Overwhelmed
I KNEW as I wrote that post about 'nothing really happening' that it was just the calm before the storm. Yesterday, I had a conference call with about 50 other NYC TFA corps members and a couple TFA admissions staff people. It just walked through testing logistics and preparation.
Turns out, I'm taking those two four-hour exams that I mentioned back-to-back on the same day: June 25. Sweet. I'll be in Philadelphia for training, and I'll have to take a bus to NYC to endure eight hours of testing. I'm looking forward to it. (Oh yeah, and those tests will cost me about $200. That’s roughly nine days of work at my current ‘salary.’) J So, that’s no big deal, I suppose. I knew weeks ago that I’d be taking two lengthy exams I would need to study for.
What I did NOT know was that I would be shipped seven THICK books of pre-training curriculum that I have to work through before June 19th. I have to conduct school visits and classroom observations in D.C. before going to the Philly training, and I’m supposed to read each of the books, prepare ‘reflections,’ and answer all of the questions in said books. These spiraled bundles of joy each sport a bright, inviting cover and bear the following titles:
Teaching as Leadership
Instructional Planning and Delivery
Learning Theory
Diversity, Community & Achievement
Classroom Management & Culture
Elementary Literacy
Secondary Literacy
They sound interesting enough, and I’m sure that they’re full of valuable information. But I’m getting worried. (Which is unfortunately my useless go-to emotion in these situations.) They said that I should not plan on getting aaaany exam prep in once Institute starts because they give us more work there than we can really keep up with as it is. So, I basically have until I move in mid-June to cram for my exams and work through all of the pre-Institute curriculum and school visit assignments.
Also, it looks like I might go to NYC next wknd for an accepted applicants event where we’ll schmooze with a lot of NYC principals and do mock interviews. I also have to get a physical exam, a tuberculosis test, and a few shots. And I need to submit my site preference form and letters of recommendation to the university where I’ll be taking my grad school classes in September. And I should figure out how I’m going to move and where I’m going to move my things TO for my upcoming homeless months. And somewhere in there, I’d like to purchase a laptop to replace my piece of shit computer that is now on its third reinstallation of Windows 98 because it keeps crashing. (TFA strongly recommends bringing a computer to the training.) Oh, and I should find an apt in NYC at some point too.
I’m hyperventilating a little.
Oops. I sharted.
(That’s only funny if you’ve seen the ok-but-not-great movie, Along Came Polly, and aren’t easily grossed out.)
posted by notawidget @ 8:17 PM
3 Comments:
First, I can't say that I have ever seen the term "sharted" in print before. Truthfully, it makes me very uncomfortable and I think such terms should be reserved for I.O.H.* Second, we should look at those teacher manuals together. I would like to take a peak at them and it is also a fun excuse to spend money on coffee beverages.
*I.O.H.: Inter-Office Humor
Hahaha. You'll be fine....don't worry. We'll help you study and I'm anticipating that we'll have more than enough free time in the office in the near future, so that will give you time to study. Maybe you could pretend the observations in the classrooms are work-related.
Don't forget, I am the master packer and will help you pack and move (again) :)
Also, I would recommending not using words such as "sharted" or "vurped". You may scare off any anonymous readers. :)
Point taken. Refrain from further use of *THAT* term on my blog and in daily discourse. NOT socially acceptable. Thanks team.
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