doing our best

Royal Academy is not a school that would ever be noticeable to the outside world. We’re located on the premises of Hotel Casa del Rey, nestled on a hillside in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. The classrooms are tucked away in a partially abandoned building that once was meant to be a conference center for the hotel. We only have two teachers and seven students…total. There are no buses, no libraries, no interscholastic sports, no lunches in cafeteria. Siblings of different grade levels are being taught in the same classroom by the same teacher at the same time.

Sounds a little bit like a one-room schoolhouse, doesn’t it? And that is kind of what it’s like. Except that while we lack many resources, we are trying to give our students an experience that matches the standards and opportunities of what their peers are receiving in the United States.

Here’s what we do to make that happen. We choose curriculum that is challenging, intriguing, and relevant. We cross-check to ensure that the curriculum aligns with the standards in the US and then supplement our materials when we notice gaps. We ask students to be active learners by improving our teaching methods to require more of their participation. We use the small class size to our benefit by giving the students as much individual attention as possible and by allowing them to move at the pace that is best for them. We search for resources online, ask for donations from others and make creative modifications to what we already have. We encourage our students not to settle for anything less than their very best, to be honoring to God in their effort, and to use their advantages to help others.

A good lesson for all of us, don’t you think?

And here’s the thing. While we do what we can with what we have to give our students the best possible educational experience, there’s still so much more that we could use.

More that we need.

We desperately need an elementary teacher for our youngest students for next year. We have a high school student who would greatly benefit from the expertise of a math and/or science teacher. We could use new or usable computers to keep our students up on technology. We would love new and gently-used books to build up a library. We would even benefit from new teacher’s materials that allow our educators to keep up-to-date on the latest research and information about effective teaching practices.

So, while we are striving to give the students our best, maybe you could pray about whether God is asking you to take part in any of the educational efforts of our missionary kids’ school?

And although we live 7,000 feet above elevation, overlooking an economically insignificant village and people, living unnoticed by the world...the contributions you make will be noticed…by our teachers, by our students, and by our Lord.