When children come to Mooseheart, they are assigned to a home on campus run by Family Teachers. They help raise the kids, instilling a method of parenting that is taught through extensive training. Finding and selecting these individuals is not an easy task. But the ones who step up to raise the children of Mooseheart deserve recognition.
Recently, I spoke with Lindsay Burcham, who was a past Family Teacher at Mooseheart, as I began to understand the personal mission that our Family Teachers go on. Like many people, she was unaware of Mooseheart Child City & School. After graduating from college, she began working in volunteer positions around the country. Lindsay was unsure what direction she wanted to go but knew she loved working with kids. So when her parents mentioned that Mooseheart was hiring for live-in Family Teachers, she looked into what was expected of the role. Over the next few years, she lived within 3 of the homes on campus while teaching elementary and high school girls. The Mooseheart Model of Care is trained extensively for all new Family Teachers. The three key components of The Model is based on building relationships, teaching skills, and empowering youth. One of the first things she was taught as an FT was, “when you’re teaching the children, the first comment you should make is ‘I understand.’ That is important in everyday life because everyone has a different background and story. Helping them to know that you are trying to understand where they are coming from can only make a more positive outlook on the conversation you are about to have.“
I asked her if she could recall a moment with a child that stuck out to her.
Birthdays are always celebrated at Mooseheart. Many Family Teachers go out of their way to make personalized cakes or ensure their children feel special on their day. After asking a young girl in her group how she wanted to celebrate her upcoming birthday, the girl admits she was confused by the question. It became evident that this child had never had a birthday celebration before.
The St. Charles Moose Lodge #1368 had a monthly breakfast for selected homes on campus. They invited Family Teachers and their children to come down. Since this was coming up, the FTs reached out to the lodge to see if they would be willing to do something special for the girl. They immediately pulled some strings together to give the child a birthday to remember. They bought presents and made a cake for the young girl. When presented with all of this, she asked, “You mean this is my cake?” Seeing the Moose Members come together for this little girl to have her very first birthday was a touching moment for Lindsay.
Many Family Teachers at Mooseheart have long-lasting relationships with the children they care for. It’s true what they say, You can’t have Mooseheart without the Family Teachers.
