Danny's Post #1

This week, I got the opportunity to meet a lot of the children in the classroom and get to know their names and a little bit about their personality. There were about 25 children in the class. There's definitely a wide array of personalities in this group. There's Corey and Michael, who seem to find it a statistical impossibility to sit still. There's Dora, Carmen, Leo, and Miguel, the soft-spoken and shy hispanic group of siblings. Then there are several eager learners in Savajia, Javion, Sha'Heem, and Amari.

The lesson this week was on Isaiah 49:16. "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands" As Jessica, the "Master Teacher" I am observing, began the lesson, it took quite some time to get the kids settled down. Once they did though, for the most part, they were all ears. There were a few instances though where the kids attention was lost, and they all seemed to be after Jessica was speaking for too long without involving them. I noticed that even Javion, who always seems eager to answer questions, was zoning out.

My questions this Week:

What could have been done to keep the kids engaged in the lesson?

What do I want to get out of this entire experience?

What would be the best means to go about building a relationship with these children?

How can I help Jessica as she teaches?

Chris Post #1

Practicum Report #1

Time Spent this week: 2.5 hours (SS=1; AM Worship=1.5)

My Class This Week

This was my first week and I really didn’t do much but get to know some of the other students in the class. Met a lot of people from IWU that I had never met before and a couple of students from Taylor University. There seems to be a wide variety of personalities within the group. One of the guys from the group just got baptized a week ago and so I am looking forward to getting to know him and maybe have the chance to mentor him or influence his life in some way.

My supervisor and his wife are super excited to have me along with them for the semester. I am excited about the possibilities and the impactfull ministries that I will have the chance to be a part of.

One thing that I am excited about and somewhat surprised by is the fact that there is another married couple in the class that we are in. I hope that we can develop a friendship and learn from one another about life and ministry as a married couple. It will be interesting to get a glimpse of another married couple that is about our age and how they are handling the craziness of life and school and ministry all in one time.

My Questions This Week.

How is it going to be the easiest to assimilate into this already existing class?

What should I want to get out of this experience?

How can I be most effective in this ministry setting where I am not familiar with the people or the setting?

Joey Bocook- Post 1

This is a substitute practicum. I have not been able to go to my practicum yet, which is on Wednesday nights at Brookhaven Wesleyan Church. What I did this week was a small group that I lead on Sunday nights with a group of students here at IWU. I hope this will count, because I taught on staying in the Means of Grace. On the reason they are important to a Christian’s life. I said that this is what we need to do so that we can grow deeper in our walk and faith with Christ. However I am not using this as my teaching week. This is simply a practicum report.

A. Time commitment:
-2 hours of preparation, 1 hour during group.
B. Class This Week:
- This week I lead a Bible Study for a group of students from IWU. This is a group that has been meeting for two years, this being the third. I was very real with them in the fact that I opened my heart in what I am going through in my personal life. I shared that I feel that this is the farthest away from God that I have felt in my life as a Christian. I explained how I have been so far from God and how I have felt that Indiana Wesleyan has not really helped. I said that I have realized that I have been counting on the University to do this for me, when in reality I need to rely upon the Lord and his all sufficient grace. I then talked about the means of grace. I told them that my problem has been priorities. And that if I would stay in the means of grace I could not mix up my priorities. I explained that in Local Church Education I had just written a chapter on the means of grace. I found that this is what I need to practice so that I can allow God to pour His grace into my life. I explained how I came up with a strategy to practice these means of grace and opened discussion on how we think we can do this together. I offered to print off copies of the means of grace section from my book and to let them have it. They all asked for a copy. This was a great time to pour time into those students and classmates. Kyle, Samantha, Liz, Jon, Nate, and I were there.
C. Questions:
1. How can we actually make this happen in our small group setting?
2. Should I not present my strategy? Because it would be a little arrogant to flaunt my view?