Lydia Urban Academy (LUA)

 

I'm pretty sure I have the best job in the world... one of the hardest, but definitely the best! My "official" job title is Teacher's Aid, or Teaching Assistant, but I tend to wear MANY hats throughout the day. 

 *Nurse

*Counselor

*Parent

*Grandma (sometimes)

*Pharmacist 

*Security Guard

*Cook

*Therapist 

*Janitor

*Secretary

Just to name a few.....

What i'm trying to say is that my job is much more than I ever dreamed it would be when I first accepted the position. I have learned so much and grown more in the past 18 months than I thought possible. When I was working full time in Detroit there was something missing, but I could never put my finger on it. It wasn't until my first day at LUA that it hit me... before, in Detroit, I was sitting in an office or out running errands waiting for the kids to get out of school so I could hang out with them. I was missing out on the biggest part of their day- SCHOOL! Now if you would have told me a few years ago that I would end up working in a school I would have laughed in your face. I never liked school and chose not to be a teacher for a lot of reasons. God certainly has a sense of humor because look where HE put me. This is the perfect place for me, though. I get to be with my students up to 10 hours a day.. and I love it! It's challenging and I come home each night completely exhausted, but I wouldn't change a single thing!

One of my main jobs is discipline. When I first was told that I was pretty terrified... that meant I had to confront conflict head on! This, however has been such a great thing for me. Through figuring out what the student's "issue" is I am able to put a spiritual spin on things. I have the opportunity to share Christ with them when they are in a pretty dark place. I'm able to use scripture to help point them in the right direction, and I sometimes get the opportunity to pray with my students before sending them back to class. To me, those are the most important moments of my day/week. My students aren't always accepting of these things, but I know it means a lot to them.

With their permission I hope to share some of my students stories with you in the future. They all come from brokenness but with the help from LUA their lives are starting to change. 

At LUA, CHANGE HAPPENS!