connecticutconnections

The last week has been a whirlwind. Teach for America induction is not for the faint of heart. There were some hiccups, some extremely late nights and some frustrating moments, but overall it was a great experience. Why was induction such a great experience? The people.

When I left Missouri, my main fear was finding people I could relate to…people I could call friends. I have always been a person who needs a core group of friends that I can depend on and that know they can depend on me. Sitting here now on this dorm room bed in Queens, New York, reflecting on the last week, the thing that surprises me the most is the ease and speed with which I met and bonded with some of the most incredible and impressive people I have ever had the privilege to meet.

The generosity of spirit has been overwhelming. Everyone is so kind and unbelievably giving. Simple things like calling to make sure your new friend is awake or to see if they need some lunch, or texting to say you’re at Target and are wondering if they need anything are a welcome and warming surprise. I am a person that shows my love and appreciation for my friends by doing the small things, and having others so willingly do the same for me within two to three days of knowing me is overwhelming. Teach for America certainly has a way of finding the most well-rounded, well-adjusted and generous individuals. I am looking forward to developing and building these new friendships as much as I am eagerly anticipating achieving significant gains in my classroom.

Tomorrow morning marks the first day of Institute. I have a feeling my new found friendships will be what help me through this experience the most…that, and sleep.

I packed up the last 10 years and put them in boxes…a lot in the trash. I looked into the faces of the people who have made the most indelible marks on my mind and life and I said goodbye. Those people and that place have made me the woman that I am today. I will never forget them, and I will never be able to properly thank them. Of course, as we all pack our bags and head on our own separate journeys into adulthood, it is the people and the memories that will remain vivid. The location is just a faded palette upon which our memories are painted. Thus, even though we are separating, I will always carry them with me, for I packed them as well: our inside jokes (“You changed the paradigm!”), their idiosyncrasies (Maybe = No), their personal struggles and triumphs, their insecurities, their confidences, their passions, their beliefs, their love. That we are each setting off as whole individuals to our respective corners of the country is a testament to the strength of our friendships and the strength it imparted upon us. I will rely on that strength to support and guide me through the next two years.

I found out on Monday that I will be the newest 6th grade Reading and Writing teacher at Hartford Academy. Yep, I got the job (obligatory squee)! I’m incredibly overcome with the responsibility and confidence being bestowed upon me. During the upcoming weeks I will try to absorb all of the acronyms, tips and knowledge Teach for America cares to impart so that I may serve my future students to the best of my ability. They deserve nothing less.

Song of the Day: Next Bold Move – Ani Difranco (lyrics below…the woman is a lyrical goddess!)

coming of age during the plague
of reagan and bush
watching capitalism gun down democracy
it had this funny effect on me
i guess

i am cancer
i am HIV
and i’m down at the blue jesus
blue cross hospital
just lookin’ up from my pillow
feeling blessed

and the mighty multinationals
have monopolized the oxygen
so it’s as easy as breathing
for us all to participate

yes they’re buying and selling
off shares of air
and you know it’s all around you
but it’s hard to point and say “there”
so you just sit on your hands
and quietly contemplate

your next bold move
the next thing you’re gonna need to prove
to yourself

what a waste of thumbs that are opposable
to make machines that are disposable
and sell them to seagulls flying in circles
around one big right wing

yes, the left wing was broken long ago
by the slingshot of cointelpro
and now it’s so hard to have faith in
anything

especially your next bold move
or the next thing you’re gonna need to prove
to yourself

you want to track each trickle
back to its source
and then scream up the faucet
’til your face is hoarse
cuz you’re surrounded by a world’s worth
of things you just can’t excuse

but you’ve got the hard cough of a chain smoker
and you’re at the arctic circle playing strip poker
and it’s getting colder and colder
everytime you lose

so go ahead
make your next bold move
tell us
what’s the next thing you’re gonna need to prove
to yourself

I’m feeling the pressure. The butterflies in my stomach have left their cocoons and are feverishly flapping their wings. I have to admit…the pre-institute work isn’t anywhere near finished, and sadly neither is the packing. There are still kittens to give away, furniture to sell, clothes to pack, and yes, thousands of pages of TFA homework to read.

I’m lucky to have two friends who also joined the TFA corps this year (shout out to Orlando Hodges & Whitney Paul). They left a couple of weeks ago for their corners of the country and my conversations with Mr. Hodges (I love calling him by his teacher name) have been very illuminating. I feel like I’m getting a sneak peak at the next 6 weeks of my life.

Mr. Hodges is sure to be one of the stars of the Delta for the next two years. He has a heart for people and the background to truly empathize and connect with his future students. I will get him to blog if it’s the last thing I do. I got him on Twitter, I can do it again!

Okay, no more blograstinating! Must get to work!

This week’s to-do list (not necessarily in this order):

1) Figure out how to put my Stafford Loans into forbearance.

2) Give away Sirius, Tonks & Remus (kittens…yes I’m a Harry Potter enthusiast…this will become more clear as I continue to blog).

3) Pack! Clean! Move!

4) Sell all of my Earthly belongings on Craigslist. If you need a dining room table w/ matching bar stools, a TV stand, a bookcase, or a television, or a 1994 Black Infiniti J30, I have what you need

5) Do TFA pre-institute homework.

6) Do TFA pre-institute homework (must be listed twice…).

7) Pay last school bill and send off “degree conferred” transcripts. (Pause to let the reality that I have two degrees sink in).

8) Write Thank You notes, and say goodbye to the friends that made these last 11 years in Springfield, MO bearable.

I’m sitting on the flight home from Hartford, Connecticut, overwhelmed by the day’s events. I actually taught a lesson to a class of 5th graders today, interviewed with a Principle, had lunch with real teachers, sat in on classes and even helped some students with their current assignments…actual assignments! But best of all, I’m pretty sure I got the job.

Doing the 25 minute lesson was the thing about which I was most worried. I was up until 3am Wednesday morning (Tuesday night) tweaking my worksheets. My anal retentiveness, here on out referred to as my attempts at “doing the most,” always takes over when I’m doing things like this. I firmly believe that my work is a visible expression of my passion and I want to make sure that it is properly represented and conveyed, especially in high stakes situations like these. I refuse to fly across half the country only to come home having let myself down by not accurately representing my potential or what I believe are the strengths and intangibles I can bring to a classroom.

Thankfully, I’m pretty sure my work paid off. Both the AF recruiter who sat in on my lesson and the Principle were surprised that it was my first time in front of a classroom and said I had great instincts! (Squee) There is nothing more gratifying than having qualified others recognize your hard work and potential. The Principle (a very nice guy by the way) told me he was skeptical about hiring a first year teacher for Hartford Academy because the work they do there is of the highest quality and they are working hard to help all students make gains (their goal is that every student be accepted to a 4 year college upon high school graduation). But he said that he was very impressed with me and thought I’d be a good fit ☺. I wanted to cry from happiness. He said they’d just check my references and call me next week! (Double Squee!)

During the interview, I fell in love with the school and the Achievement First model. The Achievement First model is focused on the core areas of Reading and Math (if I get the job, I’ll be teaching 6th grade Reading and Writing). Their disciplinary system is well defined and ingenious. All the children were wonderfully well mannered and engaged in the classes. Order spawns achievement. In addition, the environment with the teachers if very collaborative, which is something that I feel is a requirement for my success during my first year teaching. I want to be able to glean as much information from fellow teachers as possible. As a new teacher, it’s essential for me to be able to go to other teachers with ideas, questions and concerns. Achievement First at Hartford Academy will provide that and more. Is it painfully obvious yet how much I want this job?

The best thing about the whole experience was the people. The teachers I met were eager, passionate and brilliant. Their energy and commitment to the kids was palpable. As someone who is visibly and vocally passionate about social issues and closing the achievement gap, it was refreshing to converse with individuals who share that commitment and revel in their ability and responsibility to affect change in the lives of their students.

The students were equally impressive. The media, naysayers (and Republicans, just kidding…mostly) would have us believe that these children, many of whom come from broken homes and abject poverty, are the ones to blame: they’re not trying, not committed to education, not smart enough. If they could see what I saw today, they would know they’ve been selling and buying lies. Whenever I asked a question, their little hands shot into the air like multiple Hermiones, many of them bouncing in their seats. They want to show that they can achieve. They want to prove it. I’m humbled by the opportunity to be the one who will help them on that journey.

Teaching is probably the most important thing I will ever do in my life. I’m eager to meet the challenge.

Shock of the Day: The Principle had read the Letter of Intent I wrote for my Teach for America application. O_O Not only had he read it, but he committed parts of it to memory. There’s something intensely bazaar about your own words being quoted to you. I will never get used to that.