Short, amazing story from today!
Andrew came up to me, and told me that he thought I was the best teacher, and he told his mother, and she is going to request me for his little sister.
All the warm fuzzies.
Lots more stories like that, but too tired to tell them now.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Sorry I'm such a terrible blog-er.
I'm settled (mostly) in Greenville, and I start teaching Monday. I've been in inservice all week, mostly decorating my classroom. And I've spent all of today (Saturday) making folders, nametags, decorations, makeshift white boards, etc.
I'm so nervous about meeting all of my kids on Monday! Met a few over the week are parent night and open house, but I can't wait to meet them all. But I'm extremely nervous about teaching them.
Hope I get some great stories to tell on here. :)
I'm settled (mostly) in Greenville, and I start teaching Monday. I've been in inservice all week, mostly decorating my classroom. And I've spent all of today (Saturday) making folders, nametags, decorations, makeshift white boards, etc.
I'm so nervous about meeting all of my kids on Monday! Met a few over the week are parent night and open house, but I can't wait to meet them all. But I'm extremely nervous about teaching them.
Hope I get some great stories to tell on here. :)
Saturday, June 18, 2011
More Institute
Sorry, non-existent followers! I'm a terrible blog-er.
Institute is going well. One week in, and I won't lie, it was a really tough week. Started to feel pretty overwhelming about Wednesday, but I'm feeling great, now. I got to meet 4 of my students for the fall. Two adorable little boys, and two adorable little girls. I can't get over how small they are. Was I that small when I was starting 2nd grade?
One of the best parts about Institute is that my corps is getting really close. It's amazing how you figure out how to have fun, even when you're bogged down by work. Sitting in the hall and doing lesson plans was surprisingly fun, because everyone was in the same boat. We all had lesson plans due, we were all sleep deprived, and we were all worried because we had no idea how to lesson plan.
Oh, and the inside jokes flourish in this type of environment. I won't explain them here, because you won't get them, but I'll just say, I've learned that TFA is like "'nam." And I love my fellow soldiers.
Well, the computer's about to die, so I'm off. Going out to dinner tonight with the BamaCorps girls. I'll try to blog more often.
Institute is going well. One week in, and I won't lie, it was a really tough week. Started to feel pretty overwhelming about Wednesday, but I'm feeling great, now. I got to meet 4 of my students for the fall. Two adorable little boys, and two adorable little girls. I can't get over how small they are. Was I that small when I was starting 2nd grade?
One of the best parts about Institute is that my corps is getting really close. It's amazing how you figure out how to have fun, even when you're bogged down by work. Sitting in the hall and doing lesson plans was surprisingly fun, because everyone was in the same boat. We all had lesson plans due, we were all sleep deprived, and we were all worried because we had no idea how to lesson plan.
Oh, and the inside jokes flourish in this type of environment. I won't explain them here, because you won't get them, but I'll just say, I've learned that TFA is like "'nam." And I love my fellow soldiers.
Well, the computer's about to die, so I'm off. Going out to dinner tonight with the BamaCorps girls. I'll try to blog more often.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Institute- Day 1
Already tired. Moved in yesterday. Eaten alive by mosquitos. I'm happy I'm here, and I'm so excited to get in the classroom, but I can tell already how hard it will be. I'll try to keep blogging. Can't promise anything, though.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Days 4 and 5
I was too tired yesterday to blog, and I'm still pretty tired, so this will be a short entry.
Yesterday was made up of panels and discussions, and it was a great day overall. We also went to dinner at the Mexican restaurant in town, which was a blast. I'm feeling closer and closer to both my CM's and my staff, and it's a great feeling.
Today we had a few presentations, then headed to Birmingham (a 2 hour bus ride.) I studied for my APTTP on the bus, which is the qualification test I take tomorrow. Wish me luck! When we got to Birmingham, we spent a couple of hours at the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham. It was an incredible experience. I feel like I learned a lot, even though it was hard to see some of the images and facts presented there. It was a very emotional experience for everyone who went, and we had a really great reflection after we were done touring the institute. We then drove to a function where we met TFA supporters in Birmingham. It was crazy driving through the really nice part of Birmingham, and realizing that it's only 5 minutes away from some of the worst areas in Birmingham. The inequality blew my mind, especially after spending time at the Civil Rights Institute.
Tomorrow I take the APTTP, the Alabama Prospective Teacher... something something. :) Then I drive 4.25 hours to Institute. I really wish there was a Starbucks along the way! That's one thing I miss about home. Besides family and friends. I miss Starbucks. Maybe I should write a letter to the CEO and tell them what they're missing out on not having a Starbucks in rural Alabama... or maybe I'll just go to sleep. I'll choose the latter.
Yesterday was made up of panels and discussions, and it was a great day overall. We also went to dinner at the Mexican restaurant in town, which was a blast. I'm feeling closer and closer to both my CM's and my staff, and it's a great feeling.
Today we had a few presentations, then headed to Birmingham (a 2 hour bus ride.) I studied for my APTTP on the bus, which is the qualification test I take tomorrow. Wish me luck! When we got to Birmingham, we spent a couple of hours at the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham. It was an incredible experience. I feel like I learned a lot, even though it was hard to see some of the images and facts presented there. It was a very emotional experience for everyone who went, and we had a really great reflection after we were done touring the institute. We then drove to a function where we met TFA supporters in Birmingham. It was crazy driving through the really nice part of Birmingham, and realizing that it's only 5 minutes away from some of the worst areas in Birmingham. The inequality blew my mind, especially after spending time at the Civil Rights Institute.
Tomorrow I take the APTTP, the Alabama Prospective Teacher... something something. :) Then I drive 4.25 hours to Institute. I really wish there was a Starbucks along the way! That's one thing I miss about home. Besides family and friends. I miss Starbucks. Maybe I should write a letter to the CEO and tell them what they're missing out on not having a Starbucks in rural Alabama... or maybe I'll just go to sleep. I'll choose the latter.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Induction- Day 3 (Hiring fair!)
Now that Kevin has told all of facebook about the existence of this blog, I feel that I need to make it more interesting. I promise I'll try!
Today was a very long day. We began with reflection on what we learned yesterday, and how we were feeling today. Then we had an hour of practicing our interview skills, by role-playing as principals who would be interviewing CM's. It was actually interesting to get to be on the other side of the table, the one who was conducting the interview. It was helpful to hear the responses of other CM's, too. Then we got our hiring fair schedules, and went to lunch. At first I had 4 interviews on my schedule. Then 3. Then my final interview was cancelled. So I only had 2 interviews today, both with schools in Tuscaloosa. So I'm pretty nervous about the results. I'm not nervous about finding a job, because TFA works so hard for us, but I'm nervous about the waiting to hear if I got one of these jobs, and then nervous to find out the next step if I didn't. Dinner was quiet, for me, because the day was so long, and now I'm back in my room, wondering what to do for the night.
Okay. So I failed. This was not very interesting. Hm... I guess I'll tell a little about my new CM friends. (And I feel like I should say that "CM" stands for corps member. Sorry.) Oh, and sorry that this is long. I have a lot of new friends.
Julie- My roommate for the week is Julie, from California. She's really fun and I'm glad to have gotten a roommate who I get along so well with. It's also really amusing to watch her discover things about living in the South. A great moment happened yesterday, at the community dinner. Several CM's and I were talking about Institute (the next phase of our training), which happens at Delta State University in Mississippi. The mascot at Delta State is the "fighting okra." We were talking about how funny this was as a mascot, and Julie asked, "What's an okra?" So, today, she ate her first fried okra. We're very proud. :)
Elizabeth- Elizabeth and I both did the whipped-cream pie eating contest leg of our CM Olympic's relay race. I feel like we automatically bonded, by being supreme whipped-cream eating machines, and finishing first by a landslide.
Haley, Kailyn, Liz, Molly, Quinae, and Sean- My fellow elementary education CM's. I've already started to get to know them, but I feel like we'll bond a lot over the next 2 years.
Wyatt- Winner in my mind for best interview story of the day.
Mickey and Larry- Kept me distracted and calm during the time I would normally have been hyperventilating before my interviews began. Larry, especially, for laughing at my terrible pun-y jokes.
Jazmine- A second year CM who gave me some of the best advice I've heard so far, along with her email address and cell number. Such an amazing show of support to all the new CM's.
Oh, and I'll probably be saying this every day, but I feel like I need to say it as much as I can, because it doesn't begin to express how true it is. The staff at TFA- Alabama is made of the most incredible people I can imagine.
Well, it maybe wasn't interesting, but I tried. I'm sure I'll have great stories to tell once I start teaching. Which starts around the 20th of this month, I think. We teach summer school as part of our training. Which is terrifying, because it will be high school, not elementary. Wish me luck!
Today was a very long day. We began with reflection on what we learned yesterday, and how we were feeling today. Then we had an hour of practicing our interview skills, by role-playing as principals who would be interviewing CM's. It was actually interesting to get to be on the other side of the table, the one who was conducting the interview. It was helpful to hear the responses of other CM's, too. Then we got our hiring fair schedules, and went to lunch. At first I had 4 interviews on my schedule. Then 3. Then my final interview was cancelled. So I only had 2 interviews today, both with schools in Tuscaloosa. So I'm pretty nervous about the results. I'm not nervous about finding a job, because TFA works so hard for us, but I'm nervous about the waiting to hear if I got one of these jobs, and then nervous to find out the next step if I didn't. Dinner was quiet, for me, because the day was so long, and now I'm back in my room, wondering what to do for the night.
Okay. So I failed. This was not very interesting. Hm... I guess I'll tell a little about my new CM friends. (And I feel like I should say that "CM" stands for corps member. Sorry.) Oh, and sorry that this is long. I have a lot of new friends.
Julie- My roommate for the week is Julie, from California. She's really fun and I'm glad to have gotten a roommate who I get along so well with. It's also really amusing to watch her discover things about living in the South. A great moment happened yesterday, at the community dinner. Several CM's and I were talking about Institute (the next phase of our training), which happens at Delta State University in Mississippi. The mascot at Delta State is the "fighting okra." We were talking about how funny this was as a mascot, and Julie asked, "What's an okra?" So, today, she ate her first fried okra. We're very proud. :)
Elizabeth- Elizabeth and I both did the whipped-cream pie eating contest leg of our CM Olympic's relay race. I feel like we automatically bonded, by being supreme whipped-cream eating machines, and finishing first by a landslide.
Haley, Kailyn, Liz, Molly, Quinae, and Sean- My fellow elementary education CM's. I've already started to get to know them, but I feel like we'll bond a lot over the next 2 years.
Wyatt- Winner in my mind for best interview story of the day.
Mickey and Larry- Kept me distracted and calm during the time I would normally have been hyperventilating before my interviews began. Larry, especially, for laughing at my terrible pun-y jokes.
Jazmine- A second year CM who gave me some of the best advice I've heard so far, along with her email address and cell number. Such an amazing show of support to all the new CM's.
Oh, and I'll probably be saying this every day, but I feel like I need to say it as much as I can, because it doesn't begin to express how true it is. The staff at TFA- Alabama is made of the most incredible people I can imagine.
Well, it maybe wasn't interesting, but I tried. I'm sure I'll have great stories to tell once I start teaching. Which starts around the 20th of this month, I think. We teach summer school as part of our training. Which is terrifying, because it will be high school, not elementary. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Induction- Day 2
Today was an incredible day. I thought I was already invested in closing the achievement gap in education, but after hearing everyone speak today, I realize that I had no idea how much more invested I could be. After today, I realize not only that TFA was the perfect choice for me, but that their mission is my mission. I know it sounds cliche, but I'm so happy that I'm working for an organization that cares so much and does so much good.
Day 2 was basically just an influx of information. After discovering how teeny the coffee cups were at breakfast, I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to stay focused during all the sessions. I was wrong. First we learned about transformational change. We learned about the inequality in education, and how we can battle that inequality. Then we learned about leadership. We discussed successful teachers and how we can be as successful at bringing about change. We then learned about how we can apply challenges we have faced to challenges we'll face as teachers. We learned 4 beliefs that will help us as we teach, and I thought there were pretty fantastic, so I'll share them here.
1) Great teaching is a learnable skill.
2) The best way to guide my improvement is to look at real evidence of students' learning.
3) I am responsible for my own development.
4) I am not alone.
It was great to talk about how great teachers don't start as great teachers. Everyone has to learn and grow as a teacher, which was a relief to talk about. Beliefs #2 and #3 are good, but I felt like #4 was really important. I feel so lucky to be starting as a teacher with TFA, because we have so much support around us. After just 2 days, I already feel close to the other CM's, and I just know that the TFA-AL staff is the best in the country. I feel like I already have so much support from them.
Then we talked about interview preparation, which was helpful, but terrifying. Lots of small little cultural things that I never would have thought about. Like using "sir" and "ma'am."
Then we listened to a panel of community members (teachers, administrators, board of education members, etc.) They were great. Very helpful and interesting. Then we had a community dinner, where we talked to teachers, lawyers, etc. from all over AL. Lots of fun conversations.
Back at the dorm now, getting ready for interview practice with my roommate and another CM, Kellie. Sorry if this post is kind of ridiculous-sounding, but after a day like today, my mind is so filled with educational inequality stuff. :) More tomorrow.
Day 2 was basically just an influx of information. After discovering how teeny the coffee cups were at breakfast, I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to stay focused during all the sessions. I was wrong. First we learned about transformational change. We learned about the inequality in education, and how we can battle that inequality. Then we learned about leadership. We discussed successful teachers and how we can be as successful at bringing about change. We then learned about how we can apply challenges we have faced to challenges we'll face as teachers. We learned 4 beliefs that will help us as we teach, and I thought there were pretty fantastic, so I'll share them here.
1) Great teaching is a learnable skill.
2) The best way to guide my improvement is to look at real evidence of students' learning.
3) I am responsible for my own development.
4) I am not alone.
It was great to talk about how great teachers don't start as great teachers. Everyone has to learn and grow as a teacher, which was a relief to talk about. Beliefs #2 and #3 are good, but I felt like #4 was really important. I feel so lucky to be starting as a teacher with TFA, because we have so much support around us. After just 2 days, I already feel close to the other CM's, and I just know that the TFA-AL staff is the best in the country. I feel like I already have so much support from them.
Then we talked about interview preparation, which was helpful, but terrifying. Lots of small little cultural things that I never would have thought about. Like using "sir" and "ma'am."
Then we listened to a panel of community members (teachers, administrators, board of education members, etc.) They were great. Very helpful and interesting. Then we had a community dinner, where we talked to teachers, lawyers, etc. from all over AL. Lots of fun conversations.
Back at the dorm now, getting ready for interview practice with my roommate and another CM, Kellie. Sorry if this post is kind of ridiculous-sounding, but after a day like today, my mind is so filled with educational inequality stuff. :) More tomorrow.
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