Day two

We made it. Stayed up too late last night. Got up before my alarm went off. I'm older than I am already. Didn't think it would hit this early. It's 9:43pm and I'm wishing I were in bed an hour ago. I still have more to do.

I am working for five kids.
I'm not working for Teach For America
I'm not working for Harlan Community Academy High School
I'm working for the quiet one, the bright one, the superstar, the easily distracted, and the one who knows they zone out but still fights it every day.
They show up.
I need to too.
Not just physically, but I need to be on my "A game."

I know its cliche', but those five kids?
They are why I:

First Day of School

It was GREAT! We've got a class of five! Some great readers, some slower ones, but all great minds! I'm excited to see where we will end the summer at!

Its the Terrible Monday... when we have two new lesson plans due tomorrow at 8am... I'm completely done with one. One more.

Here are some pics of my classroom. :)The front of our class... It says "Welcome Scholars" on the board. We've got our "5 P's" up (Prompt, Patient, Polite, Prepared, Productive) and the consequences and rewards, and procedures, and of course, and overhead projector!!!


Ms. Dolph, Ms. McMorris (my co-teachers) and Ms. Foster (our faculty adviser) and our big summer goal wall with our commitment letters!!

Lots of pics, but a good story?

There are so many Sbuxes here is almost feels like home. Its funny, 'cuz back home I don't like Sbux, but I don't mind it so much here. I guess its a comfort thing. :D
Ali (from CA) and I decided we were going to go nuts if we didn't see water, so we walked down to Lk. Michigan. We both agreed it looks like an ocean. Its beautiful: for those of you who know: Remember the color of Crescent Lake out on the Peninsula? Its that SAME TEAL COLOR. I think its 'cuz its all snow melt... Lk. Michigan once was a HUGE glacier...

LOOK MOM: A BELALIKA!!!! It was in the window at the Chicago Symphony!


Then we actually DID go to the Taste of Chicago... We went with a bunch of people, but apparently only Ali likes to have her photo taken... lolz


I didn't know a city could be so beautiful... This is just south of the magnificent mile: where all the swanky people shop.


Which is why I thought it was weird to see this there:

Seriously? WHAT!?

And today I worked HARD: Here is the fruit of my labor: Its all the materials I need for Monday and Tuesdays classes... I need to fix Wednesday's plan, and then get cracking on that...

I usually can't sleep the night before the first day of school. It still afftected me, even in college. I can't even imagine what is going to happen tonight, let alone the night before I REALLY have my own class in the fall... I organized a chill out session tonight: A little Transformers action :)
(Don't worry, we're staying IN to watch the first one.. I bought it at Target as a prop! I swear!)

"Normal"

Its weird being away from church so much. Which means that now I'm "normal."
Going to church on Sunday doesn't seem like enough. I was going Sunday for Mass, Monday was Choir practice at SEAS, and if when I was living in the U-District, it was Adoration and Confession too. Then on Tuesday I had Critical Mass. Wednesdays I went to evening Mass at the Newman Center... Thursdays I didn't usually have a commitment, but I usually hung out with Newman people. On some Saturdays we'd go decorate the church. I'm just not getting my fill! I am impressed, however, on how many people here from ENC seem to be comfortable in their faith. It is a great example. We've got a possie of about six (I think) going to church today with us. Hopefully we can get that to grow.

SEAS, Newman: I miss you! Continue to grow, I will too!

End of Week 1

Howdy!

Its Saturday morning, and its the end of week one, but I feel like I've been here forever, and only for a short time. Time FLEW by, because we were constantly working, but I've never produced so much work in so little time before. It is very strange, but Josh put it well: You know how in the Matrix they just download something if they want to know it? That's kind of how it feels like we are trying to do.

They tell us not to work on Saturdays, but I didn't work last night at all, so I need to work today. We're going to Staples to get classroom supplies, and then I have to run to Target too. I also need to rewrite our Classroom Management and Investment Plans. Its hard to work with five other type A people who all have their ideas of classroom best practices, and mesh them all together so that we have an efficient classroom. But, we will get it done.

Today, the Barenaked Ladies and Counting Crows are playing in Lincoln Park for free, but I don't know if I'll make it. This weekend is the Taste of Chicago:
Going to go out with Lela and Will to dinner. Should be a blast!

Hump Day

Well... supposedly we are over the hump now... and boy was it a climb! The resource center was KEY to planning: all the on-level reading examples were RIGHT THERE!!!! It was amazing. We collaborated with each other (those teaching the same objective for Freshmen Connections English) and came up with some really good and challenging questions. It was TONS of work, but it completely warmed my heart to see so many people working to better education for hundreds of students. What an amazing gift we can share!

I just hope people keep sharing it. Word on the street is that someone left institute today. Not from ENC though...

Sweet Lesson Vision - Day 2

I can't promise that I'll actually write every day, but I just have to note what an awesome day it was. I actually got started on planning for my first lesson: to teach the Objective: SWBAT read a text and evaluate given summaries of that text. (SWBAT=Student Will Be Able To-- We LOVE acronyms here in TFA!)

It was challenging and intense, and REALLY forced me to call on my inner English teacher, but I succeeded, and am excited to actually move from the "Sweet Lesson Vision" to the "5-Step Lesson Plan" tomorrow. This is going to be amazing.

And exhaustive. Thus going to bed now.

First Day of Institute

Moved in yesterday, realized I should have brought bedding, and a towel, so I ran to Target and spent my Target Gift cards (Thanks Cappello/Marcys and Dosterts!!) and settled into my room:We got all sorts of welcome stuff (below) and apparently I am now an ITT student... I have an ID card, a laundry account, and a room... its crazy! But I'm surrounded by great people!I am going to be teaching High School English at Harlan Community Academy High School. It will be for the High School Prep course for incoming freshmen. It should be pretty cool. Today we talked about lesson planning mostly. It was hot, muggy, and we were in a dark room. It was the prime environment for sleeping. I certainly tried not to! I had to get up and walk around, but it was ok. They encourage us to do it.

Tonight Wendy Kopp is coming to speak! She is the founder of TFA. If you want to learn more about her amazing journey and her just plain amazingness, check out http://www.teachforamerica.org/about/our_team.htm#wendy_kopp. Check this out too! Its hilarious: http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/81750/february-05-2007/wendy-kopp

From NC to Chi-Town

Whew. 13 hours. We didn't drive. We flew low :)

First through N Carolina, then Virginia, then West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and then finally to Illinois. Whew. What a drive! Phil and I are definitely from Seattle, though, because we stopped at Starbucks two of the four times we stopped. A little taste of home!
We were VERY impressed by the "mountains" in the Virginias... These appalacians which are tired and worn. Blew Nick's mind though, being from Nebraska.
Then we went on to see the coal mines of West Virginia. It was interesting to see this process, instead of just thinking about fossil fuels abstractly...
Then we got stuck in traffic. A Semi rolled over. Just as we drove down the shoulder to try to ask how to detour, they told us just to fall in behind the lead car, because they were going to let people through. YES!
In Ohio, it was good to see that people were harnessing cleaner energy :) Phil and I were talking about how we expected Rural NC to be more like this: More farm and more open space. I think its the density of trees that throws me off in rural ENC.Lk. Michigan is BEAUTIFUL! I can't believe how much it looked like being on the ocean! And all the sailboats were out. It was amazing. AND all the museums and the Aquarium. I can't wait to explore this city. It is absolutely gorgeous.A bit of the skyline of Chi-Town, my home for the next 5 weeks. I think I heard Counting Crows is going to be in Lincoln park for free next Saturday. May just have to venture out.

Oh, and by the way, did I mention that the Illinois Institute of Technology (where I will be staying) is RIGHT ACROSS from the US Cellular Field. White Sox baby!

Last Day of Induction

Wow... this week got away from me. We learned so much about TFA and our mission here as Corps members. I interviewed with Bertie County and Northampton County for Freshman Physical Science on Wednesday. Last night we ended up going dancing. It was AMAZING. Apparently there is video evidence. NOT OK. lolTonight we went to the Bulls Game. "Minor" Leagues. The quotes are there because the stadium was HUGE... there were 11ooo people there... It was INSANE. I had to buy myself a hat because I felt like it would help me make the transition to get invested in a local team. IT WAS AWESOME. And we bonded like crazy: here are my buds Ryan and Josh. (Josh was my roomie this past week) AND THERE WERE FIREWORKS AFTER!!!

Day 2

Phew. I'm exhausted. I better get some serious sleep too, 'cuz tomorrow starts early and has interviews! I had my first interview today. It was quite interesting. The math teachers all told us that the interviews were super chill, and very lax, and then we (the two of us Science Teachers vying for the one Freshman Physical Science position) go and and are grilled. I got grilled hard for 20 minutes about whether or not I believed in grades, how I would handle running class when 10% of the kids were falling behind: do I sacrifice the few for the many? What about what I would buy at Starbucks at 4pm after school? (NOTHING: Starbucks is gross. I know real coffee... actually: I said Cinnamon Dolce latte, and then he asked what I would have on the weekend, and I said nothing. So he says You're only an afternoon caffeine drinker? And I was like, no... I'm a recovering addict, I used to be a 7 shot a day guy... so he gets this REAL confused look and goes "7 shots in the afternoon all at once?" I think I actually laughed out loud. No, I said, across the whole day.... He still looked confused. Or grossed out. Couldn't tell.....)

Anyway. It was weird. I'm not totally stoked about the placement, but it really doesn't matter. What I AM stoked about is to be working with the kids. His administration and his teaching philosophy seems pretty awesome. Claire wants it more than I do, so... Whatever happens will be for the best!

Played Mini-Golf tonight. Good times.

Day 1

Wow. I’m sitting in Atlanta drinking my “tall extra-hot hazelnut latte” (of which the response was big eyes and a “What?!” followed by my repetition of the simple monologue, to which the sing-song reply was “You realize a tall is a small, right?” I simply smiled and replied “That’s fine.” Really? Who cares. Tall=12oz. Everyone knows that!) and I’m looking around, and THERE IS NO RECYCLING. In an AIRPORT. WHAT!? Seriously? This is Atlanta, right? Big city? I can’t believe it! (By the way, this latte tastes horrible. Its Seattle’s Best. There isn’t a Starbucks in every terminal; Toto, I don’t think we’re in Seattle anymore!)
I think I slept about an hour or so on our 5 hour flight. Ok, maybe more, but not that much. I didn’t sleep at all for the first three hours. But I started a great book, and I read nearly the entire Men’s Health Magazine that Vardah gave me. (Yes Vardah, there was a whole article on Ewan). But now I have had my coffee, and a bagel, and I’m awake. Though, honestly, I think the greatest factor for that is that the sun is up. While on the plane, I realized that I’m going south, so I won’t be getting the sun until 9pm anymore. L Anyway. I have to wait about another hour before we board.
I’m sorry… CNN is on. They just said that Six Flags is going to file for bankruptcy, but the CEO says Don’t Worry, operations should be fine this summer, and there shouldn’t be any job cuts either. WHAT!? I’m so sick and tired of the abuse. If you are bankrupt, you are BANRUPT. That means you can’t function anymore. You can’t run your business. I know that I’m not a Business Major, (heaven forbid), but this all seems ridiculous and frivolous and ridiculous.
I’m going to stop before I stick my foot further in my mouth.

Baccalaureate!!!

Gah! Crazy to think I'm leaving in three days... Its insane. Tomorrow is the big graduation. This picture is from Baccalaureate last weekend... there are more pictures on my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2435851&id=10738362&l=ee0e31ffd8

I'm gonna miss these two fools. They've become great friends! :)


I'mma gonna miss all of you too! :)