Induction Day 1

Today we checked in to University of Memphis for Induction.
 
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.

Middle School Content Praxis Exam

I passed!  I did not get the elite status afforded me for my English content results, but I did well enough to pass comfortably...all that I care about. 

The test is split into 4 parts: 30 questions in English, 30 in Math, 30 in Social Studies and 30 in Science.  My strategy going in was to focus most of my time on English and Math (the two subjects in which I think I can reason my way to a correct answer) and then just guess at Social Studies and Science (since I have no clue).

The results: 25 out of 28 for English, 27 out of 30 for Math, 20 out of 30 for Social Studies, and 20 out of 30 for Science.  According to this test, I do just as well in Math as English.  I actually wouldn't mind teaching Math - less papers to read, and I like the idea of one clear answer.  Though, at about $8,000 into this move/career change, at this point I'll be happy to have any job come August.

 

Tentative Induction Schedule

For the past month, I've been sitting in on nearly weekly or twice-weekly conference calls with my regional TFA team.  The call topics have included: Preparing for Praxis, History of Memphis, Housing and Logistics, and Summer Logistics. 

On last week's call, we learned about what to expect at Induction.  It is my understanding that every region's Induction week is different and the primary purpose is to introduce you to TFA, the city, the corps members and staff in your city and to prepare you for what to expect at Institute.  Induction for me begins at the end of May, the week prior to Institute in Atlanta.  

Here is what we were told to expect:

• Monday: check-in at noon, have a get-to-know-you lunch with our transition teams, get an overview of what to expect for the week
• Tuesday: learn about the Achievement Gap in Memphis and TFA's theory about the problem/solution, dinner with education reform leaders in the city
• Wednesday: volunteer in the community, dinner at the National Civil Rights museum
• Thursday: diversity and leadership training, visit STAX museum, dinner in Orange Mound
• Friday: free day to explore housing in Memphis, complete district paperwork, dinner with transition teams
• Saturday: more diversity and leadership training, learn about institute from a panel of current corps members, learn about functional roles within TFA, closing dinner
• Sunday: check-out and off to Atlanta for Institute check-in

I can't believe that this is what I'll be doing in 2 weeks!  I can't believe that I'm leaving for Memphis in 9 days!  I can't believe all of my belongings are leaving for Memphis in 1 day!  Everything is happening so quickly.

The First Day of the Rest of My Life

Yesterday was my last day of work!  I'm not going to lie - it's pretty exciting.  But, now my real work begins.  Today I spent the entire day packing and made decent progress.  Tomorrow more of the same.  In less than a week all of my belongings begin their journey across country and in less than 2 weeks I leave too!

Over the Hill

I knew this going in - but today I got the official notification that I'm "Over the Hill" in TFA terms. 

The email reads:

"Dear 2011 corps member, 

...You are receiving this email because we have gathered per the Personal Information Form that you are 26 years or older.  Based on feedback we received last year, we would like to offer you an opportunity to live with suitemates with whom you may share similar professional or life experiences.  We understand that dorm life can be an adjustment and want to make sure we make that adjustment as comfortable as possible.

The two options we are offering are:

1. You are assigned by corps region and your suitemates are other corps members from your region.

2. You are assigned to live with corps members who may have similar professional experience, but may not be assigned to the same corps region.  This would mean that your suitemates had also chosen this option."

The cut off is 26 years old.  Now I really feel like an old geezer :)  

Me and my new suite-mate at institute!

Ok, I joke.  I actually think it's nice that they sent me this email...because who knows, maybe someone out there really does have a strong preference to live with others close to their own age.

Ultimately, I indicated I prefer living with other corps members from my region.  I don't want to be the old geezer who is also friendless and boring.  Plus, I think (hope) that it will be fun to be surrounded by youth.  Who knows, maybe some of it will rub off on me.  

Follow Your Gut

When I tell people I am leaving my career and my life in LA to move to Memphis to become a public school teacher I generally get a combination of the following reactions:

• Shock:  "Wah??!?"  "For reals?"
• Questioning:  "Why did you decide to do this?"  "What prompted this?"
• Acceptance: "Congratulations" 

The "Congratulations" is generally followed by one of the following statements:

• #1 - "Wow, that's a big change"
• #2 - "That's very admirable"
• #3 - "You're following your dreams" "You're following your heart"

I generally like it when someone says the first - "Wow, that's a big change."  It's a easy statement for me to agree with.  And I usually respond with, "Yes, I know.  I'm excited about it though."

The second statement - "That's very admirable"...I'll let slide with a "Thank you."

But the last statements make me a little uncomfortable.  I don't feel like this is my life long dream come true.  In the past I've considered teaching as an option, as something I might like to do, but I haven't dreamed about it.  Then I start to wonder - Should it be my dream?  Am I not going to be a good teacher because it's not my dream?

I also don't feel like I'm following my heart.  I don't feel like this is my passion.  I haven't taught a day in my life yet - how can teaching be my passion?  I don't feel like the passion part of my heart is leading my down this path; the empathy part of my heart, maybe, but when people say "You're following your heart" I don't think they mean it that way.

I think, rather, I feel like I'm following my gut: 

In response to the questions "Why are you doing this?  What prompted this?", I think the most honest answer is "My gut tells me to."  In my gut, I feel like this is the thing I am supposed to do at this point in my life.

Regardless of the exact words of congratulations, the support I've received from everyone I've told over the past few weeks has been amazing.  Whether they congratulate me in shock, concern, or admiration - I can tell that they truly wish me the best and that they're sending a small piece of themselves with me on this journey.  The positive response has been so motivating.  Thank you everyone for your kind thought and words.