Institute, check. Orientation part I, check...now?

Well, i'll keep this one short because I am tired and still trying to give my body the rest it needs to i can be at my best for when the official start to the school year comes in a few weeks!

1) I am going to be a proud English teacher for Marvell (in Marvell, Arkansas) Public's 7th and 8th graders this year.
2) I live at 5225 Moon Lake Road, Dundee, Mississippi 38626 (pretty sure that's the correct zip code...still getting used to it)
3) I survived institute (and 2 days of fairly moderately paced orientation to my specific content of teaching )and have realized...as of this morning that those 5 weeks changed me for the better and quite dramatically.

i "survived" because the schedule remained as i previously described for all 5 weeks of summer training institute. i did, however, manage to learn a great deal about TFA, the job I've signed up for, and myself as a person and a professional.

I am proud that i did well, but i am dismayed by my failures as well. My 6th grade class this summer did really well overall and made tremendous gains in their education 5 out of our 16 students met their ambitious reading goals and a few more than that made their math goals too! I am very proud of these students they are representations of my hard work paying off. To the same token, I feel dismayed and frustrated because not all my students made their goals. They made growth, which is comforting, but I cannot help but still focus on how i could have done better by them. In the end, what's done is done, and I will take the lessons and memories of this extremely difficult summer with me as i move into my year long placement at Marvell public this fall semester.


Pictures of the moon barn (my house is really a barn that has been remodeled for human living!) very soon. Pictures of the classroom soon too, hopefully!

Now?...well, now I prep for my room with big goals, long term plans, a first unit plan and assessment, and general class room poster making..lesson planning, etc etc. ahh the life of a first year teacher. I'm lucky to have the lake and a kayak to de-stress with from time to time.

Next post...hopefully in a week or so, will be on the Delta itself and my growing affection for this region. This proud New Englander still surprises herself sometimes at how much she likes it here and how well she does just about anywhere once she finds a few quality people! :0

PS- JENNI I misssssss youuuuu!!!