Tish Under Construction

It’s been a long road – unemployment has been rather…fun, actually.  I’ve gotten to sleep in, volunteer at new places, and for the first time in a long while, stop.  I have to say, I kind of hold a grudge against our country’s view of leisure.  Now, don’t get me wrong – I work hard, and I don’t shirk my duty.  But, it was Socrates who said “The unexamined life is not worth living”, and I think that’s painfully true.  We need to take time in our lives to reflect on who we are, where we’re going, and to truly be thankful for what we have.  When can you do that when you’re constantly overworked?  Sometimes, the best thing to do is nothing.  Now, I don’t recommend taking a 7 month sabbatical like I did, but I really do think it’s been good for me.  I’m ready for the next chapter in my life, and I’m happy to report that the next chapter in my life will involve KIPP.

I applied to be a teaching fellow.  The position is kind of like a teacher’s aid, because you’re helping in the classroom and grading, but you’re also co-teaching and co-lesson planning.  The position is designed to prepare you for your first year of teaching at KIPP.  And, even though you’re called a Fellow, it’s a full time job (with benefits, thank God).  The interview process was no piece of cake – I had an all day site visit in December, which included interviews, and then a follow-up day in January where I taught two sample lessons to actual children…by far the scariest part of the interview process. 🙂  I taught sixth grade students how to round to the tenth decimal place, and although I’m not quite sure if everyone in the first class got it, I’m pretty confident that most of the second class walked out understanding the concept.  After the countless hours I spent getting ready, I was so glad to just have it be over…I had done the best I could, and the rest was really out of my hands.

The best part, though, was that after the lesson, the Vice Principal got up in front of the class to have them thank me for teaching a room full of students I didn’t know – pretty typical stuff when you have a visitor . 🙂  But, then one of the students turned to me and personally thanked me for teaching him that day.  I tell you, I almost hugged that kid…how nice was that??  And, I have to say, I never once got that feeling when I worked for my old company.  I think I could get used to this.  It’s not going to be easy – I’m trying to learn how to be a teacher in a matter of months in one of the most unique and intense teaching environments in the country.  But, I feel like this is a vocation, and I’m not going to give up easily.

I’m meeting with the principal on Thursday to talk  about the details – which grade I’ll work with, and which teacher I’ll co-teach with.  I’ll keep you guys posted on how it goes.  And, for all those current teachers and former teachers out there, I’ll definitely be asking for advice!