High highs and low lows: Week 2 at Institute

Thrilling. Demanding. Exhausting. Inspiring. All of these words describe my experience over the last seven days.



In the Classroom:



On Monday, TFA '07 Corps members entered the classrooms across the Houston Independent School Disctricy with two chief goals in mind. First and foremost, they were interested in beginning to move their summer classrooms toward the end of achieving the 'big academic gains' for which all TFA members strive. Secondly, we wanted to get a sense of how we behave as teachers. How do we exist within the context of a classroom? Are we comfortable speaking in front of kids? If we were in the students' position, would we buy into, or believe in the words coming from the teacher's mouth? These questions are important, and TFA does well in using Institute as a tool to help Corps identify both their strengths and areas that need improvement within the classroom.



So, I entered Ms. Washington's 4th grade classroom along with my fellow collaborative members curious to see what I was all about as a teacher. Sure, I'd delivered instruction on a tennis court or in mentoring sessions in the past, but something about knowing that my profession over the next two years will be standing in front of children hoping to impart knowledge and inspe big expectations made this experience distinct.



As I took my place at the front of the room and looked out over the class, I immediately noticed two things. First, I felt comfortable and excited in the surroundings. Secondly, I felt a huge sense of responsibility standing before my students. Even though I will only be in Houston with this class for three more weeks, I think that knowing what I know now in terms of the achievement gap in this country's education system added extra urgency to this (and will do the same in future situations) experience, turning it into something in which I felt I must succeed. Every presentation counts- I know that now.



The day went well. My collaborative and I spent an hour 'culture' building, which means we laid out our rules or 'Classroom Code' (soccer theme!) and explained to students the importance of investing in the Code in order to build the best learning environment possible in our classroom. After the first hour, my partners left, and the stage was set for my first, independent teaching venture.



How'd it go? Nice! I loved it! TFA does not make it easy for first-day summer school teachers to gain popularity, as each instructor must administer diagnostics in their classes in the subject they're teaching as a means of gauging student knowledge at the outset so that gains can be explicitly measured at the end of their tenure. With some talking, we moved through the tests. Students were relatively well-behaved, though, as 9-, 10-, and 11-year-olds, students in my class like to chat sometimes! This is natural, of course, but finding the balance between letting youngsters be youngsters and discussion that is counterproductive to learning will be a key challenge for me when I move into my own classroom in August.



As the week moved on, my collaborative members and I crafted and tweeked our classroom management plan, shifting around seating assignments, implementing an external rewards system, and modeling proper Code behavior to our class regularly. The results were positive. It seems that students want a structured environment. They want to know both what is expected of them and what will happen if they do not meet expectations. As some of our sessions have pointed out, many of the children we will be teaching in low-income areas come from backgrounds in which expectations are not clearly laid-out and structure is a non-party. I will work to establish structure, big expectation, and a positive environment in my classroom from the outset.



A few thoughts about lesson plans, specifically, and teacher preparation, more generally, are in order here. To the teachers reading this blog, I want to tip my cap of humility to you. For years and years, I made my way through classrooms in which things were well-run, lessons clearly- and effectively-delivered, and an environment conducive to the process of learning well-established. After one week in the classroom, I now possess some semblance of an understanding of all the work, stress, and creativity that goes into the planning of one (just one!) lesson plan. There are so many things to consider when planning a lesson (objective, opening, introduction to new material, guided practice, independent practice, and closing) that I'd never considered until now. I think that finishing the first lesson plan of which I was truly proud was on-par with the feeling I got as a student wrapping up a quality paper, except that now the results are more important. In college, a quality paper results in a solid mark- in the classroom, a quality, well-delivered lesson plan results in a significant amount of knowledge being imparted to the minds of 20+ youngsters- cool, right? But bigger pressure- interesting experience getting to know this pressure.

The Rigor:
This is hard- really hard. There were a lot of tears shed this week- amongst my friends, amongst my collaborative members (one of whom made the decision that TFA and Institute just is not for her right now- it was Beth, the 51-year-old woman and inspiration story of our summit who decided to go). We are pulling 20 hour days...sometimes more- really. Sleep is a luxury (sanity even more so). Moreover, the amount of information we are being introduced to is unbelievable. I want to commission a study to analyze the amount of paper TFA uses during Institutes and, more importantly, take a look at the extent to which they have chosen to go about doing it in the most feasible way in terms of environmetal friendliness and sustainability. Our sessions are interesting, demanding, and, well, let's just say that we sit in the seats of five-year-olds, so there's some physical challenge even there.

I've worked hard before. In college, I took on as much as I could, and the hours were long. However, there is something fundamentally different about taking on responsibility when the sole benefactor (or non-benefactor) is yourself. Now, I am responsible for preparing myself to effectively teach a group of young people to whom I owe a great deal. In this regard, I am reveling in the experience of Institute. It has been an opportunity to get close to people (my fellow NM Corps members, especially, and Corps members in Houston, more generally) in a way, the intimacy of which I've never known. This is great- can't say enough.

So, friends, at the end of week 2, I actually find myself in Atlanta, Georgia in the midst of another wonderful, electric environment, this time in the form of the People for the American Way's Front-Line Leaders Academy Conference, session one. Here, I've gathered with 19 other young progressive and future political hopefuls to harness our skills in the hopes of running successful campaigns that start to move politics back into the hands of the people in this country. It is, as I said, electric to be amongst such energy, such hope, such possibility. The leaders of the conference express an amazing investment in us, tell us we are the mode and brand of change that will change this country into the place we want it so badly to be. I say to some extent they are right, but with this caveat. Young leaders, such as those gathered here in Atlanta, are but instruments, the wheels of change. The real progress and the real reform that will put this world on a track to becoming a place in which all people, regardless of race, class, gender, or creed, can reach their full potential will be spawned from the millions and billions of everyday people who every day get up, go to work, and live humbly in hopes of providing a safe and secure life for their families. The wisdom is in the crowds, my friends, and should I be so fortunate as to have the opportunity to let this wisdom shine through, then I will have done my part. Thanks.

--DB