Career Change: Summer Institute (Week 3)

I just finished my 3rd week of summer institute (2 more to go!).  This week was another roller coaster ride of extreme highs and aggravating lows.  I'll start with the highs...

My students!  Yes, they're tough inner city kids who bring a whole lot of attitude into the room, but they also bring bright minds, funny personalities, and enduring energy. I love it and them!  But they are a trying lot. It's clear that my classroom management skills are severely lacking! While I adore my little scholars, they're impossible to control because they are so bright and so articulate. They apparently have a lot to say and decide that they're going to say it all at once. Now I'm all for the Socratic method of teaching, but when it gets out of control, then no one is learning. But I had a nice long talk with them about their goals and aspirations and how much I believe in them. While the classroom still has some issues, it's much better. Of course, they'll probably be perfect angels the last week that I have them and then I'll go home and have to deal with a whole new set of students a month later! Rock on! We did have two great parts of the week, both on Thursday. On Thursday, my students took their midterm assessment and made some reputable improvements over their diagnostic test. Additionally, they gave myself and my co-teachers some serious props for our teaching.  See the photo below of what one of my students had to say about little ole me!  This is one of the reasons I wanted a career change. 

Now for the lows: T F-ING A!  Okay, that's a bit harsh, but really this teaching corps is unbelievably bad at so many things that it just boggles the mind how they've even remotely been able to stay around for 20 years. While their core value of trying to bridge the achievement gap is laudable and something I believe in and support wholeheartedly, their methods leave a lot to be desired!  From the lack of communication to the poorly written summer objectives to the hours and hours of wasted time to the badly planned lesson plans, these weeks are annoying and exhausting. Just when you think it can't get worse, it does.  Okay, Sandi, focus!  "It's about the students, not TFA.  It's about the students, not TFA."  This is my new mantra.  Oh, that and... "Only 14 days left."  Yes, I've resorted to counting the days until I go home!

The other huge low for me is my co-teacher! This is someone that if I could drop kick off the side of a cliff, I would. This still-wet-behind-the-ears 22 year old is the bane of my existence.  Apparently someone who is 22, who has a bachelor's degree in social work has decided that he knows more about teaching, literature and just about everything else in the world than I do. Therefore he feels he can tell me what to do and when to do it. I've come close to slapping him down a few times, but I unfortunately need to keep an air of congeniality and cooperation, so I'm stuck biting my tongue.  For anyone who knows me, know that this is the most difficult task. I've almost severed my tongue several times this week. <sigh>  "14 more days, Sandi.  14 more days!"  :-)

Okay, so this still is not the best experience I've ever had, but again, it's about the long-range goals of getting into the classroom.  Seriously though, if you plan on applying for Teach for America, contact me first.  I can give you insight into this program and you can see if it's right for you.

My goal for this week is to spend more time getting to know my students and relating to them and less time worrying about the ridiculous objectives that I have shove down my students throats.

Another note on my career change: as of yesterday, I have officially been granted a preliminary license to teach English by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts which is valid for 5 years. Yay! I have to pass the ESL test (which I am retaking today) before I can be licensed to teach ELL. I do not have high hopes in that regard.

I wept when I read this comment from another student!