First week of October down- 3 more to go.

So, it's been awhile.

I am a 4th grade reading teacher. Who knew such a simple sentence could pack so much power. I have 20 students.

Let me rephrase, I have 3 classes of 20 students. That's not too bad. 60 nine year-olds all day, everyday is not the worst thing. Some other teachers I know have it way worse; like my roommate, but I won't elaborate.

Miami is great. I'm running more. I run every week at least 3 times, one of which usually ran on South Beach. My best time is 34 minutes non-stop. That's remarkable seeing as running from my couch to my bed was the most running I've seen since high school.

I don't drive very much here. I bike/walk everywhere. It's great. This girl really does have a place down on Biscayne. Sometimes it's the simple things in life really.

A couple of weeks ago I suffered from high spending induced by extreme levels of stress. In one weekend I purchased roundtrip tickets to New York City, Les Mis show tickets, tickets to see Toby Keith in concert, and lots of alcohol. I'm missing out a few key purchases I'm sure but, like I said, it was brought on by high levels of stress.

As far as teaching is concerned I have come to the realization that I need to be comfortable with the fact that I do not know what I am doing. Plain and simple. Most people go to school for years to learn how to teach children. For those that are unaware (and also unfamiliar with context clues) I am not included in that group of people.

However, I do feel like this is where I'm supposed to be. Am I going to be teaching for the rest of my life? No. Am I going to make it until next Friday? Chances are slim. For the most part, I feel like the meme below:

All joking aside, I'm trying to get better everyday and, if anything, those kids are teaching me more than I am them- so at least some learning is happening in my classroom, even if it's not by the students.

This was a poor attempt of trying to incorporate memes into my entries but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Hopefully I become more frequent with my journal entries, I feel like I have so much more to say but not enough time to record it. Hopefully things will change when I get my new iphone 5 in!


Until next time,

RTIII

Reflecting upon reflections... <--eye-rolls

It has been way too long since my last post and a lot has happened. I'm noticing a trend here. I will attempt to give the abridged version of what has happend over the last 7 weeks. 

Induction: Week 1

It was fun. I met a ton of people. I went out a couple times. I met my future roomie. That about sums it up.

My roomie is the one with her arm around me. We went salsa dancing at Mango's on South Beach one night. I had an absolute blast!

Institute in a nutshell: Weeks 2-6

I flew to Tulsa, OK not fully knowing what I was getting myself into. I moved into my dorm room, that was going to be home for 5 weeks, and tried to prepare myself for the following day that started at 5am.  

I met my collab the following day. Who knew that they were going to be some of the most awesome people I would ever meet? Together, the three of us, were a force to be reckoned with, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Here's a picture of my CMA group during teacher olympics. We kind of dominated the competition, nbd.

I put myself on a very tight schedule that ran from 4:45am to about 11pm Monday-Thursday. Friday nights I went out and explored the Tulsa night life. The one block that was Tulsa's nightlife wasn't that bad actually, then again TFA dominated the city so that helped it out. I have some really great memories from those Friday nights that we all used to de-stress.

Here's a group of us before opening ceremonies whenWendy Kopp addressed our inaugural institute. Dassit! 

Saturdays were mine to do anything that I pleased that had nothing to do with teaching. Most Saturdays I would go to the movies. I love summer movies. Sunday I would hole myself in my room and work all day. 

Room 102 was the absolute best! I loved my second graders. I also had the best collab group ever and I love them to pieces. We just worked so well together, they are awesome people. Here's our room!

Me and Mr. Gladstone. I have so many nicknames for this guy but he truly is the greatest. He always made me laugh! He doesn't realize it yet but he's made a lifelong TFA friend in me and I'm pretty hard to get rid of. Poor guy never had a chance.

I don't know why Haley decided to choose the Charlotte corps because clearly we were meant to be in each other's lives. She got all of my snarky humor without skipping a beat, plus she's just like me- logic over emotion- I love this girl! (She's the one  in the middle.)

Teamwork makes the dream work. We were a force to be reckoned with and it was kind of a big deal!

You can't tell from the picture but we are all wearing the exact same nantucket pink red color. We were on the same wavelength for everything, even when it came to going out!

Here's a picture of us on our last day. If my entire teaching career was based on my last day of teaching then I would be one BAMF of a teacher. We had a day full of fun learning activities, dancing, singing, a magic show, pizza, cupcakes, capris suns, and hot cheetos. Maybe bamf teachers don't necessarily give their students healthy eating options all the time.

Closing ceremonies was definitely the highlight of institute. Of all the schools TFA was placed at and of all the students they could of chosen from, our very own Jose was asked to speak at closing ceremonies. That kid is a natural in front of the crowd, he charmed 600 plus people, inspired the masses, danced and sang for us. He was even available for photo ops afterwards, insistent upon them is a more accurate description. I was nervous for him as he took the stage but he addressed the audience masterfully. I truly felt like a proud parent. 

All in all, I had a really good institute experience. Would I do it again? Probably not. It was the people and my students that made my experience in Tulsa memorable. I wish I could post the pictures of my kiddos but sadly I signed a paper that said I wouldn't. I'm going to cherish this summer, the people I met, the things I learned, and the memories I made! Room 102- we're what matters!

Until next time,

RTIII

Breakthroughs beyond Austin

As I prepare for my second week of teaching, I find myself directly at the midpoint of this roller-coaster of a journey. One week of induction in Miami, one week of getting acclimated to Tulsa, and my first week of teaching down- I have done a LOT of reflecting. This time, however, not by choice.

Everything I really want to say boils down to this- my past experiences have really made this 'training' episode doable. Much more than doable, I must say, If I were to compare the experience I'm having to those around me who are having one hellish time here. 


Without coming from the neighborhood I came from, I would not have the internal drive to align myself to this mission. Regardless of all the training and sessions they do to help prepare corps members for this kind of a culture shock, they won't know how to deal with it until they have experienced it first hand. I must say, I am definitely going to pray for some people. That's really all I can do. Lord, help them. 


Without my absolutely loving family to serve as my solid backbone, I just don't know what would happen. To be honest, I can't picture a reality without them being completely loving and supportive, even if they don't fully comprehend the work that I'm doing. I can be in the next room or several states away, but the strength of the bond my family has is magical and I know it's what fuels me everyday. I am blessed and completely grateful for them.

And last but most certainly not least, without this past year working for Breakthrough, I would not have been prepared for this culture of fast-paced deadlines, BT/TFA language, and the all encompassing organism that is TFA. I'm am SO grateful of the long hours I spent day in and day out, weekend after weekend, trying to make every single action intentional and 'worth it'. Somewhere along the way, it didn't take long, I absolutely grew to love my students and their families. But I can't thank enough the people I worked alongside with, for they became my family and I needed their support as much as they needed mine.

If I hadn't of had that experience of pouring as much heart and soul out of my sleep depraved body for my BT students, then I'd probably be having a hellish time here too. But since I had almost a year of creating meaningful relationships, this is almost like a mini-let's-pretend-you're-an-undergrad-again vacay. 


Let me be clear, I am not sitting completely pretty. I, too, feel the pressures of the deadlines. Being observed does cause me to be a tad bit more alert, especially when my students were acting like angels 10 seconds before my observer walked in the door, and lesson planning is still very new to me, but I have kept a clear and level  head and have been able to stay on top of things, if not just a tad bit ahead. (Otherwise how would I have time to write this?) 


So far, I know that I am on the right path; I feel as if i'm doing what was planned for me to do in life. While I'm still 99.9% confident that I will not be in education once the dust settles, sorry Cooper, I do know that what I'm doing now will not only leave a long lasting affect on my students but on me as well. 


Until next time,


RTIII

Induction into the 305

After spending 10 days in Miami, Florida, I know two things to be true.
1. Sometimes "Winging it" is the only way to accomplish things.
2.  Southern hospitality is really only in the south.

Two Tuesdays ago, I left Texas on a plane headed to Florida. I did not have anyone waiting for me at 1am when I arrived at the FLL airport nor did I have any lodging arrangements. I didn't even fly into the city I needed to be in. My only goal was to simply arrive in Florida. Even though this sounds like an a-type personality's worst nightmare, I was really calm about the entire situation. I was not concerned or worried at all, although that was not the case for my close friends and dear mother. She was quite the opposite of calm. However, much to her dismay, I continued on my unknown and unplanned journey; I figured it would all unfold and work out, somehow.

I arrived at the airport and requested a shuttle to take me to Miami, for this was the cheapest transportation option available at 1:30am. A taxi would have cost me $80 and a fancy sedan would have cost me close to $120. After thirty minutes of waiting, and making friends with the dispatcher, a sedan pulls up and he tells me to get in. Before I could protest that I would absolutely not pay the extra money, he said that he would give it to me for the price of the shuttle. I was in the sedan before he could change his mind. Win.

Not only did I get a ride to Miami in style, my sedan driver acted as a mini tour guide giving me the native ins and outs of the city. It was great! After exploring the beautiful Miami at night, I arrived at the hotel. Now, this was the hotel I was supposed to stay at, only the hotel didn't know that. It was my job to convince them of this small but necessary truth. Upon entering, I prepared myself for the serious yet stern conversation that I anticipated having with the concierge. It must have been my night. That or 2 am is the prime time of the day that my appearance is at it's best, either way the conversation was far from stern. I made friends with the front desk easily and they gave me the keys to the hotel room, no problem. "They'll settle it in the morning!" he said. My room was awesome. I had it all to myself and the balcony overlooked the scenic pool surrounded by palm trees. Double Win.

The rest of the week seemed to follow in this fashion. I passed both teaching certification exams, was the first out of 181 teachers to register, moved into the dorms first, moved out of the dorms first, and secured housing for the year when I return after institute- All without really planning on it. I met some really fun people with big personalities that will be my colleagues and tfa family for the next two years.

I'm now at the airport heading to institute, which I hear is like teacher boot camp. I'm interested to see how the next 5 weeks will play out.

Until next time,

RTIII

Leaving on a jet plane...

Howdy y'all,

Today I leave to start a new chapter in my life. This is surreal because around this time last year, May 2011, I wasn't even close to graduating college and now I'm on my way to Teach For America in Miami, Florida after having spent an entire 9 months in the great city of Austin, Texas learning and growing so much professionally and personally. This just affirms my belief that you learn a tremendous deal about yourself when you step out of your comfort zone and just experience life.

This past weekend was the most perfect way I could have spent my last weekend in Texas. I was out on a lake with great friends and didn't have a care in the world. Four days and three nights of being in a bathing suit, drinking my own concoction of southern style sweet tea, jet skiing, boat riding, cliff diving, and star gazing out on the dock at night-  I am a true Texas girl, through and through.


While it has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember to travel and live in different cities after I graduated college, now that it's a reality it seems... Well, I can't quite pinpoint my emotion here; I've been trying to for some time now. Let there be no confusion. It would be a lie if I said that I wasn't unsure about my next steps. Excited? Yes. Nervous? Absolutely. Scared? Not so much.  In some ways this move seems unreal. I feel like i'll come back to ATX in a couple of weeks and say, "that was fun, back to work," but that's not the case.

I'm mostly sad about leaving behind friendships that I have created here but I know that that is silly because true friendships survive whether you live in the same city or 2,000 miles away. I know the friendships that make up my Austin family will continue for years to come. I'll just miss hanging out with them every day. I thank them, my ATX friends, because they have helped my realize some things about myself.

I know that i'll make great friends in Miami and will not want to leave them when the time comes either. In a way, this is great to make friends in different cities, in another way it's not so great, because I'll eventually have to say good bye. That's not particularly a trait that I want to grow accustomed to. Making new friends, yes. Saying goodbye, no thank you.

So, having said that, this is NOT goodbye my dear ATX friends. This is simply an "I'll see you later." We will continue to keep in touch, and when we will see each other it will be as if we were never apart. I am blessed to have made such awesome friends in you wonderful people.

In a few hours time I will be leaving on a jet plane away from my beloved Texas to conquer a whole new state. Let's see what the next chapter holds, shall we?


Until next time,

RTIII

Half Mexican, half Vietnamese, full TEXAN.

So I guess i'm a bit of a fibber. "Six posts, one per week that I have left in Austin", maybe that was a tad bit ambitious given the amount of things on my several to-do lists.

This weekend was another great addition to my string of  extremely fun and adventurous weekends. I have had something planned every single weekend since the new year. Some fun, like this past one, and others were working weekends. Either way, I've had a blast. I've danced on the state capitol steps, had several karaoke nights, hosted several dinner parties including a crawfish boil- a first for me. I've met my doppelgängers, witnessed my cousins wedding, danced my way through almost every bar on 6th, frequented the ever beautiful Hamilton Pool, and have had my fair share of fun in several neighboring cities. Needless to say, I have explored this city top to bottom and, after nine months, I am still completely enamored with this city! However, I don't think I'd have had this much fun if it weren't for the friendships I have made along the way.

I've been reflecting a lot lately.

And I must say this, while I am completely excited to start a new chapter in my life, I find myself overwhelmed with deep emotion. This year I have made friends that will forever be part of my Austin family and I have a special place in my heart for them.

My roommates are interesting. Just kidding. I love my roommates. We have created a special home here in Austin that involve all things Dr. Who, random instruments assembling together, new cuisine, and dinner party hosting. We crack jokes and are entirely too sarcastic with each other and I love them for it. I am really going to miss them. When are we going to throw The Rubber Band Ball guys?

My second, or first depending on viewpoint, set of roommates are the bomb.com as well. I love the fact that I can just go over to their place, at any given point in time, without notice, and walk in and act like I live there too. It's great. I've had some amazing times with them!

Then there's my AmeriCorps group. What can I say? I felt like we have all bonded over late night office raids, countless calls to parents, coming to the office early, leaving the office late, and oh yeah, we still found time to hang out outside of work. The people I work with are truly inspiring and make me proud to work alongside them.

And let's not forget the fantastic people that I have met through these groups. From their significant others, to the people they work with, and everywhere in between, they have filled in any gaps making this a truly cohesive hodgepodge of people whom I care for greatly!

These people make up my Austin family. We all came to this city not really knowing a soul and in just 9 short months we have bonded to create this extremely diverse yet full of awesome family! It's hard knowing that I'll leave them in just a few short weeks but I know that we have created friendships that will last.

I'm going to miss Texas. The beautiful scenery, the wonderful people, just the culture that IS Texas. With the people I have in my life right now, I just want to drive out to a lake, pitch a camp, serve beverages from my tailgate, and soak up my surroundings without a care in the world.

Until next time,

RTIII

Home Stretch

April is here and I do adore this time of year. It marks the beginning of some things and the end of others. For example, baseball season is here and, with all of it's outdoor festivities and fun, it's hard not to be enchanted by the welcoming atmosphere of a live game. But April also marks the end of things, like my cherished stint here in Austin Texas. It seems like just two weeks ago I was easing into my transition here and now I'm starting my fading out process. Okay, so 'fading out' seems a bit dramatic but, if you'd had the experiences I've had out here, you'd understand my choice of words. I simply cannot just leave this place. One does not simply quit ATX cold, like a bad habit. There is a process and I must endure it to ensure I don't get a bad case of withdrawals. You understand.

It has been quite a while since my last post and while the expected thing to do now is to write an update on what I did during the gap, I must confess that I will not. That is quite a feat and I simply could not do it justice in one post. In it's stead, rather, I shall make an attempt to post something once a week for the rest of my time here in ATX. Six weeks, six posts. Some will reflect what I'm doing that week and some may take the time to talk about things I did during the gap.

For the remainder of my time here I shall continue to work relentlessly at my current job-which I love, I shall continue to meet all the 'action items' assigned to me, start studying for my teacher certification exams, and figure out a game plan to move me from Austin to Miami- all while trying to soak up as much of this wondrous city with my friends whenever I get the chance! The rest of my time here will not be idle, that is for sure!

I am in the home stretch- let's see what the next chapter holds, shall we?

Until next time,

RTIII