I'm Destroying Lives because I was born.

The Oppressor: White Male American... Me

I was talking with a group of white americans tonight about a book called "The Pedagogy of the Oppressed." In the book the author, Friere, talks about who are the oppressors and who are the oppressed. Our conversations around the room immediately drew lines of race and how being white usually stirs the thought of oppression and male is the cherry on top of oppression, inherently evil. In fact, our group was easily persuaded that being white male and American places you in the category of oppressor.

I'm here to say that I'm a white male American - proud and happy to be such. At no time have I sat in my room thinking, 'I'm privileged because I'm white, male and American, let me destroy everything that could work.'

My personal opinion is that regardless the societal system a person is born in, they are not inherently going to be an oppressor or the oppressed. If I were a white male born in Jackson, MS and attending the inner-city black school that I currently teach at, I would not necessarily be oppressed and I would not necessarily be the oppressor.

Our image of the white male American being the oppressor is not fair to the bulk of white male americans.

Yes, privileges have been bestowed upon men for centuries in every country and in America whites have had privileges others did not. But when the two descriptions fit together, you shouldn't get a picture of a privileged and sadistic person.

In fact, I learned most of my characteristics from my white female mother. Her life's mission was to provide love and compassion to all those around her. I now desire to do the same, focusing on positivity in the classroom.

The point is that by blaming white male americans for the many things that have gone wrong is forcing many white male americans to be scared of fixing the system so that they won't be branded as part of the problematic white male American.

We tell black youth to take ownership of their heritage and their race, white male americans should take ownership of theirs while focusing on how change can be made.

Those calling white male americans the problem need to realize that white male americans may be their enemy by perception but could be their strongest ally if they looked in the right direction.

This argument can be applied to the black community as well. People saying young black male americans are of certain qualities argues against those that have a positive outlook, forcing those with bright prospects to lose hope and give up on the possible riches of the future. (riches, i.e. enjoyment and fulfillment)

I truly hope that as humans, we stop placing blame on groups of people but instead focus on solutions to problems. (which getting rid of white male americans is not one) Blame rarely creates change and only creates more disadvantage.

Please feel free to leave your own thoughts as this is a dialogue, but don't forget that we all must keep open minds otherwise you are being oppressive.

Commitment Complex - An Emotional Burden

Something that has interested me since arriving in Cleveland, MS to begin my teacher training back in June, 2012 is my commitment to the "mission."

I've always wondered how committed I was to reforming education and how I was going to do this. I felt like I knew nothing about education's faults and that there was little I could do to actually change them.

Now, nearly 7 months since the start of my journey, I'm teaching my heart out. I love teaching and I love growing my students in character and intellect. I see the changes that need to be made, I identify the holes in our school system and I make the changes I can in my classroom to correct the injustice.

The hardest part though is what I call the commitment complex, that I'm not committed enough. Granted, I tutor at my students' houses weekly, I build literacy initiatives into Algebra I, insert "positivity and respect" character building in the classroom and the list goes on... but it's not enough.

It's an emotional burden to feel the need to stay up all night, to work at all hours to end the injustices but to physically not be able to. At the same time, I'm building my own Jackson community. Perhaps this is all on the path to creating the most change, but I'm impatient.

I want to be that person that in year one has accomplished far more than most teachers accomplish in their entire time. I don't want to be the "best teacher" but rather the "most transformative teacher". I'm not talking Teach For America speak. I'm not talking about being the transformational teacher, I said "transformative."

I want to see the change in Jackson, as a whole. I think that it goes beyond my classroom and spreads throughout my school. There is so much potential and so much passion to back up the initiatives, but it's just never enough.

I want to build a connection and influence those I meet to help me build this momentum but the power to influence takes time, especially in Jackson. I have many connections and networks now, but the ability to use them will take a bit more time as they get to know me and I them.

I don't know how to change this emotional burden into a forward thrust of action, as I am constantly pushing forward already. It's only up and forward with my students, school and district, but I want to see it all happen.

I guess this commitment complex is a blessing in disguise. As Pastor Rhodes said today, "We are all missionaries that must go and teach. We're all destined for greatness."

I'm just waiting for the never-ending desire to do more to turn into something great, something wild that has lasting impacts. Chances are, my time is being spent wisely but the changes are piling up silently. This way, I will forever keep pushing since it will truly never be enough until all is equal.

Are you the CEO of your classroom?

CEO - Chief Executive Officer.

We think of a high-paid corporate person. They make the last decisions that either make a successful business or one that fails like Enron.

But, aren't you a CEO?

The Chief Executive Officer of your own classroom. A leader with a vision for the success of those whom follow.

That's you, that's me.

How do CEOs lead?

Let's think.

They have:

A Vision
Clear Expectations
Charisma
Optimism
Confidence

The most effective CEO has:

Preparedness
Self-lessness
Endurance
Patience
Passion

Now, reflect... what do you have? If you're Teach For America I know you have a vision... don't lie.

What you must also have is charisma to some degree, otherwise TFA wouldn't have put their trust in you to "sell" their idea.

How can we all grow? Let's focus on our leadership style, not our teaching style.

"Leadership [is] the use of power and influence to direct the activities of followers toward great achievement"

Isn't that what you want?

Students (your followers) that are influenced (by you) with super high-level thinking?

Yes.

We need to realize that we can and we have to LEAD by influencing and not by assuming our followers will follow.

My students, if left to their own devices, would just wreck havoc in the classroom. I have to give them the opportunity to see their ability to grow. I, the CEO, the leader, must leverage my influence (by building relationships) to show my students that they can.

It's not as easy as it sounds. Business is easy to read, but hard to implement since it takes time to see effects. I assure you, there are ways to ensure that your students see you as a CEO.

For example, try being patient. A student that throws their pencil isn't your enemy. The enemy is the negative energy. Encourage that student with positive words because you are trying to lead him/her toward success.

Try seeing yourself as the CEO, as the leader. Don't let your students lead, but also don't let the "power" go to your head.

DO NOT be that teacher that stops teaching and says "I'm getting my paycheck regardless." or the teacher that screams at their students (another topic to be discussed later as "abusive supervision").

Put yourself in the students' seats just as an effective leader puts themselves in the seats of their followers. See what they see... a screaming adult. Something they might see regularly at home (as you may hear) But if they're getting it at home, maybe YOU should be the person that leads them to better actions. Yelling will not push them to do better long term, it will push them to look for a reaction in the short-term.

Reflect on whether you are an effective leader. Would you follow your vision if you were the student? Would you understand where you were going if you were looking at the goal or expectations? And if you, as the student, understand the vision, goals and expectations because you have an amazing teacher (since you're still in the student mindset) then you must look at if the teacher's actions are effective in manner.

Does he/she react harshly to situations? Does s/he show that s/he cares in some way through positive actions? Does s/he stand yelling at me throughout the day? How does s/he motivate me (perhaps through long-term INTRINSIC motivators of growth, or maybe one-time-only ways of candy/chip rewards)

Seriously, I don't expect you as a first/second year teacher to want to sit and ponder this for long. But take at least the two questions that are highlighted and reflect... and then if your answers say yes to intrinsic motivators and patience in heated situations, you're doing something right. If you're answering in the negative from the point of view of a student, then you may need to change your LEADERSHIP style... not your teaching style. Remember, an ineffective screaming manager spends 25% of their time on conflict. How nice would it be to have 95-100% of your time dedicated to teaching?

The Days I Want To Cry

It's all my fault when I want to cry. No lie. Yes, all first year teachers go through those emotions, but I burnt out and stopped doing what was keeping me sane -- planning.

I love planning, but teaching is a whole nother level. It's non-stop, everyday. But let me tell you, when I've planned for the day, the day is amazing -- no matter the lessons faultering steps.

The problem is when I'm not feeling planned for the next day. I was just about to cry a couple of hours ago on the phone with my best friend from home. "Boohoo, I miss you, I love you, and I just want to hear your voice and see you."

Ultimately, I wanted to cry because (yes, I missed her) I wasn't feeling adequately planned for the morrow.

Now that I have spent the last 25 minutes really prepping for tomorrow with a better vision of the lesson -- I'm happy. No need for the wine bottle.

I just need to realize that I need to up my game to do what I was doing at the beginning of the year that made me love my job. Prepping for the days adequately and looking at each day as a chance to break ideas down.

I don't really have many behavioral issues anymore. Occasionally, yes. All the time, no. I've controlled them and set those standards -- even my principal has complemented me on staying firm.

Unfortunately, I peaked out on the LPing. I no longer sit for 4 hours to plan 4 LPs with powerpoints and all. I leave the powerpoints and exit tickets to the night before and I start to feel inadequate.

My goal is to change what I can control and to better what can be bettered. If you identify the problem, you're more likely to succeed and I'm aiming to enjoy my job again.

Sincerely, Previously-Disillusioned First-Year

Positive Speak - Beneficial for my students or me?

To be honest, I've known the power of speaking in almost 100% positive terms prior to teaching.

It's just natural that people feel better if we hear positive words. For the first part of the semester, I have to be honest, it was hard to think about outwardly giving this positive encouragement. My students knew that I expected a lot from them and that I believed in them, but it was all in their face "YOU CAN DO IT!"

I've now realized that it's super beneficial to my students to hear it out loud. When they're doing some independent work cheering them on saying "You don't need me, you've got this! You got that first one right, now you can do them all!" has become the norm.

Not only have I gotten my students believing in themselves, they're feeling better about getting things right because it was them, not me, that got it right!

But, I've noticed that this positive encouragement isn't only helpful for my students. When I walk back and forth in the room, cheering my students on and casually checking their work -- I FEEL EMPOWERED. I feel like I've gotten them on this train toward success. I feel a little bit better about what we're doing and how we're doing it.

This is the double-edged positive sword that I play with on the daily. Break the material down for my students and build my students attitudes up.

I dare you to use this tool in your work and life. Challenge accepted? Do it.

Tell Me You Love Me...

Yes, it happened.

On Wednesday, 3/4 of the way through class my students stopped working. They put their pencils down and refused to work. They said, "Mr. Wright, we're not working any more until you tell us you love us."

As much I wanted to keep my love a secret, my students needed to hear it... about time. I calmy stated "I love you all, every single one of you. That's why I expect a lot from you."

Their response... "Yes you do... okay we'll work now" :)

I never thought I'd love these students so much. They are the class that ran me up a wall at first. I had them for homeroom and 1st period every day. They cried in my class, they yelled in my class and they got sent out of my classroom. They've given me so much trouble that I thought some of my students really had no interest in learning.

They've proven me (right) wrong. They really do want to learn. I knew they could learn, but I questioned their intent... and they have blown me out of the water. My student that always put his head down, told me he was leaving to go back to another school and always talked about his nation (gang)... he is my pride now.

Every day, my most difficult student comes in EXCITED to learn... I used to want to yell at him to keep his head up... now I can't get him to shut his mouth (because he's yelling out answers)... Equally as annoying, but I'll settle for the positive.

I willingly told my 2nd period class that I love them because they too deserve to hear it. They've shown me what they're capable of and how willing they are to do the work that I give them and they show pride in their work.

I still have a lot of work to do in my 3rd block, but we're working on it. They have gotten gypped a lot due to shortened classes and it being lunch period. I don't take that as an excuse, but we need to work together before I will be able to openly love them and share in the pride of our work.

I'm proud of my students and what they are doing. We have our days of boredom and excitement. We have our days of tension and relaxation... Ultimately, we're working toward a common goal of success...

I think it's time to show them what they are working for... show them what success can look like. I look forward to decorating my classroom with college banners... And I don't want them from local schools. I want my kids to travel the country and world. My alma mater will be representing on our walls.

Maybe I'll make it an extra-credit project. Choose one person that is your role model, research their life. List their strengths and where they have been challenged. What have they overcome to become successful and how did they work hard to get where they are. What have their rewards been?

I'm out for the night. Teaching is hard, but it gives me Peace.love.Happiness.

Raise your glass to a good week.

Sometimes it might be hard to look at the week ahead and be excited.

There are a lot of unknowns that drag us down. If the garbage man doesn't pick up my trash tomorrow my yard will smell; the mailman isn't giving my mail; my computer is acting funny... Who knows what it is that might come up.

The one thing we can do to prevent our anxieties when these things occur is to have a positive outlook. We all have hard days, but there is no need to have a depressed day.

As my Manager of Teacher Learning Development said to me, "When you start looking at what you did as a failure, you lose the ability to look at what happened critically and make the changes needed."

We have to look forward to our days this week and every week and then, when something does go wrong, look at what happened and why. Don't blame it on yourself as a 'failure', but look at it as a learning moment - that didn't work, so try something new.

I'm looking forward to this week. My students have a lot coming at them. There is another test this week that they need to be ready for, and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure they get there.

This means that there is a lot of learning that has to happen in only 3 days, but we can do it and we will do it. I just have to remind them that we have our eyes set on success.

Tomorrow will be a strong day because the changes we make in the classroom every day as teachers increases the chances for our students to learn.

Super. Excited. Super. Positive.

How are YOU, as a person?

Sounds like a simple question... "How are you, as a person?"

But, I think we often times forget that we are real people. We aren't little robots, going about the same business every day.

Think about it. Your job is not who you are but what you do. You are the person that smiles and laughs at a stupid joke. You are the person that gets enjoyment from the brisk breeze in the morning as you walk to your car. You are a realperson. Who wudda thunk it.

One of my goals since the beginning of Teach For America has been to not lose myself. For some reason I always envisioned those whom join TFA as real people turned soulless teachers that don't feel enjoyment anymore.

Now, that might be a little extreme dramatization of what is true, but that's what I thought... just being honest.

What I have come to realize is that teaching for the first time does turn recent college graduates or worldy and wise elders into emotionless or overly emotional beings. They lose part of themselves.

A month and a half in to my teaching, I don't feel like I've lost myself. Thank God. I can't say that for anyone but myself though -- and that bothers me.

What I want to see are the first years going to school, working their butts off. But once they leave that school they are no longer, Mr/Mrs. Whomever -- instead, they are themselves... a real person.

I may seem like I'm rambling, but if you thought about it, you'd understand what I mean. Leaving your working self at work, at the doors, and turning into who you want to be beyond the workplace.

It's not easy, but you have to try and tell yourself you're two different people.

Ultimately though, it has been a huge piece of sanity in an insane classroom.

I just want more people to ask themselves... "How am I doing as a person?"

I asked that of a fellow corps member today who responded, "I don't know. And... I think that's because I don't feel like myself." She then thanked me for asking because she realized she needs to pay attention to that aspect of her life... the reality of it all.

Take care of yourself and make sure you stay sane beyond the insanity.

An Education In Progress

Two weeks in already.

Wow - how have I been standing in front of my students for over two weeks already?

You'd be surprised at how much can happen in two weeks, even just one day.

First, I apologize for the lack of posting. I'll be typing a post and bam, homework appears in front of me to be graded.

The most memorable day I've had so far was this past week where I had 3 fights take place in front of me (2 I broke up).

Right after the fights I spoke with an administrator. Even more upsetting than the fights was this conversation. It started off talking about a student and his schedule. What it turned into was an attempt to teach me about teaching.

I understand that this gentleman has years of experience as a PE teacher. Beyond that, I know he has years experience as an assistant principal. But let me tell you, that does not make you an amazing teacher.

His words were rough to hear -- so harsh that I wanted to either cry or scream at him. (I'm not a violent person, but I honestly thought -- who is this dude and how dare he care so little for these kids?)

Okay, so you're probably wondering what he said to make me so upset. Well, the first part of the conversation had to do with my students keeping their disciplinary forms. Originally my thought was that they should keep my discipline documentation in their math folders so that I could simply grab it from them when they violated the rules. This was recommended to me by one of the veteran teachers at the school. It hasn't worked, so I've made other arrangements to hold onto them myself in my file cabinet.

Now, when I told this to my AP what did he say? "Mr. Wright -- how long have you been in Mississippi?". "3 months," I answered. "And how long have you been around black children?" he asks. My heart stopped because it's clear where that was going.

For the record, my AP is black as well. I told him "Well, sir, 3 months." He looks at me and says "Well, in a black school, especially a black inner-city school, you won't get things back."

My breath was taken away. Did my AP just tell me that since my children are black and from inner-city that they can be expected to bring things back to school?

I'm sorry, but he just gave ever student in my school that is 99.9% black an excuse to not bring things back to school.

Then I spoke to him about my students needing remedial skills. We recently took Academy of Math tests that told us at what grade level students are on for math skills. I have some students on a 1st grade level and only 3, out of my 70, students that are on grade level. Before the tests I was analyzing my students abilities through our lessons and quizzes. It's clear that they all need help with addition and subtraction.

So, I told my AP that I don't allow them to use calculators in my class to build up their skills. He responds, "Stop stop stop -- Teachable Moment -- What I would have done is told them to take out their phones and to open a calculator app. Then they could use technology to learn"

Excuse me? Pull out a calculator to do -4 + 5? How is a calculator going to help them learn a subtraction skill? They can't see the calculator thinking it through, they can't see anything but the answer.

It felt like a punch in the stomach. He had the audacity to hold our students to a low standard of never learning subtraction. Do we want our kids coming out of school and not being able to tell me how much change they get from buying a Snicker's Bar?

I felt ever stronger about my high expectations after hearing these words from one of my APs. He told me that he was excited about my enthusiasm and that he's seen great teaching from the teachers that he's observed. But, all I could think was "You better not visit my classroom, because there won't be a seat for you if you think my kids can't achieve my expectations -- That means you don't meet my expectations for my classroom and you must leave."

Anyway, I've also had some AMAZING support from fellow teachers, other APs and my Principal. I have a lot of pressure to achieve great things because I've set myself up with high expectations and shared them with so many people. When you share your thoughts and feelings, people expect you to keep up with them. This has held me accoutable.

If I could ever tell TFA-ers to do one thing it would be to share your vision and expectations for your students with your Principal, APs and fellow teachers. Make sure that they're excited to see your achievements because you'll be excited about the expectations and every bit of progress and feedback to achieve them.

Everywhere I've gone, I've shared the high expectations I have for my kids, and the kids of those whom I speak with.

Ms. Gilbert from the library is one of my biggest supporters and she's always asking how it goes in school the moment I step into the library.

Share your Visions. Share your High Expectations.

MY FIRST MONDAY!!

I just completed my first Monday of the school year... I made it.

My first Monday meant waking up at 4:45am to get ready for a 5:00am run with a co-teacher. Getting ready for the day and being at school by 7:45am, but preferably 7:00am. Teaching straight for 5 hours and then finally getting a break for lunch. Heading home around 5:00pm is the goal.

My first day was Friday but I only had about 50% of my students and I was told they would be all my "good" students.

Today was Monday, I had my "real" students. They are great! No, they're not perfect and yes, they like to act out of line. But I'm working on them. My favorite student was sent to the "discipline chair" because he acted out too many times. He's not bad by any means, but talking without raising your hand and writing on my desk, although small, do mean disrespect in my class.

I want to start the year off stronge. I'm lucky enough to be receiving constant support and advice from veteran teachers. My principal is all about new teaching energy and innovation in teaching methods.

I truly feel that the saying "I am the Teacher. It is my classroom" means something for me in my school!

I couldn't have wished for a better situation and to be working in a school where I feel like I can truly reach these students.

It's day 2 and I know there will be days of exhaustion. My goal is to constantly remind myself that they are kids, I am here to promote their learning. There are things I can't change, but I'm in control of my classroom. If I teach them the rules early, we will succeed. If they realize why they're in my classroom, we'll succeed.

Tomorrow I'll post a picture of my 3 classes' "Why 100%" pictures. They're striving for 100% and giving 100% for a variety of reasons and they're now showcasing it in our hallway!

Continuing the positivity into every day. Step by step, my students and I will succeed.

My Story - In a "now" context

Today we have sessions. It's the start of our Orientation into our content areas. For the next three and a half days, we will be learning how to use our visions of our classroom to be great math teachers.

In our first session, we were asked to figure out our story. A story that has a strong lead character, one that has an inciting moment, and ends with a conflict that frames the story. After thinking out loud throughout the session, we've been commissioned to write a story that reflects who we are, why we are here and the context of our story in the now considering we just ended Institute.

So here it goes:

5 weeks ago, I started on a journey. This journey was new, exciting, yet nerve wrecking. I was going to become a teacher to young adults that I had never met with a group of fellow Corp Members that I had never spoken with.

Days came and went, bonds grew and waned and conversations blossomed and faded. Ultimately, I finished my 5 weeks of training and endured the 4 weeks of teaching during that time.

How did I see the world during this time? A whole load differently. For the first time, I was no longer in a predominately white suburb or city. I am now in areas that are nearly all black.

I faced teaching kids that have grown up with biases that have put them at disadvantages. These same kids were often given excuses for their low performance and passed to the next grade.

I taught day in day out, analyzing my performance in front of my students. Each one deserved my attention and each one had a difference need. I calculated my lesson plans as best as possible at the same time I decided to experiment with my kids' abilities. I taught by lecturing on Day 1, I gave guided notes and moved around the room on Day 2. By week 4 of teaching I had used games, student-led discussion and rigorous questioning to get my students to learn.

My kids led me through hoops of non-participation to over-talking. Each warranting a different reaction, but I was still learning. Facing the challenges I knew that my students would learn from me, but that they would give me so much more in return.

I now question why every student in my classroom says they will go to college. Are they going for themselves or are they going for their parents whom have forced this idea upon them? I question why my students are reacting to my lessons in certain ways and I ponder the effectiveness of the same lessons. Are they rowdy because my game is fun or because they're disinterested? Are they even learning from my notes and activities?

Ultimately, I have come to see that these are issues that everyday, as a teacher, I will question and plan for. No new day will be the same as a previous one. The brutality of reality can be hard for some to bear, but these are moments that we are given to question our own abilities and how we can master our skills.

I must use every ounce of wit, every ounce of charm and every ounce of common sense to out-run, out-smart and out-perform these students. I must use every chance of growth, every chance of acknowledging weaknesses, and every chance of using strengths to get my students to bloom and prosper.

I foresee triumphs of students learning and getting A's. I desire to see that day that my students understand that I am firm and challenging so that they can learn. I will succeed at developing my classroom in many different ways after facing challenges.

My story is that I have seen some of these challenges, I have questioned my perceptions and I have made adjustments in course of teaching. A strong lead character must be charismatic, energetic and relatable. Challenges must have an end and triumphs must live on. Each of these together, over the course of 4 weeks in teaching have taught me a lot and over the course of the year my story will change as I see more challenges that lead my to change my trajectory and work harder for my larger goals in teaching and as part of a movement toward quality education systems.

I look forward to using every resource as a means to better myself, my school, my community and my students.

Testing Day - Testing my skills or the student's learning?

It's been a while since I last posted... I'm hoping to pick up speed... Scratch that... I will pick up speed.


As part of Teach For America, it's no longer about the coulds and shoulds, it's about the I wills and I musts.

I will start blogging more. I will teach my students to the best of my ability.

I'm excited after these past 5 weeks to see what my students have learned. As you could guess from the title of the post, today is testing day. In fact, my first student just finished his test... Yes, I should be correcting it, but I also need to write this blog because I'm slacking.

A lot of people will give me slack for not writing because "I've been so busy teaching." or "I must be exhausted every day." To be honest, I've been having the time of my life.

Don't get me wrong, teaching is not easy. Teaching can be fun though. For me, it was the teaching mixed with the learning that has made Teach For America Institute (training) so much fun.

Everyday, I went into my classroom thinking about how I could better serve my students. There have been days where I just felt that my students weren't getting it and others that my students were making strides. Even though my students were getting 30s, 60s, and the occasional 100s on our end-of-day exit tickets, I knew there was a lot of work to do.


Test day is over... (I got distracted by a student asking a question)... The scores are in. There was a lot of excitement all over the school. "Oh my student made 99% progress toward his growth goal!", "My student made 85% toward her growth goal!"...

I understand that people are excited. I'm proud of my students as well! One student scored 105% of her growth goal, another 97.8% of his. The list goes on of the positive growth that my students have made.

Let me be honest, though. I'm not satisfied. I'm a part of Teach For America to hold my students to the highest degree of rigor possible and I expect the highest scores from my students. It is great that we give them a goal to achieve for our 3 weeks of learning based upon past statistics, but I do not believe in growth goals. My student that scored 105% of her growth goal scored a 58 on her test. How dare I hold her to the expectation of getting a 58 on a test?! She should be scoring a 100 on the test. Regardless of where she started we need to hold true to our motto of holding high expectations. We're here for 3 weeks and I will hold my students to the high standard for those 3 weeks. They learned a lot, but they could have learned so much more if every person was committed not to the 58, but to the 100.

Like I said, I'm so proud of the progress my students have made. My students tried hard on this test. They deserved a 100 on the test for effort, but they didn't have the expectation of getting a 100.

Let's backtrack a little, this was a test of my students knowledge, but more importantly of how well I taught my students. Understandably I've been teaching for a total of 16 days this summer. In 16 days we saw my students grow so much and I am proud. I have learned just as much if not more from my students.

I look forward to moving forward to my full-time position at Lanier High School in Jackson, MS. I'll start August 7 and I will teach Algebra I and Compensatory Math II (Pre-Algebra). I'm going to my students to the highest standard possibly. They are in school to learn for themselves - to unlock the golden doors of their freedom. Their successes will be my successes, their failures will be my failures. Ultimately though, I will be the one to push them as far as they can go. I expect all my students to get 100s in my class. I will document their growth to prove to everyone that they can and they did. I will show the world that if you give students a high expectation and goal, they will meet it.

There is a brilliant child locked in every student. Marva Collins

Instititute - Day 3: One Day At A Time

Institute started on Monday with classroom site visits and sessions at our schools. As I'm sure everyone would guess, we were all nervous to see what lay ahead!

Our schools ranged in distance from an hour away to 5 minutes away. Depending on your distance you got on the buses between 6:00 and 6:50am. I lucked out and was placed in East Side High School in Cleveland, MS -- the same town that our Institute is held.

During our days so far we have learned some very basic things -- For Example, the achievement gap is consistently stressed but so is the progress that can be made. We're taught not to bring in our outside biases into conflicts in the classroom to ensure that our students excel.

We had Welcoming Ceremonies after the first full day of work and represented our areas through cheer competitions. Out of the 7 regions represented at Institute Training the MS Delta (my region) has the largest representation. We all sat in the back of the auditorium so when we started cheering everyone looked back and saw half of the trainees yelling and screaming and throwing up some Delta hand signs.

Although Institute is rumored to be one of the hardest experiences, it so far has been super enjoyable. I've met so many people from all over Teach For America's regions (Appalachia, Memphis, Southern Louisiana, Louisiana Delta, and more!).

My Corps Member Advisor, who leads us in our development through trainings and observations with feedback, is Harold. He is the man. He looked at us on Day One and said,

"You will not work past 8pm. There is no need for that to happen. My goal is to be in bed by 10pm and that's because you will submitting things for my review at 8pm. But also, some CMs like to take breaks in the middle of the day. We will work from 7:30am until 8pm so that you have the rest of the time free."

This is contrary to some CMAs who aim to put in every last hour into work, when it's really about working smarter not harder.

At this point, it's important for you to note that my Institute experience will be different than somes'. First, I don't do stress -- it's just not my thing. Secondly, I have lucked out extremely. Not only do I summer teach in a school 5 minutes away from Institute, but I also have the best CMA who is teaching us the proper material in a smart way AND I have the best subject (math) which makes it easier to do things systematically.

Ultimately, I want to take my excess energy from my Institute Days and put them back into Institute through providing support to other CMs and making sure that we keep our community healthy. These days will be hard, long and tiring, but these days will be filled with growth, excitement and new experiences.

I have made the personal choice to also try to stay healthy myself. For the last week and a half, my MS Delta CMs have continued to bond over sports. I find myself regularly picking up a volleyball, frisbee, football or putting on my running shoes. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I wake up at 4:30am (far before I need to wake up) and head out for a run with other CMs. At night after Institute, we all just find others to go to the courts or the field. The experience has been amazing because I've never been around so many sport fans, or physically active people. I look forward to eventually getting the beach body (even if I'll never have the time for the beach!).

Every day is a new day with more content to learn, but it's been hugely valuable for me to take it all in and put my hands into the dirty work.

Teach For America - Just The Beginning

A Boston University Graduate

A Future Law Student

A Future Senator

A MATH TEACHER?!

Somehow along the path to my dreams of being a lawyer and Senator, I've come across the great opportunity to teach students in disadvantaged areas with Teach For America.

I've never realized how well respected and known Teach For America is until I traveled beyond Boston University's campus. Of course current BU students and recent graduates know what TFA is -- they heavily recruit on campus and send thousands of unwanted e-mails every year to students like me. The difference I have realized though is that no matter whom I talk with outside of the BU college environment, they still know what TFA is and the competitiveness of the program. Every person seems impressed and congratulates me and shares in my excitement. Each encounter makes me more honored to be a part of the program.

On June 5th, 2012 I will be moving into a dormitory at Delta State University in Cleveland, MS to start an intensive 5-week intensive summer training program. I'll learn how to manage a classroom, control outbursts of student behavior and ultimately, how to teach. All of us training will wake up at 4am or 5am, travel to schools across the state to teach, observe and learn about classrooms. We return to Delta State to build our skills through lessons taught by TFA staff members. After prepping for class the next day, we hit the sac to get (hopefully) a few hours of sleep.

I'm beyond excited to get down to the Mississippi Delta. (different than the Mississippi River Delta) There are just so many similar motivated people in the Teach For America program that I can't wait to grow from their excitement and passion to end education inequalities in the country. Together we will make a difference and I look forward to the journey. It will be two years of intense growth, sacrifice and relentless commitment before my time comes to an end with Teach For America, but I plan on making it as fun as possible!

I hope that you follow me on this journey as I'm going to reach into so many different adventures -- not just teaching, but hopefully owning a house, becoming a landlord and developing an understanding of Southern culture. As usual, I promise to try my hardest to update often. If you see me slacking, reach out to me and kick me in the butt!