I am no longer living in the dorms at SMU. I am so grateful to be able to afford a place of my own after all this time.
It was truly beneficial to be living at SMU for the duration of my summer training. My housing was paid for. My food was paid for. The internet was free. I did not have to worry about electricity or water bills. Laundry was free. Transportation was provided. That is not to say these arrangements were perfect. I slept on a twin mattress again. The water would be lukewarm when large (cheer) camps were also staying on campus. The food was essentially the same all summer. There were random "scheduled" power outages occurring regularly throughout the summer.
But it was free. And the training was pretty great as well. I spent seven weeks absorbing as much knowledge as possible. I feel confident that I leave Institute as a better leader, teacher, and person. I may not be able to tell you each of the (seven) TFA core values from memory, but I can tell you that each of them has created a lasting impact on the way I approach the world from this world forward.
During Institute, it was made clear that during some sessions, I was going to be uncomfortable and that was okay. When you are grappling with your identity, the multiple parts of your identity, and reconfiguring how it fits in a classroom and, by extension, in the world, you are going to be uncomfortable. Analyzing my privilege and how it will play a large part in how I relate to the people around me moving forward is not easy. Talking to others about their identity, listening to others make mistakes, choosing to be vulnerable and brave are not simple tasks. In spite of this difficulty, I was still pushed to tackle this work in the solitude of my mind and with the people in sessions around me.
From that experience, I jumped straight into Fort Worth's New Teacher Academy. The reality of the work I will be doing snapped me back into reality. The reality of others ideas of the world we live in reminded me that my work with my identity if a privilege. In the midst of a problematic session listening to problematic statements and ideas, I had to remind myself of my privilege and ground myself in humility.
I am a first year teacher. I am 22 years old. I do not have all the answers. I have not even been asked all the questions. This does not mean that I do not have beliefs based in facts that I stand beside proudly and vehemently. It just means that I must always take the time to stop and listen to what the people around me have to say.
There was a phrase that stood out to me this summer: "listen to understand, not to respond." Going into teaching, I have set a goal for myself to remind every student that I come into contact with that their thoughts are valuable. Their ideas and dreams have value and that I here to provide them with some of the tools they will need to navigate the world in their own unique way. This is not always going to be easy, but I believe it is important and I will work on it continuously.
Today I entered my classroom for the first time. It was overwhelming. If I didn't understand the work my teachers put into preparing the classroom every year before, I certainly do now. I have so much to do and the hardest part is not knowing where to start. I am hoping that hanging up the first poster and moving the first desk is the hardest part, so I'll be sure to get started on that soon. Again, if you have any advice for a fifth grade science teacher, let me know!
It was truly beneficial to be living at SMU for the duration of my summer training. My housing was paid for. My food was paid for. The internet was free. I did not have to worry about electricity or water bills. Laundry was free. Transportation was provided. That is not to say these arrangements were perfect. I slept on a twin mattress again. The water would be lukewarm when large (cheer) camps were also staying on campus. The food was essentially the same all summer. There were random "scheduled" power outages occurring regularly throughout the summer.
But it was free. And the training was pretty great as well. I spent seven weeks absorbing as much knowledge as possible. I feel confident that I leave Institute as a better leader, teacher, and person. I may not be able to tell you each of the (seven) TFA core values from memory, but I can tell you that each of them has created a lasting impact on the way I approach the world from this world forward.
During Institute, it was made clear that during some sessions, I was going to be uncomfortable and that was okay. When you are grappling with your identity, the multiple parts of your identity, and reconfiguring how it fits in a classroom and, by extension, in the world, you are going to be uncomfortable. Analyzing my privilege and how it will play a large part in how I relate to the people around me moving forward is not easy. Talking to others about their identity, listening to others make mistakes, choosing to be vulnerable and brave are not simple tasks. In spite of this difficulty, I was still pushed to tackle this work in the solitude of my mind and with the people in sessions around me.
From that experience, I jumped straight into Fort Worth's New Teacher Academy. The reality of the work I will be doing snapped me back into reality. The reality of others ideas of the world we live in reminded me that my work with my identity if a privilege. In the midst of a problematic session listening to problematic statements and ideas, I had to remind myself of my privilege and ground myself in humility.
I am a first year teacher. I am 22 years old. I do not have all the answers. I have not even been asked all the questions. This does not mean that I do not have beliefs based in facts that I stand beside proudly and vehemently. It just means that I must always take the time to stop and listen to what the people around me have to say.
There was a phrase that stood out to me this summer: "listen to understand, not to respond." Going into teaching, I have set a goal for myself to remind every student that I come into contact with that their thoughts are valuable. Their ideas and dreams have value and that I here to provide them with some of the tools they will need to navigate the world in their own unique way. This is not always going to be easy, but I believe it is important and I will work on it continuously.
Today I entered my classroom for the first time. It was overwhelming. If I didn't understand the work my teachers put into preparing the classroom every year before, I certainly do now. I have so much to do and the hardest part is not knowing where to start. I am hoping that hanging up the first poster and moving the first desk is the hardest part, so I'll be sure to get started on that soon. Again, if you have any advice for a fifth grade science teacher, let me know!
No comments:
Post a Comment