WARNING--WARNING-- cheesy, warm, mushy feelings alert!!
The title of this blog says it all. From the song Bonito by Jarabe de Palo, the title means everything is beautiful to me. Tomorrow I will be beginning my second week of Institute in Philadelphia. (I start teaching real live kids on Tuesday!) And while I have no idea how things will go in the upcoming four weeks, right now I am on a HIGH. A high that I have not felt since I was in Costa Rica last winter or since I was in Ireland last summer. It’s the kind of high that you feel when you look around and see the beauty in so many things.
Last Friday I took the bus to New York City to visit my friend and her boyfriend who was visiting. I was feeling very blah about the whole trip, as I had gotten about 20-25 hours of sleep throughout the week. I was thinking that I probably should have stayed in Philly to get some rest and recuperate for the week to come. But as my $25.50 roundtrip MegaBus was arriving into the city, I no longer felt any of that. The New York City skyscape shone in the distance as the sun went down over the Manhattan and I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face. I’ve been there before, but for some reason, it gets me every time.
As I jumped off the bus and started walking to the subway, I ran into some AIESECers that I met last summer at the AIESEC Summer Conference in Madison. (Small world? I think so.) I continued onto my friend’s apartment on the upper west side to set my bags there then walked to meet her and her boyfriend at a restaurant. It was especially great to see familiar faces after two weeks of non-stop introductions and interactions with 660 Ivy League type-A personalities.
On Saturday, I managed to meet up with a friend I hadn’t seen since January to watch Spain versus Paraguay over a $35 lunch (love them New York prices,) head to Union Square for the Farmer’s market and Trader Joe’s wine shop, walk through central park back to my friends apartment and finally see the Broadway musical “In the Heights” at 8pm. But our night was not yet over. We then walked up to Lincoln Center to see another friend sing with a rag tag group of New Yorkers while a short Filipino man played a colorfully painted community-maintained piano.
Just as the New York skyline made me marvel at man’s ability to build and create, this impromptu performance made me marvel at man’s ability to sing, feel, dance, relate and enjoy. The singers and the piano man in front entertained a crowd of about 100 constantly changing passersby, everyone joining in to sing a show tune or popular ‘60s hit at one point or another. A group of 5 people danced in a row the front, audience members rotating in and out of the line.
Beauty is architecture and beauty is also interaction. One hundred strangers gathered together on a summer Saturday night at the corner of 65th and Broadway, not for money-making, not for attention-grabbing, yet for no other reason than pure merrymaking.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
quick updates
I just found out that Ill be teaching summer school starting next week Tuesday at Edison High School, a HS which DOES have air conditioning. ALHAMDULILLAH.
Today, our first day, consisted in 10 hours from 7 am to 4 pm sitting in Edison HS listening to Curriculum Specialists and Corps Member Advisors speak on the important aspects of planning and organization in lesson plans and curriculum.
We also heard the founder of TFA, Wendy Kopp, speak at our opening ceremony. I must say, less than impressive. Jason Kamras, a DC Corps member from the 90s however, GREAT SPEAKER, FUNNY MAN.
pillow- $4.50, mattress pad= $6.99, a full night's sleep at institute= PRICELESS
buenas noches
Today, our first day, consisted in 10 hours from 7 am to 4 pm sitting in Edison HS listening to Curriculum Specialists and Corps Member Advisors speak on the important aspects of planning and organization in lesson plans and curriculum.
We also heard the founder of TFA, Wendy Kopp, speak at our opening ceremony. I must say, less than impressive. Jason Kamras, a DC Corps member from the 90s however, GREAT SPEAKER, FUNNY MAN.
pillow- $4.50, mattress pad= $6.99, a full night's sleep at institute= PRICELESS
buenas noches
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Settling In
I just arrived in Philly today at about 1 PM and have taken the day to set up my dorm room and just hang out before $h!t hits the fan tomorrow. We have to be at breakfast by 6 AM (a 10 minute walk from the dorms) and on the bus by 6:45. I was going to skip breakfast and just grab a granola bar but we also have to take our lunch from the dining hall. So skipping breakfast means skipping lunch too! No thanks.
As of now, I'm feelin good. We haven't really started anything yet. Induction has just been a mix of social events and informational sessions about the master's program at American University, the DC region and the Achievement Gap in DC (as I explained earlier). Tomorrow we'll actually be going to the high school and figuring out what our next 5 weeks will look like. It's nice to know that we'll be here for 5 weeks- we at least have the chance to settle in a little bit. As much as I love to travel, I do NOT like living out of suitcases.
So far, I'll be teaching at Edison High School this summer but have no further information about my class or exact teaching assignment. Our first day of teaching is the upcoming Monday.
As of now, I'm feelin good. We haven't really started anything yet. Induction has just been a mix of social events and informational sessions about the master's program at American University, the DC region and the Achievement Gap in DC (as I explained earlier). Tomorrow we'll actually be going to the high school and figuring out what our next 5 weeks will look like. It's nice to know that we'll be here for 5 weeks- we at least have the chance to settle in a little bit. As much as I love to travel, I do NOT like living out of suitcases.
So far, I'll be teaching at Edison High School this summer but have no further information about my class or exact teaching assignment. Our first day of teaching is the upcoming Monday.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Apt Viewing
We have a 3 hour break til our next meeting, so I am going to check out the apartment for which I just signed a lease in the eastern market area. It's a row house with 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths and 2 half baths. We also have a porch and small yard because we're a corner lot! This is extremely exciting for me becuase ever since living in he house near the stadium in Madison I have wanted to have a porch and mini-yard like I had there. Perfect for happy hour on the porch and barbeques in the yard! My stop- Staduim Armory- is next... Hasta pronto!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Induction, Day 2
continued from earlier...
The heat in this city does not lower as the sun lowers. Last night at 9 pm, it was still 91 degrees! I guess I had forgotten how intense heat is when there is a high humidity involved as well. But complaining doesn't make it any better, so on to more important topics.
Today was the first day that I felt truly inspired to embark on the journey that I will in the next two years. We took the metro this morning to Central High School in Prince George's County to see more or less what we will be working with/ in. The high school that we visited was not too shabby-- the gym and classrooms were intact and utilitarian. Nothing nice about them, but at the same time, nothing bad about them either. A solid facility. But of course we are not in these places because they have poor facilities, but because the students who attend them are not achieving to the levels that they should. Prince George's county is an interesting county in terms of demographics. Many immigrants who in the past have moved to DC are now finding respite in PG County, as gentrification of DC neighborhoods have pushed them out the of the district. This has also happened with many Black families in DC throughout the past 30 or so years. It's great for us whities and wealthy folk who come to DC for vacation because it means that more places in DC are suitable to our preferences- bars, restaurants, apartments, specialty grocery stores, etc. However the high cost of living has pushed former residents into surrounding areas. Gentrification does not mean a overall improvement for everyone, but instead just for the people who invest money into the area and for those who reap the benefits of these commercial ventures.
Nonetheless, we have many families in PG county who are very wealthy. In fact it is the wealthiest majority African American county in the United States. However these wealthy families are not always spending their money in PG County because of other, more prestigious institutions in the vicinity, but outside of the county. Thus, the schools are not receiving the attention that they need and deserve. One PG community member told us today that she moved her family to PG county so that they could be in a more diverse community, but then did not feel comfortable sending her students to the schools there because they were so sub-standard. The truth of the matter was that no one cared about the children at these schools enough to fight for their educational rights.
In the last few decades this has been changing in the DC region. TFA and other programs which bring education to the forefront have emerged and are pushing school districts, leaders and politicians to invest not only money, but time and attention into the school areas and districts which need it most. Especially in DC it has been proven that failing or successful schools are not defined not by the students, but by the integrity of the teachers. This is demonstrated by several DC schools which are close in proximity to one another, but just because of the presence of several strong and encouraging teachers, the students are achieving at higher rates. In this situation, the students are not the variables. Instead what varies from school to school is the teachers.
Chancellor of DC public schools Michelle Rhee has taken this as her charge and revolutionized the way that schools are run in DCPS (Public Schools)-- or rather, the way in which these schools will be run in the future. She, and other advocates of strong, quality educations for DC youth regardless of their upbringing focus on the progress of the teacher in the classroom when it comes to compensation. No longer will the eldest teacher be paid the most and have the most job security. These teachers are equally welcome to prove their successes in the classroom but will not automatically be grandfathered into the system (and as you can imagine, cause quite an uproar in this movement.) But when you consider this, I'd like you to think of what career in the whole world allows its employees to lose money, fail or fall short year after year, but allow them to still stay on board as a part of the business. I personally can't think of any. And when you further consider the raises that teachers will receive for setting and achieving goals with their students, it only makes sense that when salaries are raised, other, equally bright and intelligent teachers will be attracted to doing the same job.
Time for bed yall.
besitos
The heat in this city does not lower as the sun lowers. Last night at 9 pm, it was still 91 degrees! I guess I had forgotten how intense heat is when there is a high humidity involved as well. But complaining doesn't make it any better, so on to more important topics.
Today was the first day that I felt truly inspired to embark on the journey that I will in the next two years. We took the metro this morning to Central High School in Prince George's County to see more or less what we will be working with/ in. The high school that we visited was not too shabby-- the gym and classrooms were intact and utilitarian. Nothing nice about them, but at the same time, nothing bad about them either. A solid facility. But of course we are not in these places because they have poor facilities, but because the students who attend them are not achieving to the levels that they should. Prince George's county is an interesting county in terms of demographics. Many immigrants who in the past have moved to DC are now finding respite in PG County, as gentrification of DC neighborhoods have pushed them out the of the district. This has also happened with many Black families in DC throughout the past 30 or so years. It's great for us whities and wealthy folk who come to DC for vacation because it means that more places in DC are suitable to our preferences- bars, restaurants, apartments, specialty grocery stores, etc. However the high cost of living has pushed former residents into surrounding areas. Gentrification does not mean a overall improvement for everyone, but instead just for the people who invest money into the area and for those who reap the benefits of these commercial ventures.
Nonetheless, we have many families in PG county who are very wealthy. In fact it is the wealthiest majority African American county in the United States. However these wealthy families are not always spending their money in PG County because of other, more prestigious institutions in the vicinity, but outside of the county. Thus, the schools are not receiving the attention that they need and deserve. One PG community member told us today that she moved her family to PG county so that they could be in a more diverse community, but then did not feel comfortable sending her students to the schools there because they were so sub-standard. The truth of the matter was that no one cared about the children at these schools enough to fight for their educational rights.
In the last few decades this has been changing in the DC region. TFA and other programs which bring education to the forefront have emerged and are pushing school districts, leaders and politicians to invest not only money, but time and attention into the school areas and districts which need it most. Especially in DC it has been proven that failing or successful schools are not defined not by the students, but by the integrity of the teachers. This is demonstrated by several DC schools which are close in proximity to one another, but just because of the presence of several strong and encouraging teachers, the students are achieving at higher rates. In this situation, the students are not the variables. Instead what varies from school to school is the teachers.
Chancellor of DC public schools Michelle Rhee has taken this as her charge and revolutionized the way that schools are run in DCPS (Public Schools)-- or rather, the way in which these schools will be run in the future. She, and other advocates of strong, quality educations for DC youth regardless of their upbringing focus on the progress of the teacher in the classroom when it comes to compensation. No longer will the eldest teacher be paid the most and have the most job security. These teachers are equally welcome to prove their successes in the classroom but will not automatically be grandfathered into the system (and as you can imagine, cause quite an uproar in this movement.) But when you consider this, I'd like you to think of what career in the whole world allows its employees to lose money, fail or fall short year after year, but allow them to still stay on board as a part of the business. I personally can't think of any. And when you further consider the raises that teachers will receive for setting and achieving goals with their students, it only makes sense that when salaries are raised, other, equally bright and intelligent teachers will be attracted to doing the same job.
Time for bed yall.
besitos
Welcome to my first post from DC! I'm writing from my iPhone as I sit and wait for our next session to begin. First things first- this city is HOT! hot and muggy. I feel like I am a 300-400 pound person wearing a sweatsuit as I romp around this city. I'm pretty sure every pore in my body has excreted about 1 gallon of sweat each. I am constantly drenched from head to toe in SWEAT! ick. But what I hate more than sweat is people complaining about the heat and sweat.
The DC communtiy leader panel is beginning here in the auditorium at the National Geographic Museum. To be be continued!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, June 21, 2010
Black Hole
I have known that I would be spending the majority of my summer training to be a secondary spanish teacher since mid-October of 2009 when I found out that I was accepted into Teach for America. I've know that I would be thrown in front of a group of kids, many of whom do not care to be sitting in front of me, many of whom have already accepted the feeling of academic defeat. I've known that for 6 weeks out of my summer I would get about 3-5 hours of sleep each night. Yet for the last 8 months, I have not felt even the least bit apprehensive, nervous, or scared. However I suppose the culmination of that prior knowledge is NOW. It's 12 hours before my Milwaukee-->DCA Airtran flight, and I just feel FUNNY. What I have realized is that in all my other endeavors--study abroad, travel, summer jobs, academic year-long jobs--I have gone into knowing that at if its not for me, it will all be over soon. But this, Teach for America, is not a summer job. Nor is it a part time job to pay the rent during the academic year. It's a two year adventure that I'm sure will consume the majority of my time and leave me feeling exhausted at times and accomplished at others. I'm not walking five minutes out of the Embassy to Gordon Commons, nor am I riding my bike 15 minutes to Madison West High School. I'm packing up EVERYTHING I have (which, to be honest, fills just about 4 large suitcases and about 4 filing boxes) and taking it cross country. I've signed a lease on an apartment which I have yet to see, work in a county that I've never been to before and in a school which I haven't even been assigned yet.
While I still don't feel scared or nervous, I just feel a little uneasy. Uneasy that I'm throwing myself into this vaguely defined black hole which I know will consume me, yet into which I still willingly jump head first. So ladies and gentlemen, here I go.
While I still don't feel scared or nervous, I just feel a little uneasy. Uneasy that I'm throwing myself into this vaguely defined black hole which I know will consume me, yet into which I still willingly jump head first. So ladies and gentlemen, here I go.
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