Week 1 (May 30 - June 4) - Induction into the Memphis Corps, in Memphis, TN
We learned about what Teach For America is doing in Memphis, we listened to our core values, we talked about diversity and what to expect at Institute and what to expect during our two years in Memphis. We also reflected about how we were feeling, a lot. Don't get me wrong, but there's only some many ways I can relate why I choose to do Teach For America to anything, it all begins to sound like the same thing just related in a different way. The good thing about our induction is that the Memphis Corps came to Institute ready to make a difference, to serve and learn, and to put in the work that we knew we would have to. We also had bonded as a group and I'm so happy to be a part of the best Corps at the Atlanta Institute, as I've been told, "Memphis corps members are kind of crazy. You know, in a good way, but still crazy."
Week 2 (June 5 - June 9) - The First Week of Institute, in Atlanta, GA
This is when we learned what to expect in the classroom, what lesson planning meant and how to do it, what a behavior management cycle was and how to implement it, how to invest our students in their own learning and the learning of the class as a whole. We all were taking our first sips of the TFA Kool Aid and we were liking what we tasted, by Thursday I was itching to get into my classroom with the rest of the Collaborative Group (my Collab). We were all exhausted from waking up at 5:30, eating breakfast, getting our lunch and getting on the buses by 6:45, or otherwise catching a cab to get to school by 7 AM. We sat through our sessions, observed veteran teachers, talked about what we were thinking about the whole idea of teaching. In the evenings we get back and I eat dinner, then it's striaght to lesson planning until bedtime at (hopefully no later than) 11 PM, then it all starts over again the next day. Then late Thursday night, I begged a ride off of one of the other teachers in my Collab and caught a flight to Indianapolis my sister's wedding.
Weekend 2 (June 10-14) Wedding Weekend, in Indianapolis, IN
This was a fun little break in the teaching action, but not much of a restful weekend. I had asked the institute people to take the Friday of the wedding off since I wanted to be there for all of the festivities so I got to miss one day of our sessions. I got in to Indianapolis in the wee hours of the morning where my gracious mother picked me up, we got back to the house around 1:30 AM and were quickly asleep, it seemed like no time at all before we were up and running off to our mani-pedi appointment with the bride-to-be, our family, and her soon to be in-law's. We ran about doing errands and since both of my sisters get to live outside during the summer, I grabbed a spray tan to try to not look like the ghosty sister next to them. We decorated and set up the barn in preparation for the reception and headed off to the church for the rehearsal and then Tommy rolled into town in time for the rehearsal dinner downtown. The bride and groom had the wedding party over to their house for a couple of drinks. The next day was a whirlwind of hair and late make-up artists, dresses and pictures downtown on the canal, then rushing back to get married. The night was filled with Christmas lights, dancing, food, margaritas and gin and 7's, laughing and love. We wrapped up the weekend with a brunch with the in-laws and opening all the loot.
Week 3&4 (June 12 - 25) First Weeks of Teaching, in Atlanta, GA
These first two weeks teaching were definitely a learning experience. My collab and I worked to invest our students in their own future by creating a class theme and making them think about how what they do this summer will effect the rest of their lives. We're teaching 8th Grade Math and it's all high stakes. Students in Georgia have this test, the CRCT, that they have to pass to move on to the next level in school and my students this summer have to pass to go on to high school. If they don't pass they'll spend another year in middle school. Technically our goal isn't that all of the students pass, but that they grow as much as they can in the four weeks we get them, so far we're doing a pretty ok job. It's so hard not to blame their teachers from the year before when every lesson I teach they act as if they've never seen the material before. As my collab and I struggle to cover material in four weeks that is typically covered in a whole year, we learn more and more about our students and how we can engage them in their goals and their education.
We're still doing a lot of reflecting but we're really reflecting on our impact and what our strengths in the classroom are and how we can use those strengths to help us in the areas where we aren't learning as fast. I for one believe that my ability to really talk to students in a genuine nature, where I do really want to know why they are making the decisions that they are making, allows me to connect to my students - investing myself in their success and getting them to invest themselves in me and the things that I'm teaching them. My weaker areas? Time Management. In case you haven't met me, my name is Abby. I like to talk and I don't like to see people make mistakes that I know I can keep them from making. This doesn't work so well in the class so I'm pushing myself to allow my students to make their own mistakes so they can have that experience and learn from it in a safe environment where they don't shut down and refuse to learn after failing.
We've had some fun too. Friday our school went out for dinner and drinks and just got some time to be around each other when we weren't all freaking out about our lessons or trying to keep ourselves awake in the afternoon because we had two lesson plans due the night before or we were working to make posters to fill our classroom with a plethora of math ideas.
Me and some of my fellow teachers and support staff from my school.
I've taken my break from lesson planning long enough, it's back to the grind. Send some love!
