Induction

I started writing this at TFA induction one night. Then I got cut off. I am truly amazed at the schedule TFA demands from us. I’m at Institute (training) right now, and I’ll tryyyy to post about that soon, but for now, here are some of my thoughts from the one-week NYC induction. ….

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who has emailed or called me to ask how moving went and how induction is going. It really really makes my day to hear from all of you. Please keep writing. I’ll respond whenever my Owner (TFA) allows me to. :)

I’m in the midst of a serious missing phase right now. I miss my family. I miss my DC friends. I miss my Madison friends. I miss Madison and its endless scenic trails that allowed me to rollerblade for uninterrupted hours. I miss being able to sit on my deck in Minnesota and hear silence, broken only by an occasional bird chirping (or my hyperactive but lovable dog barking.) I’m nearing the end of my weeklong TFA induction, and now I’m catching my breath. The funny/slightly terrifying part is that this is NOTHING compared to Institute- which starts next week. The schedule they sent us shows non-stop activity (summer school teaching and prep, grad classes, meetings, trainings, etc.) from 6am-midmight M-F for 5 wks. Eh?!

No, I’ll be fine. It’s not necessarily the long hours that are getting to me. It’s the mental marathon involved. I’m not ashamed to admit that there’s a significant part of me that’s a loner. I really really enjoy being by myself for a couple hours/day. To read, write, sing without caring what I sound like, dance around the room like a jackass if the spirit moves me, perhaps just stare at the wall, etc. I love the effortlessness of solitude for just a small window of my day.

But friends, that is NOT what we’re about here at TFA! Here, we are a team. We are one. We are a unit. We are “The Movement.” (Yes, that’s really what it’s referred to… over and over and over and….. I feel like I’m going to be issued my cult robe after the week is up.) Anyway, solitude isn’t an option in TFA EVER. We have planned workshops and activities all day, planned meals in assigned groups, assigned “social” events in the evenings, etc etc. And we live with five people/dorm room. It’s just a very intense experience for me because I really value my ME-time.

But I’m happy overall. I really like my roommates. We get along well, and I’ve really enjoyed our late-night chats about random stuff. I hope we keep in touch throughout Institute and once we’re back in NYC. …..

I'm alive!

Just a quick FYI.... I AM still alive, and thank you to those who have inquired. :) I'm at TFA Induction in NYC and have been all week. I have VERY limited internet access and very limited time, but I will post as soon as I can. i'm leaving for Philly on Sunday (after my long-dreaded Saturday exams!), and I'll be there for 5 weeks. But I'll try to post throughout that experience- I'm told that it promises to be INSANE, so I should have a lot to write about.

Ok. Gotta run. Just wanted to let you know that I haven't let this thing die yet!

Literacy Through Photography

As some of you may know, I spent a significant portion of my time at my current job working on a project called Literacy Through Photography. Olympus donated over 100 point-n-shoot 35 mm cameras to the organization, and we rotate those around multiple classrooms in our eight partner schools. The students each get to shoot one full roll of black & white film, focusing on a theme of family, community, self, or dreams. We then develop all of the film for them, and they tell the stories behind their photographs through poems and essays. Next, the students each choose their favorite photo, and we enlarge those to 8x10s. Finally, each school hosts an 'exhibit opening' so families and community members can come out and celebrate the kids' displayed work.

I'm not going to lie to you. This project has been a logistical nightmare, and there have been several days that I have kicked myself for requesting to be assigned to LTP my first day at this job. BUT in the end, it was SO worth it. I was so amazed with some of the photographs that these students took. And this year, for the first time ever, we had a grand exhibit opening at the Smithsonian that featured the work of 100 students from across all eight of our partner schools. It was awesome. The students whose work was not displayed at the Smithsonian is now hanging in the MLK Jr. Public Library near the Chinatown metro stop. If you live in DC, I strongly recommend checking out both exhibits. The Smithsonian exhibit is at the S. Dillon Ripley Center, and it will be up through August 21. I think the one at MLK is up through the end of June.

Here are a few samples. (I don't know which is worse... Not crediting the student or putting an elementary school kid's name on a web page without their knowledge. I'll go with option A. for now until I'm told to do otherwise.) Enjoy!

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Hi. We're extremely cute and have absolutely no intention of listening to a word you say. 

V I C T O R Y

I am proud to announce that I have officially SOLD my old desktop computer for $100. I have been moving this beast from dorm to apt to apt to apt..... etc etc for five years now. All told, this big guy has lived with me in a total of seven different 'homes.' Yet I did not shed a tear when I loaded him into that random craigslist guy's car. Instead I did a victory dance as I closed the door behind me. The 3-ft deep, 30-lbs monitor will never monopolize my desktop space again. (If this is an exaggeration, it’s only a small one. This thing was huge.) I will never again have to watch the machine sloooowly load Windows 98. And most beautiful of all, someone just came to my door, took it off my hands, and replaced it with a small pile of crisp, smelly $20 bills. I love craigslist.

In case you're not observant

I posted a new link in my links section. I just wanted to draw your attention to this site in case you didn't notice it sitting quietly over there on the left. It's another first-year teacher blog, but it's faaar more interesting than mine because this guy is just wrapping up his first year of teaching in Brooklyn so he has actual experiences to share. (as opposed to watching me anticipate my experiences. :) Very interesting and entertaining though. I highly recommend it if you have some spare time.

Mmmm... Nuggs

I just discovered Picasa and Hello from Picasa. Call me a nerd, but I looove putzing with stuff like this. Sam and Kara, I hope that you don't mind being featured as my test picture. :) This was taken at work. Sam eats many-month-old chicken nuggets that are left over from the "free family dinner" portion of the events we run in our partner schools. (because he's broke and spends all his money on records) Kara looks on in envy of the nuggs.

...and did I catch a niner in there?

Friends, that fateful moment has arrived (and passed). Last night I got an email from TFA, informing me that I have been placed in Region 9. I am QUITE happy about this. For those of you who are not familiar with NYC's Instructional Regions, Region 9 includes a sizable slice of Manhattan as well as South Bronx. According to the map, this puts me in very close proximity to the small handful of people that I know in NYC and within a short commute to some pretty sweet things to see and do. Yeeeeah!!! I'm really really excited. TFA said that most Region 9ers live in the Upper East Side, so if you know of any good apartments there, let me know.

In other news, also along those "the stars are aligning" ummm lines(?)... My friend/coworker/TFA alum Jashyboy (as Alyssa likes to call him) has bumped up the date that he's moving to Boston to June 18. What this means for me: I potentially get to throw some of my things- and maybe myself- in his moving truck which will stop in NYC . Awesome. Now I just need to figure out where in NYC I will put those things, as I will still be a homeless wanderer at that point. Everything seems to be coming together though. Very exciting stuff. :)

Here is some additional info about Region 9 for anyone who might care...

Current Placement Neighborhoods: East Harlem, Lower East Side, Mott Haven, The Hub.
Where Corps Members Live: The majority of corps members who teach in Region 9 live on the Upper East Side.
Statistics: Students with Free Lunch: 66%
Students Performing Below the Standard in English Language Arts: 56%
Students Performing Below the Standard in Math: 51%
You can find these statistics and more at: http://www.nycboe.net/daa/SchoolReports/04asr/9.pdf