide-ranging and intense.

We thought we knew how to define Urban Education on Day One of Interim. Now, we are not so sure. Or, at least we know that urban education defies a simple definition. It isn't just about teaching kids who come from economically impoverished homes. It isn't about schools that are 'under-resourced,' though it might be. Urban education does not mean simply teaching kids of color.

While I won't pretend to define urban education for the Calvin students who are on this interim, I'll offer a few thoughts that I think I've heard over the past two weeks. First, urban education might well be a job that one loves to hate or hates to love. It will be try you. It will stretch you. It will challenge you. It has the potential to empower you in ways that you cannot yet imagine. As Bill Henk, the Dean of the College of Education at Marquette University, said to us, teaching in an urban setting might be the most noble work one can imagine. It might be.

Teaching in an urban setting might also be a 'hoot.' Working with kids who are often marginalized because of where they live and the experiences they have had, can be disheartening. On the other hand, it can be the best thing that happens to you. Tonight we helped facilitate a game evening with approximately 40 middle school students of Cross Trainers Academy (CTA). It was a fun evening of dodge-ball and catapult-making. On the way back to the mission, several students talked about cool it was to get to know the students of CTA in the few short days we worked with them here in MKE. It was like the kids let us into their hearts quickly, way more quickly than some kids who live in the right zip code area. We know this work isn't easy, but it can be good.

Tomorrow we say good-bye to CTA, the staff and students we've connected with in just a week. We get home late Friday night. I'm sure the train ride home will be quiet and thoughtful as we individually process the experiences of the past two weeks, including meeting incredible school leaders and teachers.

Pray for safe travels and healthy travels. Several of us have come down with pretty intense colds. Pray that the colds stay at that level and that they do not impede our travel.

The best.

ps

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