Institute Day 1:
ACRONYMS
If I needed to sum up institute so far in one word, if would have to be acronyms. Our end of day “fun” was an acronym assessment, which was a PARTIAL list of 18 acronyms! Sitting in on a TFA “Core” (being an instructional session, led by either your CMA, SD, CS, or LS) is like listening to a foreign language class. You’re being pumped full of info on the TAL rubric, the AIM, the Takeaway, the CMWBAT objectives, etc., etc.! But in all reality, once you master the lingo, you realize just how much support is built into this structure. Though we are challenged by lack of sleep, scarcity of caffeine, and an overwhelming sense of barely keeping above water….we persevere for our students’ sake. My School Director is amazing, and all of the staff at my placement site (H.S. for the Creative and Performing Arts) are working like crazy to bring us all the help we need to become great teachers. After all, the Institute Chant: Philly ’08….Good to Great!! (I just love Cheezy stuff like this)
Flexibility
As 700 CMs (Corps Members) settled into institute headquarters yesterday evening, the operations team put into motion plans that have been in the works since spring. They have been working tirelessly to make sure everything from our internet, to our boxed lunches, to things as mundane as parking passes are taken care of… all on top of planning to turn this bunch of recent college grads into teachers! This being said, the biggest advice I have learned so far is to BE FLEXIBLE. As I arrived at my high school placement this morning (along with around 70 others) I was astonished to find that I would be teaching SPANISH II, with my half semester of Spanish and a few trips abroad. I made my SD (School Director) aware of my concerns, and she assured me that something would be worked out…then I set off to start preparing for the worst case scenario, a.k.a. me actually teaching Spanish to real students!
However, after a few hours, the entire situation had been rectified, and I was placed in Social Studies (which I will thankfully be teaching in English), and a REAL Spanish teacher took my spot. Though I missed the first day with my new CMA (Corps Member Adviser), I realized that the operations team had a lot on their plates as well. Even if I had to silently freak out for a day about how much Spanish I could feasibly learn in a week, I knew that, in the end, I would be supported to the fullest extent of their collective abilities. So when you show up expecting to teach English and instead find yourself facing a class whose fluency far outstrips your feeble “traveler’s” Spanish….relax, be flexible and know that TFA won’t put you in a boat you can’t row!
You did WHAT?
Lastly (and this applies to regional inductions as well) listen to your fellow CMs and be proud of the group in whose company you stand. I have been amazed to hear of CMs who founded their own companies, formed international charitable organizations, worked for elected officials, or even ran for office themselves. The accomplishment of this group is humbling, and moreover inspiring. The people who join TFA have often passed up opportunities to be here, or perhaps have family and friends who don’t understand why they would “just teach” when they could easily do X or Y. Looking around at breakfast and seeing the incredible, talented, and gifted individuals who have made closing the achievement gap their mission, one cannot help but feel privileged to work at their side.
It may sound like I have completely given in to the indoctrination and am already lining up for my free glass of laced Kool-Aid… but it really is an awesome thing to know that in one week, 700 new teachers will set out on the hardest and most rewarding challenge of our lives: To become teachers….the toughest profession we will ever love!
Days until I face my first students: 6!!!!!!!
