The next day after morning lessons (eight thirty to ten thirty) I received a phone call at "school" from a mother who had been impressed at our work almost two years earlier but had sent her son to the West Indies to get a private education there. Now he was back, she wanted him to come to us. After explaining our position I arranged for an interview early the next week.
Two of the families I am teaching are going through severe marital strains and I have spent about half an hour with each of the mums (offering to speak to dad) if that would help. I felt a little helpless as I shared something of God's purpose and pattern for marriage and how he has been kind to me in preserving my marriage and helping me in it. However, I did feel that the folk involved need to be right with God much more than with each other. Nevertheless, I said I would pray for them. In the past I have seen several of the homes I have been into, experience breakdown in this way. On one occasion a few years ago a Nigerian dad was shouting through the letterbox of the flat I was teaching in. On another occasion I spoke at length and prayed with a Hindu dad who had been deserted by his wife and children (I had arrived to teach the children). It is amazing and humbling to be involved in people's lives in this way.
Saturday 13 September 2008
Term starts
It was Thursday 11th and the school year had started. I had two parents who wanted me to teach their 14 year old GCSEs. They were afro caribbean parents who were very concerned about the bad influences and poor expectations that come as part of the deal in many schools in our area. We sat down and planned that I would teach him IGCSEs in Maths, English, History, Geography and Biology with perhaps ICT thrown in. He would be taught French elsewhere and would continue his sporting and cultural activities elsewhere. I was to teach him for 2 hours a day and set homework. This would mean much work to teach these subjects competently and to bring a Christian perspective to them. Two of my own boys and a girl from another family would come on a part time basis to some of these lessons.
In the meantime I had been put in touch with another Kosovan who heads up a community organisation. She phoned me and invited me to her office for about an hour to talk about teaching her son and some others.
On the Tuesday I went along to the home of one of the families (Sri Lankan) who had come to our meeting. The woman was a trainee teacher who was very impressed with the work she had seen us present and was really disappointed that we couldn't offer "full time" education to her three and a half year old. Anyhow I did a little informal assessment on him and introduced him to "Serving God with Language" our self produced introduction to phonics. I took details and after 40 minutes left. I said that if our plans developed I would get in touch.
The next day, Wednesday, saw Pauline came along to the interview with the Zimbabwean mother (one parent family). This doughty woman was thinking of driving the half an hour drive each day to bring her sons in for teaching but she was to think this over as it wouldn't be a full day. I told her that my hope was that I would be able ot teach a couple of children such as hers and then perhaps build up a small number and see if it was feasible to start something more substantial.
In the meantime I had been put in touch with another Kosovan who heads up a community organisation. She phoned me and invited me to her office for about an hour to talk about teaching her son and some others.
On the Tuesday I went along to the home of one of the families (Sri Lankan) who had come to our meeting. The woman was a trainee teacher who was very impressed with the work she had seen us present and was really disappointed that we couldn't offer "full time" education to her three and a half year old. Anyhow I did a little informal assessment on him and introduced him to "Serving God with Language" our self produced introduction to phonics. I took details and after 40 minutes left. I said that if our plans developed I would get in touch.
The next day, Wednesday, saw Pauline came along to the interview with the Zimbabwean mother (one parent family). This doughty woman was thinking of driving the half an hour drive each day to bring her sons in for teaching but she was to think this over as it wouldn't be a full day. I told her that my hope was that I would be able ot teach a couple of children such as hers and then perhaps build up a small number and see if it was feasible to start something more substantial.
One call after another
On the day after the decision to close the academy we received an unexpected series of phone calls. One lady turned up outside the ex-academy (church buildings) and phoned my home number, asking me if I could come to see her. She was with her husband and child and wanted help. Unfortunately (??) it was just afterschool tuition that she was after. (I sometimes feel that I am always the bridesmaid and rarely the bride). Anyhow we spoke at length and agreed that I would go to their flat and teach mum for an hour and the boy for the same period.
As usual I had introduced myself as a Bible believing Christian and spoke briefly of how this affects my approach and some of my materials. The family were Roman Catholic and were not frightened off by this. I felt encouraged to be able to speak of the way in which evangelical missionaries had brought the gospel to Albania in recent years. I mentioned the few towns I had heard of and told them of the mission our church support. They went off happy and expectant.
When I got home I noted an e-mail on my desktop. It was from a Zimbabwean lady who had googled us and wanted help with her 10 year old who was not in school and who was suffering with cancer. She was very keen and immediately arranged an interview for early the next week.
I noticed that one of our children also left me a note of a phone number on my desk. Somebody else had called. I phoned her back. It was a Bangladeshi teacher on maternity leave with a three month old. She wondered about our waiting list (ha ha). We had a long phone conversation about education in our borough and I took her details.
Another phonecall came on the same day - this time from a Sri Lankan woman who had picked up my leaflet at a street festival a year earlier. She wanted afterschool tuition for her 8 year old boy. I told her that although my timetable was full I would see what I could do.
As usual I had introduced myself as a Bible believing Christian and spoke briefly of how this affects my approach and some of my materials. The family were Roman Catholic and were not frightened off by this. I felt encouraged to be able to speak of the way in which evangelical missionaries had brought the gospel to Albania in recent years. I mentioned the few towns I had heard of and told them of the mission our church support. They went off happy and expectant.
When I got home I noted an e-mail on my desktop. It was from a Zimbabwean lady who had googled us and wanted help with her 10 year old who was not in school and who was suffering with cancer. She was very keen and immediately arranged an interview for early the next week.
I noticed that one of our children also left me a note of a phone number on my desk. Somebody else had called. I phoned her back. It was a Bangladeshi teacher on maternity leave with a three month old. She wondered about our waiting list (ha ha). We had a long phone conversation about education in our borough and I took her details.
Another phonecall came on the same day - this time from a Sri Lankan woman who had picked up my leaflet at a street festival a year earlier. She wanted afterschool tuition for her 8 year old boy. I told her that although my timetable was full I would see what I could do.
The meeting
Now it was down to the Lord what the response would be. We prayed much as a family and the church was kind enough to be concerned and to make it a matter of prayer. The days flew past and around came Thursday 6th September. The classroom was set up and I waited along with Ellen (my colleague) to see who would come. As it turned out only two sets of parents did. One an Afro-Caribbean family in the process of leaving an independent school, and the other a Hindu family with a pre-school aged child. The talk and session in general went very well but I had to inform the parents that because of the lack of interest we would have to close the Academy and offer other tuition services. We took details and arranged to go around and see what could be done.
Earlier that afternoon I had been teaching a boy from our church's Sunday School. He is the son of a Latvian and a Trinidadian. This boy is only 5 but has gone through much disturbance in his short life. He had refused to utter a single syllable during the 9 weeks of lessons he had had with me up to this point. It is pretty hard to teach reading and phonics to somebody who won't talk. My pride was well and truly dented although the mum had asked me to persevere. The lad obviously enjoyed the lessons (well they are given by me) and smiled and responded non-verbally but just didn't want to talk. Today I made up my mind that if he wouldn't talk I would teach his younger siblings instead. I asked permission for this to happen and had just started to sound out some work with them when he responded and formed the same sounds. He copied my words and began to converse happily. He made a real effort and mum was delighted (as was I). We had done some work on the "b" sound and I had been drawing a bird for him to colour. It was then that I decided to sing a song for him about God loving people more than birds or flowers. I went home so excited and shared this with the family.
Earlier that afternoon I had been teaching a boy from our church's Sunday School. He is the son of a Latvian and a Trinidadian. This boy is only 5 but has gone through much disturbance in his short life. He had refused to utter a single syllable during the 9 weeks of lessons he had had with me up to this point. It is pretty hard to teach reading and phonics to somebody who won't talk. My pride was well and truly dented although the mum had asked me to persevere. The lad obviously enjoyed the lessons (well they are given by me) and smiled and responded non-verbally but just didn't want to talk. Today I made up my mind that if he wouldn't talk I would teach his younger siblings instead. I asked permission for this to happen and had just started to sound out some work with them when he responded and formed the same sounds. He copied my words and began to converse happily. He made a real effort and mum was delighted (as was I). We had done some work on the "b" sound and I had been drawing a bird for him to colour. It was then that I decided to sing a song for him about God loving people more than birds or flowers. I went home so excited and shared this with the family.
The campaign
It was late in the day, but in August 2008 I started to design a leaflet for distribution around Newham. This was to present the work of Tyndale Tuition and to attract new students. I stayed up until after one in the morning designing and e-mailing my file off to a printer somewhere in Germany, I believe. Six days later, as promised, they arrived at my doorstep. I was beggared. The quality of the print and of the colour was very good indeed.
I knew there must be something good about having 8 children and I saw it at this time. It took two days for us to cut fold and make inserts for 5000 leaflets. I shudder to think how long it would have taken with less. Four of the children plus Pauline and myself did this job. Then we were ready for distribution. We planned to go to a few roads where the houses were big enough for families (okay - houses which looked as if the folk had enough money to afford to pay our fees). It feels strange to attempt to "target" in such a way but there you are. It took us a lot of posting with six of the children participating. The leaflets advertised a meeting to which prospective parents were invited.
One great bonus for me was the help we received from a Christian brother and his son who spent one afternoon helping to deliver. Another was the fact that I was able to listen repeatedly to about 4 lectures on Francis Schaeffer as I walked along with my phone/MP3 player. It was great. On one afternoon I stood near to a market and gave out leaflets (I didn't press them into people's hands - I waited for them to come to me and ask). On two other days I went outside schools and did the same again. All the while I felt so embarassed to be hawking our services in this way. But if that's what it takes...
I knew there must be something good about having 8 children and I saw it at this time. It took two days for us to cut fold and make inserts for 5000 leaflets. I shudder to think how long it would have taken with less. Four of the children plus Pauline and myself did this job. Then we were ready for distribution. We planned to go to a few roads where the houses were big enough for families (okay - houses which looked as if the folk had enough money to afford to pay our fees). It feels strange to attempt to "target" in such a way but there you are. It took us a lot of posting with six of the children participating. The leaflets advertised a meeting to which prospective parents were invited.
One great bonus for me was the help we received from a Christian brother and his son who spent one afternoon helping to deliver. Another was the fact that I was able to listen repeatedly to about 4 lectures on Francis Schaeffer as I walked along with my phone/MP3 player. It was great. On one afternoon I stood near to a market and gave out leaflets (I didn't press them into people's hands - I waited for them to come to me and ask). On two other days I went outside schools and did the same again. All the while I felt so embarassed to be hawking our services in this way. But if that's what it takes...
Monday 1 September 2008
Monday's Child is full of woe...
First job for the day was to call in at the local printers to see if they could give me a good price on 5000 colour fliers. They couldn't - £350 was their final offer. I had already been quoted online for about £120 so I left the printers knowing that I would now do my deal on the internet.
Spent the rest of the morning traipsing around estate agents in East Ham trying to find out which areas would be the best targets for the leaflets I had in mind. My budget is very limited and I don't want to waste the 5,000 leaflets we would have. No joy - they all seemed so young: they didn't know the area at all well.
I actually want to cater for rich and poor children, but at the moment it will be the "better off" who put food on my table. Is it really "of the Lord" to be looking for "targets" in this way? I console myself in the knowledge that I live in Newham a borough of 250,000 people with just one established Independent School (of about 100 children) and several other private schools run by and for Muslims. So "It will be tough" I tell myself.
Lesson at 6 o'clock teaching 3 local pakistani children. As I arrive at the house a row is going on outside, but I get to go in anyway. I begin with audible prayer (asking for peace) and get down to our English lesson. We are halfway through a series on Jesus. Some weeks ago we looked at his coming and his having no "home" to call his own. Today we looked at animal homes and the way in which God has given instincts to animals to build their homes. We looked particularly at the weaverbird and its wonderful nest. We also used the mini theme of "homes" to do our grammar work.
After the lesson I speak with one of the dads about his son's work. Just before I leave, in his broken English he asks me for my address and says he will bring some Pakistani food for our dinner. This will not be the first time we have been cooked for by clients.
Off to another home to speak about another boy's work. This time a Bangladeshi. He and his older daughters are distressed about a neighbour's ways and want to see what I can do to help. I have been in this position a good number of times with all sorts of families. For the moment things are sensitive so I just say be patient and give it time. I get home having spent an hour longer than I intended to speaking with parents.
Later that night I am up until after 1 o'clock finishing off the pdf leaflets and negotiating with Pauline (my wife and business manager) about how much we could afford. Sent off the files by e-mail and expect to have them back next Tuesday.
Spent the rest of the morning traipsing around estate agents in East Ham trying to find out which areas would be the best targets for the leaflets I had in mind. My budget is very limited and I don't want to waste the 5,000 leaflets we would have. No joy - they all seemed so young: they didn't know the area at all well.
I actually want to cater for rich and poor children, but at the moment it will be the "better off" who put food on my table. Is it really "of the Lord" to be looking for "targets" in this way? I console myself in the knowledge that I live in Newham a borough of 250,000 people with just one established Independent School (of about 100 children) and several other private schools run by and for Muslims. So "It will be tough" I tell myself.
Lesson at 6 o'clock teaching 3 local pakistani children. As I arrive at the house a row is going on outside, but I get to go in anyway. I begin with audible prayer (asking for peace) and get down to our English lesson. We are halfway through a series on Jesus. Some weeks ago we looked at his coming and his having no "home" to call his own. Today we looked at animal homes and the way in which God has given instincts to animals to build their homes. We looked particularly at the weaverbird and its wonderful nest. We also used the mini theme of "homes" to do our grammar work.
After the lesson I speak with one of the dads about his son's work. Just before I leave, in his broken English he asks me for my address and says he will bring some Pakistani food for our dinner. This will not be the first time we have been cooked for by clients.
Off to another home to speak about another boy's work. This time a Bangladeshi. He and his older daughters are distressed about a neighbour's ways and want to see what I can do to help. I have been in this position a good number of times with all sorts of families. For the moment things are sensitive so I just say be patient and give it time. I get home having spent an hour longer than I intended to speaking with parents.
Later that night I am up until after 1 o'clock finishing off the pdf leaflets and negotiating with Pauline (my wife and business manager) about how much we could afford. Sent off the files by e-mail and expect to have them back next Tuesday.
Hopes and Dreams
I have been teaching children for 24 years now and there is no work I prefer to this. I love to teach because I have something significant to teach.
I want to become better and better at understanding and teaching that God is the Lord of all of life and that there is glory for him in all of the curriculum. I want to teach children that they are creatures made in the image of God and that this is the only thing that makes them of inestimable value. But I also want to teach them that they are sinners, alienated from God and subject to his eternal justice and in certain danger of hell. I certainly want to teach them that the Lord Jesus is the wonderful saviour who perfectly shows us God's character and who died in the place of those who will put their trust in him.
Over the last 20 years I have increasingly come to think that such an approach to children, to truth and to the curriculum will not go down well in schools which have long ago forgotten that they have rejected the Christian gospel. I have the testosterone, but not the heart or faith to believe that it is worthwhile for me to go into the average UK school and fight for a little patch of ground from which to propogate these truths. I am getting on in years (fifty next year- if God spares my life) and I want to achieve something for him.
I want to become better and better at understanding and teaching that God is the Lord of all of life and that there is glory for him in all of the curriculum. I want to teach children that they are creatures made in the image of God and that this is the only thing that makes them of inestimable value. But I also want to teach them that they are sinners, alienated from God and subject to his eternal justice and in certain danger of hell. I certainly want to teach them that the Lord Jesus is the wonderful saviour who perfectly shows us God's character and who died in the place of those who will put their trust in him.
Over the last 20 years I have increasingly come to think that such an approach to children, to truth and to the curriculum will not go down well in schools which have long ago forgotten that they have rejected the Christian gospel. I have the testosterone, but not the heart or faith to believe that it is worthwhile for me to go into the average UK school and fight for a little patch of ground from which to propogate these truths. I am getting on in years (fifty next year- if God spares my life) and I want to achieve something for him.
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