Saturday, August 2, 2008

Beginnings.

6 weeks down... 104 to go (subject to change). institute/induction have come and gone. 6 weeks later, and i'm feeling the inevitable excitement of being a new teacher. it wasn't like I wasn't excited 6 weeks ago, but actually spending time in the classroom and being surrounded by fellow corps members puts it in perspective.

comedy:

grilled cheese 2x a day
riding the school bus
"excuse me, where are you idiots going?!"
"the jokers almost came to blows"
"Janus"
mad lesson planning
"We got a muslim in the house! Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoo"
writing lesson plans wrong on purpose
being in bed by 10pm
waking up at 5am
seeing students at Temple
clownin on philyssa with craig
Rad Rad
"You a lady, a ladiesssss man"

reflection:
Institute= tree killer. Mad paper used.

Murals outside/inside of Richard Wright was a good look-- created such a positive learning experience.

Collaboration is no joke. So much more gets done when you leave the nonsense at the door and work towards a common purpose with more heads. Unfortunately, it's easier said than done. Selfishness is not a good look when it comes to collabin'

Philadelphia is a beautiful place. While some neighborhoods might not be the most pleasing to the eyes, the beauty lies in the strength of the communities. I can't get over the importance of family in Philadelphia.

Complaining is a waste of time. Keep it movin' or be out. Too much time is wasted complaining without solutions to "problems".

Thinking of the influence you can have as a teacher on the rest of a child's life is a powerful thing. Shout to Ms. Scelfo for helping me realize that.

final thoughts:

Educate not for personal satisfaction, as you will never truly be satisfied if you seek it. Educate to win young minds, to inspire them to seek more, to inspire brilliance.

peace.

Ed Prince

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

'Complaining is a waste of time. Keep it movin' or be out. Too much time is wasted complaining without solutions to "problems"'.

These are my sentiments exactly. There is no use in complaining when TFA isnt going to change anything about what it does, no matter how many surveys or complaints. I knew what it was about when I came into this but I came into it because I believed in this mission and immediately wanted to make a bigger impact than the ones I've made previously. This is why I was upset, yet not disappointed when the only talk about diversity was within the context of TFA admissions. We don't talk about the REAL stuff, the -isms, that both fuel the obstacles our kids face and the mindsets of many of my wack fellow corps members.
I don't have the energy to work myself up, only to have ppl feeling sorry for me and changing NOTHING. The person who openly complained wasnt the first to voice discontent, and sadly wont be the last. This place isnt going to change no matter how  much you openly disagree. So I power through and keep my eyes on those kids waiting for me this fall.

**my only issue with your comment is that you are now working for the very same institution that you kept your complaints from back in '08. I hope you aren't still doing that...now that you're on the inside.

Anonymous said...

p.s. i dont not complain passively though..i sift through the BS and fluff at some of these sessions to collect the truth.