I realize I've been awfully quiet these past few weeks. Rest assured, dear readers, that I intend to give you a proper update soon. For now, I'll suffice at giving you a brief summary of what my days have been looking like:
I leave my apartment at 7:45 in the morning, in time to catch the train to the Bronx. An hour later I arrive at my university, just in time to settle in for 9.5 hours of class. I get home at around 7:30 at night, exhausted, hungry, and with about an hour's worth of homework to do. I usually spend an hour or so upon my arrival back at my apartment relaxing and stuffing face, after which I do my homework and any chores which need to be done, relax a little bit more and go to bed by 11pm. Ok so I've only actually hit my target 11pm bedtime once, but I'm working on it. I have high hopes for tonight.
Although the above probably makes me sound crabby and possibly even disillusioned, that's not the case. I'm actually really enjoying this whole process. Though the three hour classes are a bit of an endurance test, I find that I'm better able to appreciate school and being a student since I took this past year off from academia. I'm learning about the NYC school system and the mechanics of teaching at a kind of surprisingly rapid pace. I'm also meeting so many intriguing, kind, and wonderfully intelligent people. This morning, I actually looked forward to getting to class because I realized that I enjoy spending my day with my cohort. I'm not sure how many people can say that about their jobs.
That's even more than I'd intended to say in this post, but there you have it, a little snippet of my life. I'll get more detailed soon, when I have the time and energy to tell you more. For now, I'll leave you with a quote from my Fellow Advisor, who is herself a secondary science teacher and teaching fellow. To put it into context, this was said when relating how a stranger showed her some attitude the other day:
"Really?! Really. Do you know what I do for a living? Because I'm not afraid of you."
6.24.2009
6.02.2009
Tuesday, bloody Tuesday
Today I had an observation at a school right along the border of Brooklyn and Queens. I had quite the adventure getting there - I headed the wrong way off the train and ended up wandering further into Queens than I'd like to admit before I realized my error and headed back. I also decided to break in a new pair of dress shoes for the occasion, a move I regretted partway through my misguided trek when I realized I had rubbed my heels completely raw. Limping, I admitted defeat to the shoes and stopped briefly to change into the converse I'd stashed in my bag. Though I left with time to spare and began the day well dressed, I arrived at the school twenty minutes late and wearing slacks, a dress shirt, and sneakers. Fail.
Though my morning got off to a shaky start, my observation went well. My host, Ms. H, was a fantastic teacher, and I felt inspired by how well she engaged her students in the material and at the same time quelled any disruptions before they could become an issue. From my vantage point, I could see that my host had a great deal of respect for her students' abilities and time, and they in turn showed the same respect for her. The reason I mention time is there was an interesting dynamic happening, one which I later talked to Ms. H about during her break. Due to the approaching Regents exams, she's planned out each lesson for the next week to ensure all the necessary material gets covered. The trouble, if it can really be called that, is that her students are bright and inquisitive, and though their questions were insightful Ms. H had to limit open discussion and table questions that would normally be welcome and encouraged for the sake of time. She later commented that she felt she was cheating them out of learning material they were actually interested in so she could grind through topics they had to know for their exam. But what to do?
One of the first things Ms. H told me and the other observer (also a new Fellow) upon dismissing her class was that she's gotten loads of questions about the hiring freeze. Her advice was concise and honest: there are always an ample amount of Chemistry positions in the Bronx, but there's a reason for that, too. And another bit of advice: be glad you're not doing Math, as apparently those jobs are more scarce and they're more high stakes, as the Math Regents is a graduation requirement.
Since I started preparing for this program in earnest, and especially since I moved to the city, I feel that I've been taking a crash course in educational politics. It's interesting, and a little bizarre at times, but these little tidbits are all part of the same puzzle. I may be observing another class soon, and if so I'll report back on how that goes.
Though my morning got off to a shaky start, my observation went well. My host, Ms. H, was a fantastic teacher, and I felt inspired by how well she engaged her students in the material and at the same time quelled any disruptions before they could become an issue. From my vantage point, I could see that my host had a great deal of respect for her students' abilities and time, and they in turn showed the same respect for her. The reason I mention time is there was an interesting dynamic happening, one which I later talked to Ms. H about during her break. Due to the approaching Regents exams, she's planned out each lesson for the next week to ensure all the necessary material gets covered. The trouble, if it can really be called that, is that her students are bright and inquisitive, and though their questions were insightful Ms. H had to limit open discussion and table questions that would normally be welcome and encouraged for the sake of time. She later commented that she felt she was cheating them out of learning material they were actually interested in so she could grind through topics they had to know for their exam. But what to do?
One of the first things Ms. H told me and the other observer (also a new Fellow) upon dismissing her class was that she's gotten loads of questions about the hiring freeze. Her advice was concise and honest: there are always an ample amount of Chemistry positions in the Bronx, but there's a reason for that, too. And another bit of advice: be glad you're not doing Math, as apparently those jobs are more scarce and they're more high stakes, as the Math Regents is a graduation requirement.
Since I started preparing for this program in earnest, and especially since I moved to the city, I feel that I've been taking a crash course in educational politics. It's interesting, and a little bizarre at times, but these little tidbits are all part of the same puzzle. I may be observing another class soon, and if so I'll report back on how that goes.
6.01.2009
New York City
I realize I've been awfully quiet recently. About two weeks ago, moving took over my life and I'm just now settling down in my new home. Granted that I've been here a week now.. it's taken me that long to stop wandering the city every day like a star-crazed tourist.
Ok, I lied. I'm still doing that, but the urge is calming down a little. Aside from being consumed with the moving process and the new city adventuring process, there hasn't been much to update on the NYCTF front. I finally landed one classroom observation, and have another one in the works. I'm hoping to get at least one more in the next two weeks, as I'd like to get as much experience in while I have the downtime to do so. I'm so fortunate I was able to move here several weeks before pre-service training kicks off - I was right in my estimation that it would take me that long to get aquainted with life in the city and do any decent amount of networking in a place where I know hardly anyone.
The only other report I have is that Saturday I got to meet up with a few other Cohort 18 Fellows, including thirdgenteacher. We all got to share our concerns going into the program, swap snippets of advice we'd gleaned from others, and exchange email addresses so we can keep in touch in the future. As a friend of mine from Cohort 16 said, it's good to get to know people ahead of time, because come June 15th, if they're not in your concentration and at your university, you'll never see them again. I can't wait to hear how this process goes for the people I met Saturday, and I really do hope we'll keep in touch.
The math and science immersion Fellows start today, and I hope they have a great first day. We non-immersion folk start in two weeks, and in the next few days I'll be tying together some metaphorical loose ends that I left hanging around the time I sold all my furniture in Arkansas.
Oh, Arkansas. I kind of miss it sometimes, and I'm sure I'll miss it more in the weeks ahead, but for now I'm happy and excited to be where I am.
Ok, I lied. I'm still doing that, but the urge is calming down a little. Aside from being consumed with the moving process and the new city adventuring process, there hasn't been much to update on the NYCTF front. I finally landed one classroom observation, and have another one in the works. I'm hoping to get at least one more in the next two weeks, as I'd like to get as much experience in while I have the downtime to do so. I'm so fortunate I was able to move here several weeks before pre-service training kicks off - I was right in my estimation that it would take me that long to get aquainted with life in the city and do any decent amount of networking in a place where I know hardly anyone.
The only other report I have is that Saturday I got to meet up with a few other Cohort 18 Fellows, including thirdgenteacher. We all got to share our concerns going into the program, swap snippets of advice we'd gleaned from others, and exchange email addresses so we can keep in touch in the future. As a friend of mine from Cohort 16 said, it's good to get to know people ahead of time, because come June 15th, if they're not in your concentration and at your university, you'll never see them again. I can't wait to hear how this process goes for the people I met Saturday, and I really do hope we'll keep in touch.
The math and science immersion Fellows start today, and I hope they have a great first day. We non-immersion folk start in two weeks, and in the next few days I'll be tying together some metaphorical loose ends that I left hanging around the time I sold all my furniture in Arkansas.
Oh, Arkansas. I kind of miss it sometimes, and I'm sure I'll miss it more in the weeks ahead, but for now I'm happy and excited to be where I am.
5.09.2009
the waiting period, part 3
Do you want the good news or the bad news first?
The good news is that Friday I was contacted for an interview, and I also found out that I got assigned to Lehman. I suppose the assignment itself wasn't good news as I don't know enough about most of the schools in NYC one way or another to have a preference, but this mention in the curriculum description was fun surprise:
Fellows will experience informal science teaching and learning by participating in a required course at the American Museum of Natural History, which culminates in a class trip where Fellows will bring their students to the museum.
The good feelings ended there, however. That same day, new Fellows received some sticky news: the DOE has issued a hiring freeze on all new teachers for the upcoming school year. There are a few exceptions to the rule and NYCTF seems confident, as always, that close to the start of the school year the ban will be lifted and there will be room in the market for the Fellows. I'm as nervous as ever, but my resolve is solid. It's too late to back out now, right?
Even if it wasn't, I still think I'd be taking the risk. I spent the past day at home with my family in Memphis, and as my grandmother put it, "you're young, you're single (are you single? no girlfriends? not dating anyone at all? no love interest?) well like I said, you're single! you're free, you've got nothing tying you down, go live it up." And yes, she used the phrase "love interest." While I'm hesitant to categorize living in an expensive city on a meager stipend in a particularly stressful situation "living it up," I got what she meant. Thanks, Grandma.
The good news is that Friday I was contacted for an interview, and I also found out that I got assigned to Lehman. I suppose the assignment itself wasn't good news as I don't know enough about most of the schools in NYC one way or another to have a preference, but this mention in the curriculum description was fun surprise:
Fellows will experience informal science teaching and learning by participating in a required course at the American Museum of Natural History, which culminates in a class trip where Fellows will bring their students to the museum.
The good feelings ended there, however. That same day, new Fellows received some sticky news: the DOE has issued a hiring freeze on all new teachers for the upcoming school year. There are a few exceptions to the rule and NYCTF seems confident, as always, that close to the start of the school year the ban will be lifted and there will be room in the market for the Fellows. I'm as nervous as ever, but my resolve is solid. It's too late to back out now, right?
Even if it wasn't, I still think I'd be taking the risk. I spent the past day at home with my family in Memphis, and as my grandmother put it, "you're young, you're single (are you single? no girlfriends? not dating anyone at all? no love interest?) well like I said, you're single! you're free, you've got nothing tying you down, go live it up." And yes, she used the phrase "love interest." While I'm hesitant to categorize living in an expensive city on a meager stipend in a particularly stressful situation "living it up," I got what she meant. Thanks, Grandma.
5.05.2009
the waiting period, part 2.
This is the phase I'm calling Project Liquidation.
I've secured a room in the city, and I'll be schlepping what's left of my belongings to my new home in 2.5 weeks. It's approaching fast, kids.
In that time frame, I need to figure out exactly what I'll be doing with all of my possessions. I plan on selling most of my furniture and giving away the rest, and I'll be transporting a carload of odds and ends to my parents' house this weekend. Friends have already claimed most of what's in my kitchen, so now I'm making Craigslist ads and putting little dots on claimed items and trying to figure out exactly how much can fit in a Corolla with two people and two cats in tow.
Still no news on a classroom observation--supposedly in years past the Fellows posted a couple of videos for those who weren't able to observe in person, and although that would be a welcome backup plan I'm still hoping I won't have to resort to it. Otherwise, the work is coming along. I'm almost done with my online courses and reading, and I signed my commitment form yesterday. I'm not even sure why I waited over the weekend to do it. I think it was somehow comforting for a few days to at least ponder the idea of changing my mind before I locked myself into the program, even if I know well and good I made up my mind the second I got in.
One bit of information in the commitment letter was unexpected but welcome. After last year's debacle in which a (disputed) number of Fellows weren't able to find teaching positions by the deadline at the start of the fall semester, they've added another period of training, to be accompanied by a stipend, for anyone in the same position this year. It's a bit of a relief to know we have a little bit of a safety net should the worst case scenario happen, especially since the webinar for accepted applicants that I attended recently did nothing to quell my fears. This is to say nothing negative about the folks from NYCTF who put on the webinar -- I'm definitely glad I attended the session. There were some questions I hadn't even really articulated yet that were asked by other attendees and answered by the hosts. What made me nervous was the party line I heard repeatedly throughout the hour-long event, something along the lines of "the right number of the right people in the right burrows." I don't envy the task the Fellows had this year, everything considered, and I'm glad they made the decisions they did to ensure we all have a good chance of getting hired by mid-September. I'm glad that the program was upfront about the forecasted reduced need for new teachers this upcoming school year, I'm just nervous that it's bad enough to neccesitate such a small Cohort this year.
So, my theme of the month is: nerves.
I should know my university assignment sometime soon, which will be useful if only so I can have more fodder for my compulsive google map route making. I'll keep you posted.
I've secured a room in the city, and I'll be schlepping what's left of my belongings to my new home in 2.5 weeks. It's approaching fast, kids.
In that time frame, I need to figure out exactly what I'll be doing with all of my possessions. I plan on selling most of my furniture and giving away the rest, and I'll be transporting a carload of odds and ends to my parents' house this weekend. Friends have already claimed most of what's in my kitchen, so now I'm making Craigslist ads and putting little dots on claimed items and trying to figure out exactly how much can fit in a Corolla with two people and two cats in tow.
Still no news on a classroom observation--supposedly in years past the Fellows posted a couple of videos for those who weren't able to observe in person, and although that would be a welcome backup plan I'm still hoping I won't have to resort to it. Otherwise, the work is coming along. I'm almost done with my online courses and reading, and I signed my commitment form yesterday. I'm not even sure why I waited over the weekend to do it. I think it was somehow comforting for a few days to at least ponder the idea of changing my mind before I locked myself into the program, even if I know well and good I made up my mind the second I got in.
One bit of information in the commitment letter was unexpected but welcome. After last year's debacle in which a (disputed) number of Fellows weren't able to find teaching positions by the deadline at the start of the fall semester, they've added another period of training, to be accompanied by a stipend, for anyone in the same position this year. It's a bit of a relief to know we have a little bit of a safety net should the worst case scenario happen, especially since the webinar for accepted applicants that I attended recently did nothing to quell my fears. This is to say nothing negative about the folks from NYCTF who put on the webinar -- I'm definitely glad I attended the session. There were some questions I hadn't even really articulated yet that were asked by other attendees and answered by the hosts. What made me nervous was the party line I heard repeatedly throughout the hour-long event, something along the lines of "the right number of the right people in the right burrows." I don't envy the task the Fellows had this year, everything considered, and I'm glad they made the decisions they did to ensure we all have a good chance of getting hired by mid-September. I'm glad that the program was upfront about the forecasted reduced need for new teachers this upcoming school year, I'm just nervous that it's bad enough to neccesitate such a small Cohort this year.
So, my theme of the month is: nerves.
I should know my university assignment sometime soon, which will be useful if only so I can have more fodder for my compulsive google map route making. I'll keep you posted.
4.24.2009
the waiting period, part 1.
Other Fellows' blogs tell me that I'm not the only one treading the tide of assignments due before pre-service training even begins. Although there are a myriad of reasons I'm excited beyond all reason about my upcoming move, one of those reasons is certainly being able to connect, in person, with other people who are experiencing all of this. It's overwhelming, but in the best way.
I'd just gotten a hold on the first wave of assignments when the second wave hit today. I'd mailed in all the assorted proofs of grades and identity. I'd started putting out feelers in hopes of landing a classroom observation in the next month in either Little Rock or Memphis. I'd made a healthy dent in the 500 page manual we were saddled with the day we got our acceptance letters. I'd started two large piles of belongings on my bedroom floor, one of things to donate and one of things to discard when it comes time for me to shrink my stuff down to that which can occupy a single room. And then, today, the second wave hit and I realized the headway I'd made on my work in the past two weeks was paltry compared to what I'll be accomplishing in the next month, not to speak of what's to come once I'm in New York.
I've been assigned to the Bronx, a prospect I'm equally excited and nervous about; I simply don't know anything about the Bronx other than the stereotypes that every non-New Yorker knows. Wikipedia's been helping, though, as have Google Streetview and anecdotes from friendly if not reliable sources. Really, the only reason I'm disappointed I didn't get assigned to Brooklyn is because I think my personality is more in tune with it.
I digress. Now that my borough assignment has been established, I'm free to start apartment and job hunting. Over the weekend I'll be reformatting and updating my resume, and penning a cover letter, then making some initial contacts next week. I'm a little stressed that I can't be in the city until the late May - I'll be missing several ed. job fairs, not to mention the welcome banquets for new Fellows.
Nerves, nerves. On the flip side of that: pure excitement. The initial thrill of getting accepted has faded, and sure, a little fear has crept in. The excitement, though, that's only been building. I've got a new planner, a newly updated to-do list on my dry-erase board, a stack of books on my coffee table I borrowed from the ed. section of the library, and I've got verve to spare.
I can't wait to tell you what comes next.
I'd just gotten a hold on the first wave of assignments when the second wave hit today. I'd mailed in all the assorted proofs of grades and identity. I'd started putting out feelers in hopes of landing a classroom observation in the next month in either Little Rock or Memphis. I'd made a healthy dent in the 500 page manual we were saddled with the day we got our acceptance letters. I'd started two large piles of belongings on my bedroom floor, one of things to donate and one of things to discard when it comes time for me to shrink my stuff down to that which can occupy a single room. And then, today, the second wave hit and I realized the headway I'd made on my work in the past two weeks was paltry compared to what I'll be accomplishing in the next month, not to speak of what's to come once I'm in New York.
I've been assigned to the Bronx, a prospect I'm equally excited and nervous about; I simply don't know anything about the Bronx other than the stereotypes that every non-New Yorker knows. Wikipedia's been helping, though, as have Google Streetview and anecdotes from friendly if not reliable sources. Really, the only reason I'm disappointed I didn't get assigned to Brooklyn is because I think my personality is more in tune with it.
I digress. Now that my borough assignment has been established, I'm free to start apartment and job hunting. Over the weekend I'll be reformatting and updating my resume, and penning a cover letter, then making some initial contacts next week. I'm a little stressed that I can't be in the city until the late May - I'll be missing several ed. job fairs, not to mention the welcome banquets for new Fellows.
Nerves, nerves. On the flip side of that: pure excitement. The initial thrill of getting accepted has faded, and sure, a little fear has crept in. The excitement, though, that's only been building. I've got a new planner, a newly updated to-do list on my dry-erase board, a stack of books on my coffee table I borrowed from the ed. section of the library, and I've got verve to spare.
I can't wait to tell you what comes next.
4.11.2009
June 2009 Cohort
Hello! Welcome to my little patch of net-heaven. You can call me R; I'm a Tennessee native, an Arkansas transplant, and a soon-to-be New Yorker. I'm also a roller derby player and enthusiast, a queer activist, a cat person, a non-hipster-identified hipster-music lover, and a foodie.
But none of that is why I'm starting this blog. On 12/10/08, I interviewed for New York City Teaching Fellows; on 4/10/09, I was accepted for Chemistry/General Science. I'll be using this blog as a space to organize my thoughts and record my experiences as I venture forward in the Fellows, and ultimately I hope to use it as a source of reflection as well.
So if you're also a current or prospective Fellow, if you're back in Arkansas and wondering what ever became of me, or if you just ran across my blog accidentally and took a fancy to me, stay tuned.
But none of that is why I'm starting this blog. On 12/10/08, I interviewed for New York City Teaching Fellows; on 4/10/09, I was accepted for Chemistry/General Science. I'll be using this blog as a space to organize my thoughts and record my experiences as I venture forward in the Fellows, and ultimately I hope to use it as a source of reflection as well.
So if you're also a current or prospective Fellow, if you're back in Arkansas and wondering what ever became of me, or if you just ran across my blog accidentally and took a fancy to me, stay tuned.
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