Students Provide Care for Teacher

As a teacher at Bethany, part of Eileen Becker-Hoover’s job is to mentor a group of about ten students in their academic work, social development, and faith and life issues—to listen to, nurture, and care for them. Recently, these students returned that care to her.

One day, during the time when students meet with their mentors, the group visited Eileen at her home, where she is recuperating from a recent surgery. “It was neat to hear the voices of about 10 people coming across the lawn,” she says. They brought her hugs, flowers, poems to read, and wishes for her to get well and return to the classroom.

Though the students normally meet individually with Eileen, and not as a group, they gathered together soon after her surgery to plan their visit. One of these students, Sarah Brew, says, “We wanted to do something nice for her. And we missed our time with her.” Their plans included selecting a bouquet of yellow flowers—yellow is Eileen’s favorite color—and one student writing an original poem for her (see below).

Rachel Roth Sawatzky, who is filling in as the students’ mentor while Eileen is on medical leave, says, “One of the nice things about Bethany is the student-teacher relationships that develop and the close-knit community that lead students to visit their teacher at home. That kind of care is what makes Bethany a special place to be.”

Twilight Reverie

by Dona Park

My only guide in the night
Is the open sky stars
Although time reaches twilight
We'll be rich and famous czars

There may be no candles
It held me tight, I'm spell bound
as I grasped three marbles
Then the gypsies danced around

Dancing auroras, sleeping bliss
The diamonds in the sky
Sudden Swiss man's kiss
And so soon I wave good bye