James - Epworth - Blog 5

Today was my last day at Epworth.  The students were better behaved because of “Fun Friday.”  Those who were better behaved got to spend Friday afternoons watching movies, eating snacks, or playing games.  The morning lessons continued on as usual but the staff knew it was our last day of volunteering and wanted to make it special.  During p.e., Coach had us play dodge ball again.  To put his twist on the final day he brought in as many people as possible.  The students loved this and took every advantage to hit me as hard as I could.  After class coach said, “It’s funny how these students take every possibility to pummel each other in class.  But when we play a competitive game like dodge ball they are the best of friends and no fights break out.”  It sounds weird to say but it is true.  Multiple times I saw arguments and a few close calls during regular class but never when we were in p.e.  It seems as though a little guidance and a way to release their energy is a great deterrent from fighting.  Now I saw why the physical education building was named Physical Therapy.  During Fun Friday, the students were entertained with a movie which allowed me to talk with Pete and Ms. Johnson during the afternoon.  As a goodbye gift Pete and I drove into the city to pick up some food that he had been telling me to try before I left St. Louis.  It was a special moment for me because it showed that I had bonded with the teacher and the teaching assistant.  During this time we continued our talk on the students and I learned even more about their situations and how they had evolved in their time at Epworth.  At the end of the day the buses came and it was a moment I hadn’t been looking towards since the first day.  Some students left without while others made sure to come up to me and personally say goodbye.  The troublemaker of the class was sad that I was leaving and said that he wanted me to stay for a month.  It was an emotional goodbye and reaffirmed the thought that I knew all along: This was one of the best weeks of my life and I would do it again in a heartbeat.