If anyone ever tells you that Minnesota is not beautiful and wonderful and just about the best place anyone could live just look at them and with a small sad smile tell them "i guess good taste is not a gift God thinks you deserve."
It has lakes, parks, (my) family, less humidity than Houston (which is nice) , more heat than Alaska (which is amazing), and smells like Love, happiness, and home.
This IS my secret garden. It is good to be home with my family.
Thursday 19 July 2007
Tuesday 17 July 2007
Age over Beauty. (Not the story of a Gold Digger)
Ms. H is in your face. Big time. She must be only 5 feet 2 inches tall when she is stretching up to her full height. She fills out horizontally almost as much. She has been teaching in rough areas of Houston for 23 years. She must be between 40- and 50 but has a sort of age-less energy that creates an interesting contrast to her from-the-block/been-there-done-that sassy wisdom. To me she epitomizes archetypally the sassy black woman.
When she talks I listen, half out of intrigue and half out of pure terror of what might happen if I didn't. Ms. H came and joined our CS training sessions for the last 3 days of institute in the same way that Lebron James might join a fourth grade in house girls basketball league.
She was my partner for the last 3 days of institute. Right away I knew I was out of my league and I loved it. We would play role-playing games to learn how to interact with difficult parents, principals and students. While the rest of my corps members role played with each other to easy outcomes and text book results, Ms. H made my afternoons a train wreck of learning and amusement washed down with a healthy dose of embarrassment and humility. In our role playing sessions she would run circles around me as angry parents, stressed out grandparents, gang member kids, and authoritarian principals. Then as we wrapped up and the timer rang she would look around her and hoot a bunch of times and say "he thought he had me that time!! you thought you had me!!! woooohhhh!!! Wuuheeeeee!!!! Boy you shoulda seen your face!!! You didn't see that coming!!" Ms. H would laugh and laugh and i would turn more and more red and get frustrated, but at the same time I realized that I was gaining way more from testing my problem solving and mediation against her than some other scared corps member from Berkley. Still I couldn't figure out why she had picked me as her pet Corps Member to pick on/ work with. On the last day of institute I found out.
I was walking down the hallway wearing my "thinking cap" that i used when teaching science. She stopped me and said "Mr. B. I wanted to thank you for working with me the last few days. My first husband was an Irish guy from Boston and your energy and flair reminded me of him. Keep up your earnest effort and sass and you will do great!" In my mind the scene kept rolling and we hugged, she told me I was a one in a billion teacher and she was honored to know me. We talked of Irish things, I referred to Ireland as the old country, and eventually we bumped into each other 15 years down the road while I was receiving a teaching award and she told me she learned a lot from me those three days in the library. She only hoped I learned as much as she did. In actuality she said. "That hat looks great on you. Remember to record everything or you will be eaten alive. You've got a good head, but need to keep records or you flounder and look terrified. See you later."
Well Ms. H- I learned a lot from you. Thank you.
Institute wrapped up neatly. The kids had fun the last day, wrote their big goals for the next year, promised to read every night and Adalberto gave me a really awkward hug. It was precious. I then moved all my stuff to my new apartment, watched Harry Potter (two thumbs up!), bought furniture from Target, drank beer/assembled furniture, and then caught a flight to MN. Here I am in my parents' house reflecting on the last couple days of institute and ecstatic that i get to see Chris in less than 12 hours!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank God he is home safe and sound.
When she talks I listen, half out of intrigue and half out of pure terror of what might happen if I didn't. Ms. H came and joined our CS training sessions for the last 3 days of institute in the same way that Lebron James might join a fourth grade in house girls basketball league.
She was my partner for the last 3 days of institute. Right away I knew I was out of my league and I loved it. We would play role-playing games to learn how to interact with difficult parents, principals and students. While the rest of my corps members role played with each other to easy outcomes and text book results, Ms. H made my afternoons a train wreck of learning and amusement washed down with a healthy dose of embarrassment and humility. In our role playing sessions she would run circles around me as angry parents, stressed out grandparents, gang member kids, and authoritarian principals. Then as we wrapped up and the timer rang she would look around her and hoot a bunch of times and say "he thought he had me that time!! you thought you had me!!! woooohhhh!!! Wuuheeeeee!!!! Boy you shoulda seen your face!!! You didn't see that coming!!" Ms. H would laugh and laugh and i would turn more and more red and get frustrated, but at the same time I realized that I was gaining way more from testing my problem solving and mediation against her than some other scared corps member from Berkley. Still I couldn't figure out why she had picked me as her pet Corps Member to pick on/ work with. On the last day of institute I found out.
I was walking down the hallway wearing my "thinking cap" that i used when teaching science. She stopped me and said "Mr. B. I wanted to thank you for working with me the last few days. My first husband was an Irish guy from Boston and your energy and flair reminded me of him. Keep up your earnest effort and sass and you will do great!" In my mind the scene kept rolling and we hugged, she told me I was a one in a billion teacher and she was honored to know me. We talked of Irish things, I referred to Ireland as the old country, and eventually we bumped into each other 15 years down the road while I was receiving a teaching award and she told me she learned a lot from me those three days in the library. She only hoped I learned as much as she did. In actuality she said. "That hat looks great on you. Remember to record everything or you will be eaten alive. You've got a good head, but need to keep records or you flounder and look terrified. See you later."
Well Ms. H- I learned a lot from you. Thank you.
Institute wrapped up neatly. The kids had fun the last day, wrote their big goals for the next year, promised to read every night and Adalberto gave me a really awkward hug. It was precious. I then moved all my stuff to my new apartment, watched Harry Potter (two thumbs up!), bought furniture from Target, drank beer/assembled furniture, and then caught a flight to MN. Here I am in my parents' house reflecting on the last couple days of institute and ecstatic that i get to see Chris in less than 12 hours!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank God he is home safe and sound.
Friday 13 July 2007
Late Night Reflections...
It is late. I am tired. Tomorrow is the last day of summer school and institute. I am ecstatics, or would be. But right now my emotion is fatigue. I am waiting as my printer finishes printing the stories my students wrote that i promised foolishly to "publish" and not just staple together. They look pretty cool, but have taken all night and I still have about an hour left. But tomorrow is the last day so I know I can survive just fine. It just means tomorrow night I will only need to have like one beer at happy hour and i will be buzzed. That is nice (note to self: now that I am a teacher i certainly do sound more mature...).
For all those I Love and haven't talked to enough (pretty much anyone that reads this page) I wanted to give you all insight into my classroom. As part of one of my assessments (for TFA's checking my progress as a teacher) on of my CS's transcribed 10 minutes of my class: here is a copy of that class. Now you know what it is like to be in my room for a science lesson:
( Warning note to readers- I have told my students that I am from Alaska. I make up stories and steal them from people that actually have them (in or out of Alaska) to give lessons a practical and personal note. In the teaching profession this is not considered lieing. It is considered investment. Don't judge :) )
So, there it is. That is what it is like. Confusing, low on actual content, but engaging. So, maybe there is hope that in the end I will be more than an educated babysitter with a penchant for hyperbole. Maybe.
For all those I Love and haven't talked to enough (pretty much anyone that reads this page) I wanted to give you all insight into my classroom. As part of one of my assessments (for TFA's checking my progress as a teacher) on of my CS's transcribed 10 minutes of my class: here is a copy of that class. Now you know what it is like to be in my room for a science lesson:
( Warning note to readers- I have told my students that I am from Alaska. I make up stories and steal them from people that actually have them (in or out of Alaska) to give lessons a practical and personal note. In the teaching profession this is not considered lieing. It is considered investment. Don't judge :) )
Observation Start Time: 12:30
Observation End Time: 12:40
Teacher: Matt Brossart
| Teacher | Student |
| This is something I know you’re all familiar with (shows graph) – how ice can turn into water and can turn into steam. Has anyone here ever burnt themselves on steam? | No! |
| OK, good. Just making sure. | |
| So when I lived in Alaska, the first place I lived in was like from here to…here. (shows students about a 10 foot by 5 foot square) | Ohhh. |
| So what made this place so nice is that there was a sink in it. One night I was sleeping, and it was about -50 degrees. One night I heard a noise, and I woke up, and there was water spraying all over my room. I didn’t know what to do – I’m not a plumber – so I made the wise decision to go back to bed. | Kids laugh |
| So I woke up, and my boots were frozen to the floor…water is amazing. Amazingly powerful. We can use it to power steam engines, to push whole trains, to freeze all of our stuff to the ground…so it’s the same material, and it can come in all of these forms or phrases. We’re going to look at a quick experiment that shows us how powerful it can be. | Experiment! |
| Directs kids to computer. | |
| Stops computer Does anyone know what liquid nitrogen is? | I can’t really see. I can’t hear that well. AH |
| Liquid nitrogen is about -300 degrees. It is VERY cold. It’s used with thermometers; it’s a fantastic tool for scientists. Yes, Nicole? | If you stick your finger in it, it’d be filled with be ice in a minute, right? |
| Less than minute. If you were to dip your hand in it and hit your hand against something, your hand would explode, and you wouldn’t have your hand anymore. | |
| You do not mess around with liquid nitrogen, and you’re going to see why. | |
| Did you all see what they were wearing on their eyes? | Safety goggles! |
| And is that one of our tools we use as scientists? | Yes! |
| OK, just checking. | |
| What would we use to measure how thick an inch and a half is? | The…balance. |
| Would you use the balance to measure that? Look up here. What would you use? | Student in spanglish: ruler |
| That is exactly right. And an inch and a half of metal – is that strong? | Yes! |
| Could you bend an inch and a half of metal, Wendy? You could? Wow. That’s really strong. Generally NFL football players aren’t that strong. | |
| Continue watching experiment | Kids laugh; enthralled. |
| So that just gives you a picture in your head of how powerful ice can be. |
So, there it is. That is what it is like. Confusing, low on actual content, but engaging. So, maybe there is hope that in the end I will be more than an educated babysitter with a penchant for hyperbole. Maybe.
Saturday 7 July 2007
18/22 is bigger than 1/2. My kids could tell you that now!
So, I made a rather base realization today as I read and reflected on my life, my students, the purpose of "it all", Teach for America, and the slight fog still in my head left over from the 6 hours at the Karaoke bar last night. I realized that I am 22. Then I started making some calculations: I spent 12 years in primary school: 1st,2nd,3rd,4th,5th,6th,7th,8th,9th,10th,11th,and 12th grade. Add onto that one year of preschool and one year of kindergarten (sidebar: The school I am working at in the fall, Garcia Elementary, has the mascot The Gators. The kindergarten staff has cute little t-shirts with a smiling cartoon Gator on it holding a crayon and underneath the picture the t-shirt says: KinderGator Teacher. That is far too cute and puny for its own good. I almost asked for a grade level shirt so I could wear that shirt everyday). Then add onto those 14 years total 4 more years of college. I have spent 18 of my 22 years in school learning. I have now spent 4 weeks back in school teaching and in a hyperbolic way I am not sure in which period of time I have learned more. I know for a fact that despite sitting through classes taught in Spanish, despite studying advanced mathematics and statistics. despite learning i know virtually nothing about the vast world history in regions east of Russia and south of Egypt, despite all of that- in the last 4 weeks I have finally actually learned how little I know. Also, how little life experience I have.
Something about having to explain concepts to tiny people with no background and not being able to skirt around the areas I am less clear about really exposes weaknesses in content areas. Also, something about having to teach all subjects (even at a fifth grade level) really opened my eyes at how much I want to learn if I want to become a truly great teacher. I have SOOOO much i want to learn not only about content but about how to teach and how to reach so many different learning styles. I am reading a book from a friend (Donut) called Teacher Man by Frank McCourt. In it he reflects linearly about his experience teaching and the book has really struck a chord with me. He writes of the thousand little things that effect (affect? so many things I don't know) a classroom and the students receptiveness to learn. I feel so small up there- equipped mainly with energy and a few tricks I have picked up along the way- I feel like I am walking through life with too much to learn.
On a contradictory note: I am now one step closer to becoming certified to teach officially!!!!! Today I got the test results back from the state Texas Exam I had to take to pass certification. I got a 287 out of 300. A 240 was required for certification. If I had gotten 13 more points I would have nothing more to learn from anyone.
More later on actually teaching this week.
Something about having to explain concepts to tiny people with no background and not being able to skirt around the areas I am less clear about really exposes weaknesses in content areas. Also, something about having to teach all subjects (even at a fifth grade level) really opened my eyes at how much I want to learn if I want to become a truly great teacher. I have SOOOO much i want to learn not only about content but about how to teach and how to reach so many different learning styles. I am reading a book from a friend (Donut) called Teacher Man by Frank McCourt. In it he reflects linearly about his experience teaching and the book has really struck a chord with me. He writes of the thousand little things that effect (affect? so many things I don't know) a classroom and the students receptiveness to learn. I feel so small up there- equipped mainly with energy and a few tricks I have picked up along the way- I feel like I am walking through life with too much to learn.
On a contradictory note: I am now one step closer to becoming certified to teach officially!!!!! Today I got the test results back from the state Texas Exam I had to take to pass certification. I got a 287 out of 300. A 240 was required for certification. If I had gotten 13 more points I would have nothing more to learn from anyone.
More later on actually teaching this week.
Thursday 28 June 2007
Adalberto
Teachers are not supposed to have favorites. And I really don't have one i like more than the rest. But, well, there is one student I just have to write about. I have one particular student named Adalberto whom I adore. He is a precious and shy little slightly chubby Latino boy with a blockish head, big square glasses, and quiet bright eyes that shine from behind them. I am sure one of the main reasons I adore him so much (other than i never have to deal with him in classroom discipline) is that he reminds me of my older brother, Chris.
On the first day we had them decorate a little name tag for their desk with their name, their big goal for the summer, and any design they wanted. Adalberto scrawled his name in mostly legible block letters. Then he wrote: "Be gud. get smart" He spent most of the time with the design, he drew little stick figures all over it. The stick figures were involved in complex machines, maneuvers, and landscapes. Most of them were also busy shooting little dashed lines at each other. Anyone that ever got to see Chris's school folders would probably recognize the genre of art.
Adalberto is generally quiet in class, but when called on will quietly and shyly answer questions with short and sometimes hard to decipher answers with amazing accuracy; he is not very confident in his English, but my thought is that as it improves Adalberto will start talking more and more. When he is right his eyes light up and he smiles a big smile. This piercing and happy quietness really is a pleasure to have in the classroom, but hardly noticeable when not focusing on it. The thing that makes him really the center of this post is his passion for writing. This boy will chew through books and write with a fervor that is astonishing, especially given his trouble in speaking English. He like the rest of my fourth graders is obsessed with Goosebumps Books (cute, trite, pseudo-scary chapter books for kids). But he has stepped it up a notch.
My class is working on the writing process and editing, and I am going to publish their book of myths that they are writing at the end of the summer school. I have been pounding into them (or at least trying to) the importance of the writing process and we have been brainstorming, (struggling with) outlining, writing rough drafts, editing for coherence, editing for spelling, and focusing on Showing the reader- not telling the reader- as in adding adjectives, adverbs, metaphors, and similes. To invest the kids I have been focusing on the difference between a writer- which anyone that can write a sentence is, and authors- who have the duty and honor to share the greatest ideas in the world with other people through their writing. Adalberto jumped on the train and is standing at the front of the engine begging me to make it go faster. I have him go home every night and write an extra short scary story. He comes first thing in the morning smiling into class and begging me to read his 2 page long, cute and barely legible horror story (which without fail to date forgets to include a conflict written down. for example the first one had a man go into the house and get scared- he forgot to write the man fell into a pit and couldn't get out) and tell me if i was scared. It has been a great and humorous way to work with his English, and writing at the same time. His passion and energy for "becoming an author who writes books with real covers not just paper" has been inspirational and energizing for me.
There is something inspirational about each of my students. Some are especially draining as well, but each has something amazing that motivates me to keep lesson planning at 2:30 in the morning on a Thursday night. I wasn't aware how attached to the kids I would get. I want to so bad to get good at this teaching thing, because I want THESE kids to have more doors opened for them, it is no longer some intangible statistic like by 4th grade my students in low income areas come in 3 grade levels behind. Or that a person's likelihood of going to prison in a US city can be reasonably predicted based on their reading levels in 3rd grade and 10th grade. They are now real people, tiny people who don't hold still well, tiny people who use a ton of Kleenex, and tiny people who inspire me to become the best teacher i can be as quickly as I can.
I have been struggling with teaching my students the concepts of outlining this week. Friday when i was reflecting on their assessments and overall low scoring on them was a rough one, but I will get better, and I will get better because of Adalberto, Chatty Carlece'a, Moody and charming Grace, Juan my fighter, Wendy with the big smile, cute and polite Taylor, bouncy Jeronimo, Brilliant Nicole, Insightful Jacquline (who speaks nearly no English and yet got the answer "fossils" when the rest of the class couldn't figure out how scientists know about dinosaurs), and the rest of the students I have had and will soon have.
On the first day we had them decorate a little name tag for their desk with their name, their big goal for the summer, and any design they wanted. Adalberto scrawled his name in mostly legible block letters. Then he wrote: "Be gud. get smart" He spent most of the time with the design, he drew little stick figures all over it. The stick figures were involved in complex machines, maneuvers, and landscapes. Most of them were also busy shooting little dashed lines at each other. Anyone that ever got to see Chris's school folders would probably recognize the genre of art.
Adalberto is generally quiet in class, but when called on will quietly and shyly answer questions with short and sometimes hard to decipher answers with amazing accuracy; he is not very confident in his English, but my thought is that as it improves Adalberto will start talking more and more. When he is right his eyes light up and he smiles a big smile. This piercing and happy quietness really is a pleasure to have in the classroom, but hardly noticeable when not focusing on it. The thing that makes him really the center of this post is his passion for writing. This boy will chew through books and write with a fervor that is astonishing, especially given his trouble in speaking English. He like the rest of my fourth graders is obsessed with Goosebumps Books (cute, trite, pseudo-scary chapter books for kids). But he has stepped it up a notch.
My class is working on the writing process and editing, and I am going to publish their book of myths that they are writing at the end of the summer school. I have been pounding into them (or at least trying to) the importance of the writing process and we have been brainstorming, (struggling with) outlining, writing rough drafts, editing for coherence, editing for spelling, and focusing on Showing the reader- not telling the reader- as in adding adjectives, adverbs, metaphors, and similes. To invest the kids I have been focusing on the difference between a writer- which anyone that can write a sentence is, and authors- who have the duty and honor to share the greatest ideas in the world with other people through their writing. Adalberto jumped on the train and is standing at the front of the engine begging me to make it go faster. I have him go home every night and write an extra short scary story. He comes first thing in the morning smiling into class and begging me to read his 2 page long, cute and barely legible horror story (which without fail to date forgets to include a conflict written down. for example the first one had a man go into the house and get scared- he forgot to write the man fell into a pit and couldn't get out) and tell me if i was scared. It has been a great and humorous way to work with his English, and writing at the same time. His passion and energy for "becoming an author who writes books with real covers not just paper" has been inspirational and energizing for me.
There is something inspirational about each of my students. Some are especially draining as well, but each has something amazing that motivates me to keep lesson planning at 2:30 in the morning on a Thursday night. I wasn't aware how attached to the kids I would get. I want to so bad to get good at this teaching thing, because I want THESE kids to have more doors opened for them, it is no longer some intangible statistic like by 4th grade my students in low income areas come in 3 grade levels behind. Or that a person's likelihood of going to prison in a US city can be reasonably predicted based on their reading levels in 3rd grade and 10th grade. They are now real people, tiny people who don't hold still well, tiny people who use a ton of Kleenex, and tiny people who inspire me to become the best teacher i can be as quickly as I can.
I have been struggling with teaching my students the concepts of outlining this week. Friday when i was reflecting on their assessments and overall low scoring on them was a rough one, but I will get better, and I will get better because of Adalberto, Chatty Carlece'a, Moody and charming Grace, Juan my fighter, Wendy with the big smile, cute and polite Taylor, bouncy Jeronimo, Brilliant Nicole, Insightful Jacquline (who speaks nearly no English and yet got the answer "fossils" when the rest of the class couldn't figure out how scientists know about dinosaurs), and the rest of the students I have had and will soon have.
Tuesday 26 June 2007
TFA Day:
So, this morning we woke up and went to school like we have grown accustomed to doing. I taught a raucous class of kids the importance of brainstorming and outlining to come up with good ideas. The kids were chatty, but invested. Tomorrow I have plans for trying to find ways to minimize their chatter. Keep informed, I will tell you if they ever work. I have been working on my "Teacher Look". However, unlike amazing people- like my cousin Sally, I have no teacher look to this point. I do have a proximity and posture trick that works out since i am much bigger than my students and after years of talking shit to my mirror, I have some experience in trying to look tough. Fortunately, to an 11 year old, a semi stearn looking 245 pound dude standing next to him/her with a serious tone generally operates in a similar way as a teacher look. It is just less cool and less efficient. Teacher looks are scary.
Anyways, the afternoon came around and we were scheduled to have another marathon Curriculum Specialist Session for 3 hours in a hot dark library. When we got in there the core was pretty frazled. A lot of the classes had been really chatty, we hadn't been making the academic gains we wanted, or sleeping enough. So there were some people on the verge of tears. I was actually in a pretty good mood since i had spent 8 minutes at lunch throwing a ball back and forth with my Corps Member Advisor- Katie. The monotany and simplicity of it was theraputic.
The session began with the preface that it is time for us to look at time management again and examine our values. We were supposed to write "What does TFA mean to you?" and "What is one not work related thing u are going to do tonight?"
I wrote: TFA means never being good enough- always having room to improve- closing the achievement gap. It means frustration, relentlessness, overcoming obstacles, and rejoicing in small successes. TFA means seeing Jeronimo smile and understand what an adjective is. It means not just having big goals, but living them. TFA is an organization. It is the No Fear folder of my life. TFA is the reason I know my next two years will not be wasted. It is a job, a dream, a paradigm. It means work hard, get smart. It is my opportunity to serve the country without a gun in my hand. It is a long shot and hard work, it is a step towards a better tomorrow. And it is the main reason I could really go for a nap right now.
They picked a few students and had them read theirs out loud one girl started crying as she reflected on being frustrated that her students have hardly been learning apparently, and she feels like it is her fault. She talked about being worried that she wouldn't improve their learning and was wasting every one's time. She talked about being exhausted.
Then the CMA's and CS's (our teachers and administrators) talked about what it meant to them. one group made an acrostic poem- the first groups talked really touchingly about what it has meant to them in their lives. How it touches them still now as they are alumni of the program just involved with helping train us. Then the second group of kindergartner CMA's spoke and said it stood for TOTALLY FREE AFTERNOON!!!!!!
They gave us the afternoon off and loaded us on the busses and had games and snacks and stuff waiting for us at the dorms. Everyone was in such a great mood. I got a group of 6 people and we went and played volleyball with a kickball. It has been raining constantly for about a week and so the sand was (no exaggeration) 10 inch deep mud. It was a mess and them 6 more people came and played and like10 came and watched. It was a great way to relieve stress and have fun without worrying about not making enough of a difference.
After the Volleyball game I met up with Flora, Ashleigh, and Kristen and we drove to Mario Garcia Elementary School. Those are my CM's that are going to teach there with me. Someday later i will write about what my school looked like. I just wanted to reflect that i had some down time and the TFA people are clever with morale.
I love all of you, and miss those of you reading this (whom I know).
Anyways, the afternoon came around and we were scheduled to have another marathon Curriculum Specialist Session for 3 hours in a hot dark library. When we got in there the core was pretty frazled. A lot of the classes had been really chatty, we hadn't been making the academic gains we wanted, or sleeping enough. So there were some people on the verge of tears. I was actually in a pretty good mood since i had spent 8 minutes at lunch throwing a ball back and forth with my Corps Member Advisor- Katie. The monotany and simplicity of it was theraputic.
The session began with the preface that it is time for us to look at time management again and examine our values. We were supposed to write "What does TFA mean to you?" and "What is one not work related thing u are going to do tonight?"
I wrote: TFA means never being good enough- always having room to improve- closing the achievement gap. It means frustration, relentlessness, overcoming obstacles, and rejoicing in small successes. TFA means seeing Jeronimo smile and understand what an adjective is. It means not just having big goals, but living them. TFA is an organization. It is the No Fear folder of my life. TFA is the reason I know my next two years will not be wasted. It is a job, a dream, a paradigm. It means work hard, get smart. It is my opportunity to serve the country without a gun in my hand. It is a long shot and hard work, it is a step towards a better tomorrow. And it is the main reason I could really go for a nap right now.
They picked a few students and had them read theirs out loud one girl started crying as she reflected on being frustrated that her students have hardly been learning apparently, and she feels like it is her fault. She talked about being worried that she wouldn't improve their learning and was wasting every one's time. She talked about being exhausted.
Then the CMA's and CS's (our teachers and administrators) talked about what it meant to them. one group made an acrostic poem- the first groups talked really touchingly about what it has meant to them in their lives. How it touches them still now as they are alumni of the program just involved with helping train us. Then the second group of kindergartner CMA's spoke and said it stood for TOTALLY FREE AFTERNOON!!!!!!
They gave us the afternoon off and loaded us on the busses and had games and snacks and stuff waiting for us at the dorms. Everyone was in such a great mood. I got a group of 6 people and we went and played volleyball with a kickball. It has been raining constantly for about a week and so the sand was (no exaggeration) 10 inch deep mud. It was a mess and them 6 more people came and played and like10 came and watched. It was a great way to relieve stress and have fun without worrying about not making enough of a difference.
After the Volleyball game I met up with Flora, Ashleigh, and Kristen and we drove to Mario Garcia Elementary School. Those are my CM's that are going to teach there with me. Someday later i will write about what my school looked like. I just wanted to reflect that i had some down time and the TFA people are clever with morale.
I love all of you, and miss those of you reading this (whom I know).
Sunday 24 June 2007
RENT
Before I begin, anyone that has facebook should check out my photo album "Summer School" it has pictures of all of my kids from this summer.
"How do you leave the past behind
When it keeps finding ways to get to your heart
It reaches way down deep and tears you inside out
Till you're torn apart
Rent!"
-From the musical RENT
Neat. I found a quote that captures both of the biggest emotions I have right now. This weekend I signed the lease on a brand new three bedroom apartment in a region of NW inner Houston. At least 21 other TFA corps members are living there as well. I will be living with a guy named Austin and a girl named Christina. They seem like a lot of fun and we really enjoyed spending our Saturday driving around looking for apartments. We found this place and couldn't wait to sign the lease. It is much much nicer than anywhere i had hoped to live. It comes complementary with a gym, a pool, in unit washer and drier, brand new applianced, a patio, 3 indoor parking spots, and a really nice communal entertainment area. It also comes with complimentary wireless internet!
It is sooo nice to not have to worry about finding a place to live for the rest of the summer. The day I am moving out of institute I will be able to move right into my new apartment and start being a real grown up. I get to pay rent. Not like college rent, but real rent.
That is the really exciting news from this weekend. Other than spending almost all of Saturday apartment hunting I spent my time lesson planning, wrote some poetry, played friesbee, and relaxed with some of my fellow corps members. It was a great break from the amazing hustle that has been institute. The rumor going around here is that 37 people have already dropped out because it was too hard. I haven't confirmed that yet, but I have seen fairly regularly people leaving with all of their things boxed up driving away or hopping in a Taxi. It adds a wierd combination of morbedness and pride to my day. Those of us left here are trying to see if we have what it takes not only to become teachers (an amazingly difficult proffession), but to become above average teachers in only one summer). Everytime someone leaves it seems like it is a dare going across the common room. "I dare you to become a teacher. I dare you. Do you really think you are strong enough?"
It seems like the majority of people take that challenge to heart. I have never lived with such a driven group of people. It is like finals week all the time, without management majors, and instead of grades we have the future of somebody's kids in our hands... It is daunting and exciting. The people are so nice, so diverse, so driven. We represent so many different world views and walks of life. The main thing that connects us is this sense of urgency that the educational gap needs to be closed. It is fun to finally be in an enviornment where the locus of control is placed right on us, and we can band together against the social pressure that says the problem is too big to fix.
The enviornment also makes me miss my home, my family, and my old friends. The people here are amazing. But I haven't yet found a niche of people that have either the biting sarcastic wit of many of my MN connections (Nina, Baits, Flynn, Yea-High, etc) or the overwhelming sense of hyperbole (Hawk, C-B, Cuz Anne, Doc Phil) or are just wonderful to be with (Cody, Girl-Kyle, Donut, my whole family, Tessa). I have met some very cool people, but since i hardly know them, and since things have been so challanging two things have been keeping me going- thoughts of home, and thoughts of my students.
I cannot overemphasize how amazing the kids are, and how tragic it is that since so many of my kids came from a low Socio-Economic place they aren't normally even ever given high expectations, or someone outside of their home that cares about them. it breaks my heart. These kids are so smart, and so much fun, and mostly lacking a sense of hope even at 11 years old. We are really focusing on that hope idea in my class. I can only pray that it will take hold.
Anyways. I just wanted to write to say I Love all of you. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. You are all my strength and inspiration. I thank God everyday that I came from a background that had SOOOO many people that supported me so much.
Keep it real.
"How do you leave the past behind
When it keeps finding ways to get to your heart
It reaches way down deep and tears you inside out
Till you're torn apart
Rent!"
-From the musical RENT
Neat. I found a quote that captures both of the biggest emotions I have right now. This weekend I signed the lease on a brand new three bedroom apartment in a region of NW inner Houston. At least 21 other TFA corps members are living there as well. I will be living with a guy named Austin and a girl named Christina. They seem like a lot of fun and we really enjoyed spending our Saturday driving around looking for apartments. We found this place and couldn't wait to sign the lease. It is much much nicer than anywhere i had hoped to live. It comes complementary with a gym, a pool, in unit washer and drier, brand new applianced, a patio, 3 indoor parking spots, and a really nice communal entertainment area. It also comes with complimentary wireless internet!
It is sooo nice to not have to worry about finding a place to live for the rest of the summer. The day I am moving out of institute I will be able to move right into my new apartment and start being a real grown up. I get to pay rent. Not like college rent, but real rent.
That is the really exciting news from this weekend. Other than spending almost all of Saturday apartment hunting I spent my time lesson planning, wrote some poetry, played friesbee, and relaxed with some of my fellow corps members. It was a great break from the amazing hustle that has been institute. The rumor going around here is that 37 people have already dropped out because it was too hard. I haven't confirmed that yet, but I have seen fairly regularly people leaving with all of their things boxed up driving away or hopping in a Taxi. It adds a wierd combination of morbedness and pride to my day. Those of us left here are trying to see if we have what it takes not only to become teachers (an amazingly difficult proffession), but to become above average teachers in only one summer). Everytime someone leaves it seems like it is a dare going across the common room. "I dare you to become a teacher. I dare you. Do you really think you are strong enough?"
It seems like the majority of people take that challenge to heart. I have never lived with such a driven group of people. It is like finals week all the time, without management majors, and instead of grades we have the future of somebody's kids in our hands... It is daunting and exciting. The people are so nice, so diverse, so driven. We represent so many different world views and walks of life. The main thing that connects us is this sense of urgency that the educational gap needs to be closed. It is fun to finally be in an enviornment where the locus of control is placed right on us, and we can band together against the social pressure that says the problem is too big to fix.
The enviornment also makes me miss my home, my family, and my old friends. The people here are amazing. But I haven't yet found a niche of people that have either the biting sarcastic wit of many of my MN connections (Nina, Baits, Flynn, Yea-High, etc) or the overwhelming sense of hyperbole (Hawk, C-B, Cuz Anne, Doc Phil) or are just wonderful to be with (Cody, Girl-Kyle, Donut, my whole family, Tessa). I have met some very cool people, but since i hardly know them, and since things have been so challanging two things have been keeping me going- thoughts of home, and thoughts of my students.
I cannot overemphasize how amazing the kids are, and how tragic it is that since so many of my kids came from a low Socio-Economic place they aren't normally even ever given high expectations, or someone outside of their home that cares about them. it breaks my heart. These kids are so smart, and so much fun, and mostly lacking a sense of hope even at 11 years old. We are really focusing on that hope idea in my class. I can only pray that it will take hold.
Anyways. I just wanted to write to say I Love all of you. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. You are all my strength and inspiration. I thank God everyday that I came from a background that had SOOOO many people that supported me so much.
Keep it real.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
