Induction is a one week introduction to Memphis and TFA core values...not to be confused with Institute, where we learn about teaching.
Living in the dorm is less glamorous than you might imagine. The room is small, I share a bathroom with 4 others and you can hear everything that happens in the hallway. I am lucky - my roommate is staying with her boyfriend tonight so I have the place to myself :)
This is definitely the college experience I never had.
Today we ate lunch in the university cafeteria, played team building games, and then had a welcome dinner in a high school gymnasium. The food is also less glamorous than you might imagine. The vegetarian dinner option was a cold pasta salad.
At the dinner, I saw my first live step show - performed by a team from a local middle school and heard four corps members/alumni speak about some of the challenges and successes they've had in the classroom.
This was the best part of the day for me. Their stories were very inspirational, and made me see what an amazing difference one great teacher can make. I’m excited for the opportunity.
I also met a corps member who taught English this past year and was surplussed – so he may end up teaching middle school math next year. He told me that English teachers got hit the hardest, so while he doesn’t want to discourage me from thinking that I’ll get an English placement, he says not to get too married to the idea. I kind of had that assumption going in. If I get a different placement, I hope for middle school math.
It’s been fun being social and meeting people after 5 days of moving/keeping to myself. It’s very cool that we have such a large group of interesting people to get to know and work with over the next couple of years.
And, yes...I am officially staying at a school that flies a confederate flag. It's weird.
And, yes...I am officially staying at a school that flies a confederate flag. It's weird.
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