Refreshed and back in the swing...

So, after much sleep and vegging out, I'm finally refreshed and up for a whole new week of Summer Institute. It hasn't been bad at all, just very, very (verrrry) intense and at times, just plain exhausting. I've lost count now of the number of nights I've arrived home from Institute and just passed out - no reading, no family time, no TV, no nothing... just a shower and my pillow. I guess I underestimated just how much this could take out of you. When I get home most days, I'm so tired that I'm literally scared to take a shower until after I get all my reading and assignments done. If I don't wait, I'm liable to pass out on the couch and be down for the night (yeah, it's like that).

Anywho... We're in week 2 now and things are going very well. The summer school classroom I've been assigned to is for High School History, and it's awesome. The teacher is wonderful - a real answered prayer. And the school is nice, too. I was really surprised at just how many students showed up for summer school, but I guess that just reiterates why we're there. We do lunch duty during lunch, so we're all getting pretty adept at eating while standing and walking around the cafeteria to talk to and socialize with the kids. Call me crazy, but when I was in high school, the LAST thing I wanted after being in a classroom with the same teacher for hours was to have that teacher sit down and talk to me during my lunchtime... Hmmmm. But, since we're being asked to talk and socialize with them during their very (very) short lunch time, talk and socialize we will. ;)

We start practice teaching next week. I'll do my best to update on how that goes... Now, off to my Unit Planning and Big Goal work products. Adios!

Blah...

Omgosh... I'm so tired I can hardly see straight. I've been meaning to update this blog and tell you what Institute has been like day by day, but.... I'M SO FREAKIN' TIRED I CAN'T HOLD MY HEAD UP. It'll be all I can do right now to drag myself to the shower and hit the bed... I'm wiped.

Tomorrow's another day.

Institute, Day One

Whew. Had our first day of Institute today, and it was really great. During the opening session, we covered the achievement gap that exists in our country, and why it's so important that programs like ours exist to help close that huge disparity in the quality of education received by minorities in the United States. The stats are just staggering. Staggering, saddening, maddening, infuriating... it's a ridiculous situation that's unfair on so many levels it's not even funny... but, that's why we're here, right? Learning, reading, studying, practicing, becoming... to help make this a more equal race to the future for as many kids as we can...

After our all-cohort meeting, we broke down into our respective groups and met our PT Advisors. Ours is awesome. Cheery, energetic and knows her stuff... can't wait to learn more and more from this lady. I'm so thankful that I got a good group!!! Yay. We went right to work, with session after session (after session), beginning to cover the modules in our summer curriculum. No time wasted here!! lol  It was good stuff, I learned alot and made some good friends along the way, too. When the day was finally over close to 5:30, I felt a little tired, but had no idea just how exhausted I realllllly was. When I got home and took a shower, I was OUT. Completely OUT. I was so tired and worn out that I couldn't keep my eyes open. My body was crying... what the heck did you do to me today??? Well, body... that would be INSTITUTE, day one. Guess I'd better get used to it!!

*** More Institute info in July entries ***

....

So it's like 2:29 am, and I can't sleep. Took not one, but TWO Melatonins and still... no sleep. One usually knocks me out cold on nights like this. I think my brain is just seriously overworked from completing my pre-Institute work. Yeah, maybe that's it, lol. Whoever said they don't check your pre-Institute work for completion wasn't part of TNTP... 'cause that's certainly not the case with us.

Our ISP (all twenty-something pages of it) was due last night at 11:59 pm, and I worked on it for several days straight only to still have to finally submit the finished product at ... yup... 11:59 pm. Just made it, literally. That thing was so long is was just scary. Our first lesson plan was due the next day (today), and that took forever, too! Don't get me wrong... I knew writing lesson plans took time - but I didn't expect that it would take me the whole entire day to write ONE complete lesson plan that was up to TNTP standards. Wow, that took alot out of me. Got that one submitted just in time, too. Institute's starting in a couple of DAYS, and I'm sure we've got soooooooooooo much more to do in the next six and a half weeks that it's not even funny.... Melatonin, gonna need ya, buddy!

Induction

Just had Induction this past weekend, and it was so informative. I've been reading blogs from various TFA corps members for the past year or so to get an idea of what Induction would be like, and from the readings that I found, I expected lots of inspirational (TFA-like) speakers, lots of cheering and getting hyped up for the task that lies before us, etc, etc.... Guess I thought it would be a kind of pep rally of sorts to get us geared up and ready to start Institute on a really high note...

Yeah... no, lol. It wasn't bad at all... it was just ... Work. We didn't have any speakers slated to greet us and stir up our enthusiasm for the challenge we're about to take on. We didn't have any cheers or things that you read about so much on other people's blogs who have been through similiar training... but what we did have was, well, excellent.

Our Induction was work from start to finish. We went over (in painstaking detail) all the ways we would be evaluated this summer in Institute, what those evaluation instruments looked like and how they were used, how we could use them to guide our learning and practice teaching, etc. We also covered the specific schedule for Institute (finally, yay), and what those six plus weeks will look like for us. I have to say... the time was used very well and I learned a whole lot.

Although I was kinda looking forward to a speaker or two to give us more info on how this educational inequality is looking nationally and exactly how our work here will help to put a dent in the status quo, I can honestly say that I don't feel my time was wasted at all. On the contrary, I actually feel alot more prepared to enter Institute in a week or so, having a greater understanding of what's required of me and how I will be evaluated. So, all in all, Induction was a good thing!

I so appreciate that the people I've met in our cohort are friendly and outgoing and willing to help each other. I think that with a culture like that, we can accomplish just about anything. And the coolest part is that we're the charter corps in our area this year. How awesome is that??? Man... if you purpose to do your absolute best and learn all you can, dedicate yourself to the commitment and really push, you can come out of this first year having accomplished some great things with your kids. That's soo exciting to me!!!

I have to admit there are times when my mind just fast-forwards to next year this time, when I can look back on the whole experience of Institute and my first year of teaching (and passing my certification program), and realize that 1) I will no longer be a first-year newbie teacher and 2)I'll be a real teacher with a real teaching license behind my name. How cool is that??? 

So looking forward to starting Institute and getting the jitters out with this student teaching thing. I reeeeeeally hope I get a great Cooperating Teacher this summer. Someone who actually likes kids would be phenomenal. I'm determined to soak up every single little itty bit of learning that I can from whoever this person will be... their years of experience in this thing have brought them much wisdom in the everyday how-to, and I'm looking forward to learning as much of that wisdom as I can. Hey, every little bit helps, and I've got a t-o-n of stuff to master in a short time.

I'll do my best to be more regular about my blogging once Institute starts. I can remember scouring Google to find any and everything I could about TFA and similar program blogs that talked in detail about what Institute was like. In keeping with those that did so and ended up helping me in the process, I'm going to do my best to be consistent with it to potentially help next year's cohort when they start their Google searches. We're all helpers one of another, that's the way I look at it!  ;)

All things well!

K... can I tell you that I love, love, love this new group?? Our corps members are trickling in, some already here, many relocating here from other states, and I love the atmosphere of the group already. I'm so glad we finally got our group page up and running so that everybody can pitch in and help each other as needed. It's so cool to see people helping others study for the Praxis, sharing study guides and resources, giving tips and info on the new area they're about to relocate their lives to, and just helping out in any way needed... I love this.

God, you really do all things well!

reading, reading, reading and more.... reading;

So, time's marching on so fast it's unbelievable. I started reading my (h-u-g-e) SPED textbook to help prepare me for the soon-coming summer institute, and I'm learning so much. This book may be gargantuan (600+ pages, PLUS an addendum...), but the contents are sooo good. Reading the information really does help make all of this make more sense to me, and concepts and things are really starting to come together for me. I've got to find a way to do my own kind of review or something before Institute starts so that it's all fresh in my mind, and I can access info easily when I need to. Just took a look at where I am in my ISG reading... I'm almost exactly half finished. Aaagggghhhh!! Considering how many freakin' pages are in this thing, I was seriously hoping I was further along... but it's all good. I'll just keep hacking away at these pages and long chapters, and before long, I'll be getting to that last page before you know it!!

We have a PT (practitioner teacher) social coming up tomorrow, and I'm really excited about that. I haven't met many of the PTs face to face yet, and it will be pretty cool to start getting to know the people I'll be spending the next six and a half weeks with. It's at a local coffee house, so it should be really comfortable and casual...perfect for getting to know each other. I'm so excited....

Induction is coming up very quickly. It's scheduled for next Saturday, and I'm really wondering what to expect. We'll be there all day... wonder what the day's schedule is? So far, the only things I've been able to access were different blogs from past TFA corps members [thanks sooo much, guys!], and I've learned alot from what they wrote of their experiences. TFA blogs have been my daily diet for months now, lol. TNTP has several blogs out there, and I've scooped them up, too... reading as many of them as I could get my hands on. In a very short while, I'll be in the midst of the fire that is Summer Institute myself... gotta get these fingers ready to fly 'cause I don't want to miss any of that - this blog is my own personal record of what this entire experience/journey into teaching is like, so those posts should be, ummm, interesting. :)

It's so funny to be at this stage of my life and have something so new beginning so shortly. I mean, I've started new jobs before, been the new kid on the block several times, know all about that stuff. But this career change into teaching has me sooo excited and giddy that I feel almost like I'm graduating from college as a twenty-something and launching out into the world brand-new and fresh, again... I have to laugh at myself with that. I'm in my mid-forties and loving every single minute of it... no regrets, I've experienced much joy and accomplishment in my life... but it's just incredible to me that this undertaking could seem at once so different, so exciting and so scary all wrapped up together. The only thing that belies the excitement I feel is the years of working experience that I have behind me, and I'm really glad about that. I had no idea that such a movement was underfoot in our country. I knew that people [myself included] were very dissatisfied with the state of our educational system, and that it was a real issue, but I had no idea that such a movement to actually c-h-a-n-g-e things was in process. Programs like TFA and TNTP (and so many others) are really doing a great work in helping to end this crazy injustice that's been running rampant in our country for so long, and how COOL is it that I actually get to be an active part of it??? Oh, man... that's da bomb, so to speak. i don't have to sit on the sidelines and wonder how things are going, whether it's working, what's being done... I'll be right in the thick of things doing my part to help change this crazy, archaic, biased system, and I'm so glad about it.

Summer Insitute, here I come!!!!

...Whew...

This reading sure is kicking my butt. I mean... for realz. As soon as I got the Special Ed guidebook, I dove right in because I knew I had over 600 pages to read and not alot of time to do it all in. I tried to stay consistent and read two and a half chapters per week until I was all done, but I think I abandoned that schedule at least a week or so ago...

Now I have to MAKE myself read this daggone book. I keep peeking at it, sitting there on the table like it's harmless and stuff, and then inevitably end up looking away from it with an unconscious shudder when I consider the number of pages I still have yet to read...

Funny thing, though. Numbers don't usually bother me. 600 pages? No problem!! Just need to break it down into smaller peices, and you'll be done before you know it. I'm that person on the long road trip that gets a kick out of being all the way down at exit 369, when you know the exit you need to get home is like... exit 25. I see that high number and I'm completely undaunted... I start singing, laughing, get happy about it and make a game out of mentally figuring out how many more exits we have to go when we get down to odd numbers like 347 and 283... I'm just weird like that. But this book is bugging me. The information is good. I mean it makes perfect sense to me. It's actually interesting. But the thing that's getting on my last nerve is that they keep making the chapters longer and longer and loooooooooonger.... They faked me out in the beginning with chapters that were oh... 16 pages long... and then slowly increased to 20... still no problem, I'm good, I'm still happy, still singing...

But when those daggone chapters start stretching to 30 and 40 pages at least (one of them was 50 pages long, at last count), I'm starting to fade. My enthusiasm is waning. My song is getting lower and lower and... well, you get the picture. I'm having to force myself to read all these pages and this is exactly where I DIDN'T want to find myself with this assignment. I've got too much dern reading to be doing to get discouraged now...

I think I just need to take a break from that book. Not look at it. No peeking. Not even turn in its general direction for a few days, and let my mind refresh itself. Because it's already May, and I've got to have this whole daggone thing read by the end of the month. So... vacation-from-the-dreaded-ridiculously-long-book... you've really got to do your thing and get me back in gear.

'Cause time's a'tickin!

Funny how things work out

So I'm just looking over the few entries I've posted over the last month or two, and it's interesting to see how things are slowly evolving with this TNTP process....

Since the very beginning, I've wanted to capture my entire experience of this journey ~ my ups and downs, worries and disappointments, triumphs and celebrations... because it really is a big undertaking. In no way do I think or feel that entering the field of Education as a teacher [with absolutely no experience, mind you] will be an easy thing. I expect challenges. I expect great things, too. I also expect that there will be some days that I will wonder what the heck I've gotten myself into....

But I can't help but think about how the blogs of other writers have helped me so much already, even at this early stage. I haven't even started Summer Institute yet and still I've been encouraged so much by the musings of bloggers like Fear the Fellow and Harry Potter and the Urban School Nightmare... just reading their experiences and feelings and thoughts through their first years in particular have kept me encouraged and excited about the things that lie before me. I can only imagine some new Teaching Fellow getting their acceptance into the program next year, eagerly Googling anything even close to a blog done by someone who's already walked a little ways in the shoes they're about to fill... and I hope that my experience can help someone at some point, too.

There's a part of me that's soooo uber excited, ready to get started learning, finding out the how-to's of helping to make a change [even if only a small dent] in our educational system's woes, and there's another part of me that's kept grounded and realistic about the things that I may encounter that just might try to rain on my parade a little. This is why these other blogs have been so helpful. While I fully plan to hold onto my excitement for this whole thing, I want to learn from the wisdom that others have shared from the trenches - the real talk that you don't get from any textbook or Institute workshop.

It's a real balancing act, to say the least, but a real healthy and realistic one, I think. I think it will do me very well to hold onto it for awhile!

So glad...

So glad that things are 'officially' getting underway! Just got notification to get my physical and TB test done, as well as to attend an upcoming New Hire Orientation in a few weeks. Things are gettin' movin'!

Summer Institute's getting closer by the minute! :)

Yayayayay!!!!

Lord, you're SOOOO good to me!!!

Oh, bless God. I checked my Praxis II 0543 scores this morning and I passed!! Yay me!!

I can't tell you the number of horror stories I've heard concerning these tests... how they're too difficult to pass unless you take it umpteen times, how many people have to take it time and time again only to still not pass it... one person even told me of a friend of theirs who had to take it 11 times. 11 times??? I don't know what I'd do if I had to face these tests that many times. Probably would be pulling my hair out by test day, for real. Btw, the prep guide I used was Cliff Notes Praxis II: Education of Exceptional Students (0353, 0382, 0542, 0544) . I think this book is an exceptional preparation for taking this particular test. Check it out if you have this test coming up... it's only like $15 on Amazon.com.

I'm just so thankful. Thankful for God's grace. Thankful that these tests are behind me. Thankful that I don't have to see them eeeeeever again (I hope). Yay!

W-h-e-w... MAJOR butterflies...

Tomorrow is D-Day. Tomorrow determines what the next three to four weeks of my life will look like. Tomorrow will either speak peace and allow me to get back to my assigned reading and observations and ISG assignments, or it will speak [uuugggghhhhhhhh...] days upon days of more stringent studying, late nights and information overload times ten.

Tomorrow is Praxis II result day for the Special Ed test.

The. Test. The one that counts more than the previous one I took, and the one that will either solidify my placement in the upcoming summer program or place it precariously on a perch of maybe yes... maybe no...
Although our initial acceptance into the program is all done, the full acceptance is contingent upon us passing BOTH Praxis II exams before Summer Institute begins in June. And the April test date will be the last ditch effort toward that end for those of us who do not pass the March test.

W-h-e-w. MAJOR butterflies.

But... I'm determined to center and remind myself that I'm a woman of faith. I read everything I could get my hands on. I studied my butt off. I stayed up late nights and got up early only to begin that dern study cycle alllllll over again, day after day. And then when all that was said and done, I prayed and trusted God for the rest. So, I'm reminding myself that praying about something now and then worrying about it later don't go together... it has to be one or the other, for real. I'm reminded of a message that a preacher brought years ago that really blessed me ~ If you're gonna pray, don't worry. If you're gonna worry, don't pray. I choose the former.

Whatever tomorrow holds, it's all good. I'll either be celebrating [big time] or getting my study on for a second round of Praxis II 0543. 

We'll see! ;)

Good Stuff...

I've come up with a pacing schedule to keep myself on track with my required ISG reading till Institute starts in June. I figure if I read about three chapters per week, I'll end up finishing a week early, and that'll give me time to review and prepare before the craziness that is Summer Institute begins....

I've got to say, this book is good stuff. I'm finding this information to be soooo interesting! Reading up on the different categories of disabilities and their individual descriptions is just fascinating. Fascinating! Who knew? I had no idea that I had an interest in this stuff until a few months ago... but man, am I glad I came across this opportunity! I find myself wanting to take in all I can possibly learn about autism, learning disabilities, etc. If the first few chapters of this [h-u-g-e] book are any indication, reading the remaining 600+ some pages should go well.

On another note, I came across some great blogs this weekend that have been awesome in giving me a first-hand account of what teaching might be like right out of the gate as a teaching fellow. If you're a beginning teacher like me and you're looking for all the help and advice from seasoned educators you can get [also like me, lol], then take a moment to check out some of these. I love the honesty that they show in their postings, 'cause that's exactly what I'm looking for. I don't want someone who will paint a picture of roses and butterflies concerning this huge undertaking we're about to take on - I want the truth, and plenty of it. These blogs do that, and I love it. I'll post links to some of the others I come across moving forward, too.

Every little bit of wisdom (and truth) counts! ;)

Y-E-S-S-S-S-S-S!!!!

DUDE!! I passed the Praxis II 0511 on the first try!!! Y-E-S !!!! Omg, that was one of the scariest tests I've taken in a really long time! Nothing but the favor and grace of God... and Lord, I'm sooooo thankful!!!

I've heard horror stories about this test, and about the Praxis in general, of so many people having to take it multiple times in order to get a passing score... and I think that was part of what had me a little nervous about the test, too. I bought the Cliff Notes Praxis II Fundamental Subjects Content Knowledge Study Guide from Amazon.com for about $15, and read the book from cover to cover. I took all 8 of the practice tests they gave (2 for each subject), then examined the questions I got wrong to see which concepts I needed to brush up on...then took the tests again... and again... and, well, you get it.

I felt really prepared after having read the book, but when I sat down on test day to actually take the exam, the questions seemed completely different from what was in the book and on the practice tests... honestly, I prayed my way through that test, no joke. Now, I know the power of prayer. It works. It's real. God hears and He responds to the requests of his people. But I also feel like I have some responsibility in this, too. I felt like I had to make sure I did my part by studying and reading and practicing, preparing and going over stuff I don't like like fractions, proportions, etc, etc., etc... I so thank God for giving me the understanding of the things I studied, for helping me to remember names and dates and concepts and other things that I'd long since forgotten (I've been out of high school for a looooooooong time, lol). I ended up getting a 182 out of a possible 200... YES!!  God is so faithful. So very faithful!!!

I find out next Tuesday how I did on the Praxis II 0543 - the one especially geared to teaching Special Ed. I'll just keep myself busy working on the Independent Study Guide assignments and reading the (600 page plus) text, and Tuesday will be here before you know it.

What an amazing day!!!

YAYAYAY!!!

Sooooo psyched!!!! Got my Special Ed Guidebook and Addendum via email today, as well as my Independent Study Guide. YAYAYAY!!! Oh, man... I'm so psyched about actually being able to get started with learning info specific to OUR program... cool beans!! The Special Ed guidebook is all of 601 pages (whew) with an addendum that adds another 32 or so. So glad I can get started and take full advantage of the time between now and when Summer Institute actually starts. yay!

At Snail's Pace...

ooooomg, still waiting to receive whatever study materials we're supposed to get. March is pretty much done. April will be here in less than a week, which means we've lost valuable reading and studying time to help prepare for Summer Institute. There was a whole slew of stuff we were supposed to get by now, but I think they're still working on sending out acceptance notices to the last bit of applicants for this year, so it seems things might be a little behind. Oh well. I'll suck it up and get back to my reading online. I found quite a few (great) books on Special Ed at the University's library, and I've been busying myself with learning as much as I can from those. In particular, books like The Fundamentals of Special Education: A Practical Guide for Every Teacher (Algozzine), Teaching in a Special Education Classroom (Pierangelo), The Teacher's Ultimate Planning Guide (Burke) and The First Days of School (Wong) have been especially helpful. Wong's book is excellent for things to implement and keep in mind at the very beginning of the school year, so things go alot more smoothly. This is one that I definitely plan to purchase... it's got so much great stuff for new teachers to be mindful of and implement so that we can alleviate behavior problems right from the beginning. If you get a chance to check it out, this one is definitely a good read. So much great information that I never really thought of... and being a brand-new teacher this coming fall, I'll take all the help I can get! :-)  I also have What Every Principal Needs to Know about Special Education (McLaughlin) and Wally's Stories, but I haven't begun to read these just yet. So far, I'm reading the first four simultaneously, along with the online copy of Teaching for Student Achievement that I found on Google. For now I guess, I’ll keep reading these and other things I can get my hands on about Special Ed, and continue to schedule classroom observations as much as I can before the end of the school year comes. Come on, TNTP!!!

Watching the Pros...

I did my first classroom observation yesterday.

I haven’t received anything/paperwork/directions yet from the program’s admin, so I went by what I saw on the Independent Study Guide (ISG) that someone posted online from the same program in a different state. It gave very basic guidelines of what to look for during the observation, and what to be aware of as well. I have to say, I was impressed with the teaching.

There were 2 teachers in the room – 1 general ed and 1 EC – but they flowed so well with each other that you really couldn’t tell which was which. They did a lesson for 6^th graders on how emotion and situation affects plot, and dissected a book they were all reading by having the students suggest evidence of certain emotions in the text and then support those claims with evidence in the tests. Next, they plotted them on a graph, reinforcing math concepts of point of origin, neutral line and how the things are positive on the upper side of the neutral line, and negative on the lower side. It was really interesting to watch how they put this lesson together with the kids. They used the (?) Frayer model with I do, You do, We do, You do independently, and I was finally able to see a really good example of a full lesson, from what I know so far – introduction of the topic and essential question for the day (used later to assess learning), directed instruction (I do), working cooperatively with partners (you do) and finally, having the kids find, support and plot a point of emotion in the book on their own (you do independently). It was kind of cool to watch all of this come together, and the kids enjoyed it too… almost every one of them were engaged, with the exception of maybe a child or two sitting way in the back or on the outer edges on the sides of the room.

The coteaching was exceptional. These ladies literally flowed with each other, and worked so well together. One would start part of the lesson (ie. The I do), then the other would – without interruption – smoothly begin the second part (we do), and they switched back and forth as needed throughout the lesson. I have to say, I was impressed with this part. I also have to say, though, that I’m a little concerned with this part when it relates to me and where I’ll be placed this coming school year. We don’t know what kind of classroom we’ll be in just yet – coteaching, pull-out (resource room) or self-contained.  I’m reeeeeally hoping for self-contained, so I don’t end up with a lot of drama in the classroom unnecessarily. One of the teachers was kind enough to talk to me honestly about the truth that some teachers encounter often… territorial general ed teachers who don’t want anyone else in their room, feel they don’t need you, and would really just rather you go away. While I understand someone wanting their own space to work with the kids their way, I also know that if you have a class almost halfway filled with exceptional learners, you need a Special Ed teacher in that room – better spoken, the exceptional learners need someone in the room who is simultaneously sensitive to their issues while believing in them and having patience in them enough to push them and hold them to the same standards as children without those issues. It’s an awkward situation from the outset, I know, but if schools (as they are here) are moving more and more toward having less self-contained rooms and more co-teaching, it’s a necessary evil that we all have to work to find a way to work with. I’m soooo praying for my own room my first year.

One thing I learned yesterday was that, even though almost half of the children in that classroom were exceptional learners (I couldn’t tell anything at all when watching them participate and engage in the lesson), all of the kids in that room were behind and needed additional planning and differentiation – not one of them was reading on a 6^th grade level. That is just INCREDIBLE to me… but that’s a topic for another post. I wonder if I’ll ever understand how children can be passed from grade to grade to grade when they can’t READ and comprehend text. Omg. As a teacher, I know I’ve got a lot to learn concerning the differences between what is taught in the classroom and what administration/district/state/national policy makers determine as important. As a parent, it feels almost like a betrayal of sorts… I’m trying to understand how things have changed sooo much since we were in school that children can be passed to higher, more difficult and challenging grades while they are lacking the basic reading skills to succeed in those new places… smh. As I said before… definitely for another post.

So… I’ll get back to the great parts of my observation yesterday, and stop boring you with all my ranting and raving. I’d only been in the class maybe ten minutes or so, when the teacher greeted the kids for the morning. I guess the response was less than enthusiastic, so she greeted them again. Same response. So,she said something like, ‘I guess we need to do the pledge then, huh?’ And this really got reaction from the kids. I’m sitting there waiting for someone to begin a memorized thingie (or maybe redo the Pledge of Allegiance) while the kids sit in their seats…? One boy gets up, and stands on top of his chair. He stands on TOP of his chair. I’m looking around like… somebody has GOT to see this child doing this… why isn’t anybody saying anything to him? So he stays up there. And then… they ALL climb on top of their chairs and stand up there. Now the whole class is super-tall and standing nice and straight and tall on top of their chairs… Then the first boy belts out “I am”, and the class follows, loud, strong, excited, “I am”… him: “Somebody”…. They follow.  “I can do anything I put my mind to”. He continues to call out parts of the pledge, loud confident and strong, and the class follows him like a call and response kind of thing. By the time they were done, they’d announced their faith in themselves, their teachers’ faith in them, the school’s faith in them and their commitment to work hard to learn whatever was necessary to achieve the things they wanted. WOW. That was amazing. It reminded me so much of a scene from the movie, Dead Poet’s Society (the standing on the desks part, and why you do it)… man…. I might just steal that one for my own class!!!!

Waiting, waiting...

My acceptance letter says that I should receive some materials in mid-March so that I can start adequately preparing for Summer Institute. I've read from other TNTP fellow blog posts that Teaching for Student Achievement is a really huge book, and don't want to wait too long before I'm starting things... I found several copies of the book online a few weeks ago, and that's what I've been using to study for now (so I'll have a head start and won't drive myself crazy trying to read 600+ pages before June!!!), but I'd sure feel alot better if I could know for sure that the copy I've been using (copyright 2004) is the right one. At any rate, I figure that the core information is pretty much constant, so I'm gonna keep reading what I have and just wait for the program's administration to send out the book link. I'm funny like that... I don't like to wait till the last minute to get ready for stuff, especially things that I need to read and take time to absorb and get the full effect of... the contents of this book are going to provide a crucial foundation for what we're about to take on this school year, from what I understand, and I want to be prepared as much as possible.

I can't wait for Summer Institute to start. I'm so looking forward to meeting all the people that will be in our cohort this year, and to officially getting started with the (formal) learning process. I'm especially psyched that I can call ETS next Friday and get my Praxis II scores over the phone... dude... that rocks!!! Waiting so long for week after week is just freakin' torture. Being able to call and get the score helps that sooo much. We had to take the paper test... computer wasn't an option, hence the longer wait for results. But next Friday is so very close and I'm crossing days off the calendar till I get there! The Special Ed test (0543) wasn't half as bad as I expected it to be... and the book I used to help prepare for it was just excellent. The same kind of questions that were in the book were what was on the test, which is awesome. I've heard so many people say that their preparation/study books gave questions that were nowhere like what was on the actual test, and I'm so glad that wasn't my experience with this one. Now, the Fundamental Subjects Core Knowledge test (0511) was pure freakin' nightmare material. Seriously. The study book I used for that one (ironically, written by the same authors who produced the excellent Special Ed study guide) was a waste of $15. I did all that reading and studying, and the test was soooo NOT  like what was in that book. The book helps you study things you'd expect ... math formulas, science fundamentals, major events in history, etc.... but the test wasn't anything like that. It asked questions that I felt seemed way out in left field sometimes, like what two people had a conversation about whether states should maintain slavery within their separate boundaries (actual conversation provided for you, btw)... now, I understand the concept of asking a question like this to find out if you have a sense of the time period and all... that makes perfect sense to me. But to be able to match people who were US Senators at that time along with the timeframe... omg. I have NO idea who the senators were during that time, and although a simple Google search could answer that question for me after the fact, how in the world can I be expected to remember which US senators served during which particular periods in history?? What?? You've got to be kidding me. Ask me about the Industrial Revolution or the wars we've participated in or social programs that came to be in response to the Great Depression... you know... general HISTORY stuff like that... and I can answer it. But some of the questions on this test seemed so incredibly out of left field to me that I wouldn't honestly know where to start to study for it again, if I had to. I'm praying (seriously) that I've passed this particular test and don't e-v-e-r have to see that stuff again anytime soon in a test format. Whew. Just thinking about it makes me shudder. Anywho. Another week and a half or so, and I'll know my fate, and whether or not I have to sign up to take the test on 4/30 again.

In the meantime, I'm inhaling this book and all the principles, knowledge and strategies that are presented in it. It really does have great information. And reading this stuff makes you think... if you have to actually tell teachers to have a goal of getting all their students on or above grade level before they leave you... what in the world was going on in education before this reform movement started?? That's so common sense to me - especially as an educator - and it's such a scary thought to think about all the teachers who either never really gave this much thought or who just passed their students grade after grade, whether or not they were truly on grade level and were really 'ready' for the next level of learning. I'm so ready to learn this stuff. Teach me, TNTP. Let's go.

...And we have Lift off !!!

I’m so excited!!  I started reading the program’s guidebook for Summer Institute, and I’m learning so much already. Teaching for Student Achievement has so much great information in it, and the thing I love most is that it doesn’t just talk about what we’re supposed to be doing to become effective teachers, it also gives you the how to. Our cohort hasn’t gotten together officially as a team or anything yet, but I imagine that that should be coming real soon. We’re scheduled to begin Institute in mid to late June, so I’m trying to do all that I can to gear up and prepare. We won’t be making any money during that time, so I’m looking for a temporary job for now to earn some money and save up for those six weeks.  Now all I have to do is make sure I pass that dang PRAXIS II. I just took it a week or so ago, and read everything I could to help me prepare for it. I stayed up late nights for weeks studying and taking practice tests and making note cards to help me understand and remember facts and theories… man, I was seriously tired by the time that test date came. After that, I prayed and now I’m resting in my trust in God to get me through. I won’t know the results until the beginning of April, so in the meantime, I’m keeping myself busy looking for temporary work and reading up on my subject and state/district standards. Gotta do my due diligence!  J

All things really do work together for the good...

So… I’ve decided to document my entire experience with this journey into lateral-entry teaching… and I can finally (f-i-n-a-l-l-y) say that I’m officially on my way. After not getting accepted into Teach for America, I’d begun to think that maybe this path wasn’t for me and didn’t quite know what to do with all this excitement growing in me to help make our educational system better… I was one of those In the application cohort that had to wait a full month and a half just to hear yea or nay from Teach for America (TFA), and let me tell you, waiting for that looooooong amount of time was pure torture. I’ve never checked my email so much before in my life, hoping and praying that maybe, just maybe, there would be an acceptance email in there from them. When the day finally came and I received my rejection letter, I just felt heartbroken. Words really don’t express how terrible I felt when reading that letter… I’d read everything I could get my hands on about TFA, found blogs from corps members and read every single one of them page by page for any inkling of what Summer Institute and the resulting workload would be like, and Googled any and everything else I could find to get an inside view of what I might be in for during the next two years of my life. I’d literally lived and breathed TFA stuff for a month and a half, waiting and not hearing anything, and now, all of that was suddenly over. But I did manage to do one thing, in spite of my initial feelings of disappointment in not being selected – I gave them permission to forward my information to like programs around the country, just in case they felt that my interest and qualifications fit their program. And that, as they say, was all she wrote.

I began receiving tons (and I do mean tons) of offers for programs literally all over the country, with objectives very similar to TFA. Who knew? I’d just learned of TFA and what they were about a few weeks before deciding to apply, and had no idea that an entire movement to change our educational system was underfoot, with hundreds of similar programs covering just about every major city in the country. I received offers to apply to programs in New Orleans, Memphis, Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, DC, and so many other places. Not knowing what else to do with all this newfound excitement and determination to help contribute something toward closing the achievement gap, I applied. And waited. Not even two weeks later, I received notice of an interview date. Not two weeks after that, I received my acceptance email into The New Teacher Project (TNTP), and I realize now that I am right where I was always meant to be. I was ready – really ready – to pick up and relocate wherever TFA might have decided to send me… but who knew that I’d end up being accepted in the lateral entry teaching program found right here in my own town? I get to learn and challenge myself and help kids get a better education, and I don’t even have to pick up and leave everything that’s familiar to do so. And I never would have even known that TNTP existed had it not been for TFA’s rejection and subsequent referral to this program. What a blessing!!