Hey All...Still Alive.

Hey,

It's March, the alleged "worst month for teachers" (due to the lack of significant holidays), but I'm still plugging along. I just started a great, exciting persuasive writing unit with my 11th graders today, and a fiction unit with my 9th graders that I'm much more excited about than they are! I love my job, still, which is a relief, but I didn't really expect any less.

I hope everyone is doing well, also. Maybe one day I'll be able to update more. I'm still learning how to have a life and a career in education at the same time, so if anyone has 'perfected' it, let me know!

~Ms. X

Thank God It's Friday!

Hey,

Sorry it's been so long...I guess that's what all first year teachers say, though. The year has been wonderful, interesting, intense, and exhausting so far. I love my kids, but not necessarily my school. Maybe if they had ANY kind of discipline plan or enforced rules it would be better, but that's a story for a different day. I'm teaching Reading, AND special-ed Living Environment, AND...math!!! UGH! I hate math.

...but I love my kids (students) so it's all worth it. I have a writing club on fridays with them too, which is fun but chaotic so far.

...more later (hopefully). Hope everyone else's year is going well.

~X

Still Alive

Hey guys,

Thanks for the comments in the last few weeks...they've definitely helped. I know some of you have been asking / wishing that I would write more about this Teach For America bootcamp experience, but I'm honestly just too mentally exhausted right now. Next week is our last week (thank god!) and I'll be getting a week off before Orientation starts; so I promise more blogs (and more details) will be forthcoming shortly. Thanks for the patience...this training thing is the craziest, busiest thing ever, and patience is definitely needed for all in my life right now! :)

~X

From the depths of hell...aka: TFA institute

So if this makes sense, it'll be a miracle, as I've gotten about 6 hours of sleep all week (not 6 each night). This shit is crazy...I've made it to the half way point, though (thank god), so I just gotta grin that cult-ish grin and bare it for 3 more weeks. I am learning a lot of great things...hopefully i'll have the time to go back and re-learn this stuff later, as we're all so tired right now that it's hard to internalize anything. The actual teaching is the best part, even on the bad days, b/c it's what I joined for...but MAN are the hours crazy. Ugh. Ok. Sorry not very detailed or in depth, but i'm too tired and am gonna try to hit they hay before midnight for the first time in forever.

~X

I'm now officially a TFA member...

Well, after days of soul searching and endless research, I pulled the trigger: I joined the ranks of the thousands of TFAers before me, hoping to make a difference. NYCTF is a wonderful program, and I feel blessed to have been accepted to both, but TFA just came out on top in a few key categories. I will start "teacher boot camp" on June 24th. Before then, I have to squeeze in lots of pre-boot camp required reading, classroom observations, studying for the LAST and CST exams, taking said exams, flying home for a visit, going away to a much needed retreat into the mountains with my sweetie, and trying not to hyperventilate. Wish me luck!

I made it into NYC Teaching Fellows!

So yesterday, after posting that I made it into Teach for America, I am happy to report today that I was accepted into NYC Teaching Fellows. They also gave me everything I wanted: secondary-level English in NYC (obviously). Now I have to make a decision between two great programs, both of which have a lot of pros and a few cons, and accept one of the offers by May 4th. I really want to make my decision before that, though, so that I can begin the lengthy process of registering and studying for exams, pre-boot camp prep work, etc.

Anyone with info on BOTH of these programs that would like to offer advice to help me make this huge decision...you would be GREATLY appreciated!! Thanks so much. I'll let you all know as soon as I decide. I think (hope) it'll be like Frost's "Road Not Taken" in the end...the decision I make will be the right one for me...I just have to make it, first!

I made it into Teach For America!

So, I found out on the 19th (my honey's bday, so already a great day) that I was accepted into Teach for America!! They gave me everything I wanted, too, which I am pleased, but surprised, to announce: secondary-level, language arts, and location: New York City! I am so relieved that I won't have to scramble to try to find a MA program to get into by this fall.

I haven't accepted yet, as I am waiting to hear from NYC Teaching Fellows so I can make a decision. Any current or former Fellows or TFA cohorts who have any info to help me make my choice would be VERY appreciated!! There are some pro's and con's of both, but if I get into NYCTF and get the level and subject I want, then I'll have a REAL choice on my hands.

But at the very least, I can rest assured that I will have my own classroom this September! I can't wait!