I am learning a lot of teacher-y things, but not just about lesson planning, goal setting, and assessment. I am also learning about the "game face" and putting on the "top of my game" regardless of my feelings.
My days will begin at 4:50(ish) a.m., when I crawl out of bed and into the shower. Within minutes, I am probably responding to a knock at the door so that one of my three suite mates can use our one sink to brush her teeth or use our one mirror. Once there is a break from that, I am able to get out of the shower, get dressed, and follow a similar process to use our one sink and one mirror. By 5:30(ish) a.m., I am ready to go down and eat a continental breakfast of a bagel, fruit, and yogurt, and tackle the coffee line so that I can make it through the morning with enough energy. I must be on the school bus by 6:15 a.m. and will be on the road by 6:25 a.m., on our hour-long commute from Jamaica, NY to upper Manhattan. This week, we commence our academic learning sessions in curriculum, literacy, and TFA processes at 7:30 a.m., and push through until 4:00 p.m., occasionally enjoying our packed lunches and bathroom breaks. This week, I am back to the campus by 5 or 5:30 p.m., only to eat dinner and then go to more academic sessions.
Next week, this will be similar, except less on the evening academic programming and more on the evening lesson planning and preparation. I have not made it to bed before 11 p.m., and the reason why my "game face" has been so important is that I couldn't seem to fall asleep last night and only got a couple of hours in.
Most of institute will be like this.
However, I couldn't let myself slow down today. I put my game face on and made sure I was on top of everything I could be. I left the lack of sleep on the bus and be an active learner today so that I can be an effective teacher. I'm sure I won't catch up on my sleep while here in NY, and so next week, when I am in front of a group of 7th graders trying to pass a state test or make it on to the next grade. It's not a game in the least, but I have to make sure that I am prepared and ready for action. I have to leave my baggage--the lack of sleep, the general feeling of confusion regarding how to teach, and how to be a TFAer--at the door. My students will need me more than I will be able to think about most anything else.
There is always so much to do here, and even with the long hours, so little time to do it. There is also so little time to do anything else. Who knew that days could be so long, but also too short?
Needless to say, the teacher-y things, besides the "game face" are too long for me to handle in paradoxical days. I have had my moments of triumph and tribulation in the flood of information that has been rushed at us in 48 hours. Heck, over the past week. There were especially some good "a-ha" moments today but even more instances when the light bulbs were literally bursting from an over-abundance of electricity. There are just some things that will come with more time and/or practice, or a student or two that needs me to know what to do to survive vast abyss of their education.
So, I am going to bed. It's the least I can do, after my lesson planning for the evening, to prepare for tomorrow. And, goodness knows I need rest when I can get it.
Goodnight. Looking forward to tomorrow as another great learning day.
~MJ
PS I have the best school bus story from Day 1 of Institute. Imagine a new movie: "Lost in Manhattan on a School Bus." Further, imagine a giant yellow bus pulling a u-turn on the Jersey side of the George Washington Bridge in the middle of morning rush-hour.
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