Anam Cara is visiting Hedingham school this week, and halfway in things are going really well. In fact, we had a teacher approach us this morning in tears towards the end of our first lesson. When I asked her what was wrong, she said "these are happy tears. I've never seen these students engage so well in a lesson...and they have never, never got on. And here they are, working together and being completely captivated by Anam Cara".
Quite a good endorsement, then.
Beside all the activities that go on throughout Anam Cara (find out more on the website), we have various points during each lesson for students to share how they are feeling (both openly and anonymously). We have experienced some phenomenal outcomes in the lives of many of these young people, mostly centred around their own self esteem and letting go of concerns they cannot control. Really liberating for them, massively encouraging for us!
We thank you God for all you have allowed to happen this week at Anam Cara. We thank you for this teacher going to senior staff and insisting they visited Anam Cara straight away; and we thank you that staff are already discussing the potential of a permanent space for reflection due to seeing the effectiveness of Anam Cara.