A friend who is doing a piece on Wisconsin graduates in Teach for America asked me to respond to a few questions:
1. In your opinion, what is the greatest challenge our nation faces in terms of addressing the achievement gap?
I believe that the greatest challenge that our nation faces in terms of addressing the achievement gap is the lack of urgency that is placed on this issue. Of course there are several problems within each school district that need to be addressed: budget cuts, corruption, lack of parent involvement, etc. However, the fact that the average American is not aware that 14 year olds in the United States of America read at a 3rd grade level or cannot tell you which punctuation mark goes at the end of a sentence is alarming and even quite scary. And in many schools this is not just the exception, but instead the rule. How is it that this national crisis is going unnoticed?
Most times our country is known across the globe for our freedoms and progressive values, but the reality of the situation is that these freedoms and values only apply to a small portion of the American population. While we no longer have state-sponsored institutions like slavery and Jim Crowe laws, the effects of these institutions are being held in place by the lack of a quality education in our nation’s poorest neighborhoods. And unless this inequality is righted sooner than later and unless our nation’s children are given more educational opportunities than less, I can only see the United States plunging into further societal turmoil.
2. What motivated you to join TFA?
I was motivated to join Teach for America for several reasons. Primarily, it was a way in which I could gain a teaching certificate without having pursued education in my undergraduate career. Additionally, I wanted to give service to my country in some way. Due to the random chance of being born to middle class parents, I was fortunate to receive a quality education and live comfortably. I believed I owed it to others to at least attempt to give them the same opportunities that I have had. Lastly, I wanted to begin my life in the “real world” in an organization which would provide a strong supportive base and also provide me opportunities to grow professionally. I am satisfied in that Teach for American has provided this vital support throughout the year and also has allowed me to pursue my Masters of Arts in Teaching at American University.
3. What was the most challenging part of your first year in TFA?
The most challenging part of my first year in TFA was… my first year in TFA. I cannot single out one part of the year because the whole year in its entirety was the most challenging, frustrating and depressing undertaking that I have ever experienced. Despite the intense summer training, nothing can prepare you to have 70-minute classes with 30-40 students each. Despite juggling work, school and student organizations in college, nothing can prepare you for a working full time job, navigating a new city and finding time to take two graduate level courses all at the same time. Despite having traveled solo for weeks on three different continents thousands of miles from home, nothing can prepare you for the feelings of loneliness and despair you feel working with children who derive pleasure from making your life more difficult.
That said, I am a stronger and more effective teacher for having experienced these hardships. And in the scheme of things, the hardships that I experienced in the past year pale in comparison to those which my students have experienced and will experience in their lifetimes. I will return next year, and probably the next after that, because though I have a choice, my students do not. I will return because my students, and all students across the U.S., need teachers who will hold them to high standards and who will push them to achieve their greatest potential. I believe I can be this teacher.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Spring Break Check-In
written in April, never posted
I made it! Spring break has arrived and I am still walking among the rest with all limbs and (most) mental capacities intact. All along people have been saying that things will get better as time goes on, and that is true.
Since January, I have had time to catch up with friends from college and meet new people in D.C. In learning about these peoples’ lives and schedules, it seems our situations are all the same. That is, the real world has effectively eaten us up and consumed all of our energies. We work from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed and the tedious tasks in which we engage on a daily basis do not allow us to intellectually challenge ourselves as we once did. An exciting moment in a day is a beer with dinner or a 30-minute prime time show before bed. Wednesday is no longer Wednesday; rather, it is hump day. Thursday is no longer Thursday; rather, it is Friday eve. Starting with Sunday’s stomach-churning anxiety and carrying on until Thursday’s cabin fever, we have Friday on the mind all week long.
In college, I was someone who, no matter what, went to bed at night feeling good about relationships, school, work, life. I always believed that I would maintain the positivity that I always seemed to have, no matter what. But somehow, I have turned into someone who does not value each day like I used to. I have turned into someone who I don’t really like. I complain about things that really do not merit complaint. A roommate of mine has coined the phrase “mlish,” an acronym for “My life is so hard.”
This phrase is used frequently in our home. For example, when we arrive at home at 9 PM after being at work and then attending graduate classes at night, whining that we still not having eaten dinner and still having to plan lessons for the next day, another roommate will remind us “MLISH!” That is, “I am so sorry that you have a steady, mediocre- paying job, are working under one of the nation’s most selective alternative teacher certification programs and are currently pursuing your master’s degree basically for free!”
I made it! Spring break has arrived and I am still walking among the rest with all limbs and (most) mental capacities intact. All along people have been saying that things will get better as time goes on, and that is true.
Since January, I have had time to catch up with friends from college and meet new people in D.C. In learning about these peoples’ lives and schedules, it seems our situations are all the same. That is, the real world has effectively eaten us up and consumed all of our energies. We work from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed and the tedious tasks in which we engage on a daily basis do not allow us to intellectually challenge ourselves as we once did. An exciting moment in a day is a beer with dinner or a 30-minute prime time show before bed. Wednesday is no longer Wednesday; rather, it is hump day. Thursday is no longer Thursday; rather, it is Friday eve. Starting with Sunday’s stomach-churning anxiety and carrying on until Thursday’s cabin fever, we have Friday on the mind all week long.
In college, I was someone who, no matter what, went to bed at night feeling good about relationships, school, work, life. I always believed that I would maintain the positivity that I always seemed to have, no matter what. But somehow, I have turned into someone who does not value each day like I used to. I have turned into someone who I don’t really like. I complain about things that really do not merit complaint. A roommate of mine has coined the phrase “mlish,” an acronym for “My life is so hard.”
This phrase is used frequently in our home. For example, when we arrive at home at 9 PM after being at work and then attending graduate classes at night, whining that we still not having eaten dinner and still having to plan lessons for the next day, another roommate will remind us “MLISH!” That is, “I am so sorry that you have a steady, mediocre- paying job, are working under one of the nation’s most selective alternative teacher certification programs and are currently pursuing your master’s degree basically for free!”
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Pedagogical Philosophy
A paper which I recently wrote for my Educational Psychology class:
I recently took the time to read over a journal that I kept about my first independent international experience: a month-long stay in small Mexican village. In attempting to synthesize everything that I experienced with the people and society of the Yucatan as a bright-eyed and curious 16-year-old, I concluded that one’s education is the most formative and important experience in his or her lifetime. I saw that societal decay tended to take place not because people are inherently “bad,” but because they did not have access to information that would allow them to overcome their life situations and successfully maneuver in the ever-globalizing world.
Interestingly enough, I have held that belief ever since. In all the travels that I have made across Latin America, Western Europe and the Middle East, such philosophy has held true. The common denominator among all the people who I met across the world is education. No matter background, race, or creed, the people I have met who have engaged in and completed a secular and globally-minded education have been the most successful in terms of securing themselves a comfortable and personally fulfilling lifestyle and contributing positively and productively to their own and the global society.
Entering the classroom from the “other side” as a teacher puts me in a position to put my students on this same path towards success, productivity and global citizenship. Looking at such a profession from afar, it is said to be a noble task, but after 7 months in the classroom it seems to me more daunting than anything else. That is, the modern institution that we call “school” so poorly caters to individual needs of each student that can be frustrating and extremely challenging to cultivate the aforementioned qualities in our students. While I highly value public and mandatory education and while I believe it is important for people to take part in an educational experience which exposes them to varying viewpoints and engages them in unique learning experiences, I have seen firsthand that most students’ talents are not cultivated in 68 minute-classes of 30-40 students. That is, too many students’ learning is limited by the current organization of American schools.
This makes an educator’s job all the more demanding, but at the same time, all the more significant in the lives of the children he teaches. Despite everything, the teacher and the school in which he teaches has the ability to make or break a child’s education. This is a view which I have only recently acquired because of the principles covered in Educational Psychology course. In the first few months of teaching, I was frustrated by the lack of maturity of the students and the inability of students to take responsibility for their own work. I was angry that being a teacher meant putting on a three ring circus every day in the classroom to cater to the needs of every single child sitting in the room. Why could the students not understand what I was teaching right off the bat and why could they not realize how important it was? I now realize that however overwhelming it may be, it is actually an educator’s responsibility to take all of it into account when planning and executing lessons.
While the students have the great responsibility of putting time and effort into their studies outside of class, the teacher must take charge of what happens inside of the classroom. One principle that affected my own realization of this concept is the idea that students will test behaviors to find what will and will not be accepted in the classroom. Thus, it is important that teachers provide consistency in their reactions in order to condition student behavior to that which is acceptable. Another concept which has affected my own teaching practices is the conclusions that have been drawn on the human brain and memory. This relates to my previous frustration to run a “three-ring circus” in which all students would be interested in the lesson. It is not a teacher’s job to keep students engaged so that they can simply have fun in class. Instead it is a teacher’s job to keep students interested in the subject matter because when student interest is aroused and the learning is meaningful, the student is much more likely to remember the information introduced in that lesson.
Being new to the teaching profession, I am still forming my opinions and beliefs on education. Nonetheless, I hold true that a child’s education is one of the most important aspects in determining his or her future role in society, and additionally the student’s teachers plays an integral role in the effectiveness of this education.
I recently took the time to read over a journal that I kept about my first independent international experience: a month-long stay in small Mexican village. In attempting to synthesize everything that I experienced with the people and society of the Yucatan as a bright-eyed and curious 16-year-old, I concluded that one’s education is the most formative and important experience in his or her lifetime. I saw that societal decay tended to take place not because people are inherently “bad,” but because they did not have access to information that would allow them to overcome their life situations and successfully maneuver in the ever-globalizing world.
Interestingly enough, I have held that belief ever since. In all the travels that I have made across Latin America, Western Europe and the Middle East, such philosophy has held true. The common denominator among all the people who I met across the world is education. No matter background, race, or creed, the people I have met who have engaged in and completed a secular and globally-minded education have been the most successful in terms of securing themselves a comfortable and personally fulfilling lifestyle and contributing positively and productively to their own and the global society.
Entering the classroom from the “other side” as a teacher puts me in a position to put my students on this same path towards success, productivity and global citizenship. Looking at such a profession from afar, it is said to be a noble task, but after 7 months in the classroom it seems to me more daunting than anything else. That is, the modern institution that we call “school” so poorly caters to individual needs of each student that can be frustrating and extremely challenging to cultivate the aforementioned qualities in our students. While I highly value public and mandatory education and while I believe it is important for people to take part in an educational experience which exposes them to varying viewpoints and engages them in unique learning experiences, I have seen firsthand that most students’ talents are not cultivated in 68 minute-classes of 30-40 students. That is, too many students’ learning is limited by the current organization of American schools.
This makes an educator’s job all the more demanding, but at the same time, all the more significant in the lives of the children he teaches. Despite everything, the teacher and the school in which he teaches has the ability to make or break a child’s education. This is a view which I have only recently acquired because of the principles covered in Educational Psychology course. In the first few months of teaching, I was frustrated by the lack of maturity of the students and the inability of students to take responsibility for their own work. I was angry that being a teacher meant putting on a three ring circus every day in the classroom to cater to the needs of every single child sitting in the room. Why could the students not understand what I was teaching right off the bat and why could they not realize how important it was? I now realize that however overwhelming it may be, it is actually an educator’s responsibility to take all of it into account when planning and executing lessons.
While the students have the great responsibility of putting time and effort into their studies outside of class, the teacher must take charge of what happens inside of the classroom. One principle that affected my own realization of this concept is the idea that students will test behaviors to find what will and will not be accepted in the classroom. Thus, it is important that teachers provide consistency in their reactions in order to condition student behavior to that which is acceptable. Another concept which has affected my own teaching practices is the conclusions that have been drawn on the human brain and memory. This relates to my previous frustration to run a “three-ring circus” in which all students would be interested in the lesson. It is not a teacher’s job to keep students engaged so that they can simply have fun in class. Instead it is a teacher’s job to keep students interested in the subject matter because when student interest is aroused and the learning is meaningful, the student is much more likely to remember the information introduced in that lesson.
Being new to the teaching profession, I am still forming my opinions and beliefs on education. Nonetheless, I hold true that a child’s education is one of the most important aspects in determining his or her future role in society, and additionally the student’s teachers plays an integral role in the effectiveness of this education.
Monday, January 24, 2011
oh depressing day
just graded an extra credit essay on a famous hispanic person written by an 8th grader.
one page essay was turned in with NO punctuation marks whatsoever. no periods, no commas, a capital letter here and there.
wow.
one page essay was turned in with NO punctuation marks whatsoever. no periods, no commas, a capital letter here and there.
wow.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
belated publication, same feelings
Below is a post that I wrote on November 24, but never published. Found it in my draft folder. Enjoy.
November 24, 2010
Salaam ya shabab. I am sitting at the airport waiting for my flight home to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving break. All that I have gotz to say is that Alhamdulillah I made it to Thanksgiving. I am definitely staying positive, but I have barely been making progress. The idea of “small wins” gets me through day to day, but I have lost most control of the classroom (which incorrectly implies that I ever had control). Sometdays I tell myself that it’s the 8th graders that kill me. Other days I say it’s the 7th graders. And then there are others where I say it’s the 6th graders.
I don’t hate my life and every day I go in to school thinking that today will be different. But, it’s really not. Same kids not turning in homework. Same students frolicking throughout the classroom during instruction. Same girls mocking me and talking back to me. Several times I stand at the front of the classroom listening to and watching the chaos ensue in front of me. Many times I stand there in silence while students continue totally disregard my presence.
Frankly I am sick of using “systems.” I am sick of buying my kids things. I am sick of giving points to team Costa Rica for opening their notes when asked or team España for sitting in their seats during instruction. Even when kids “earn” points them with class points, they don’t deserve it. For example, I give points when the kids can silently brainstorm for 5 seconds. I give points when 80% of the students repeat a word when I say “repeat.” I always have kids come up to me at the end of the hour and ask “Ms Señorita Mararez, how come I ain’t get no extra credit when I act right all hour?” My response of course: because you are EXPECTED to “act right” all hour. I will give extra credit when you go above and beyond in class and when you show me that you are an exceptional student. However, sitting in your seat for 68 minutes and raising your hand to answer questions does NOT merit extra credit.
I had a rough moment yesterday when a parent who is always stopping by the school came in and caught me in the hall. He asked what I was doing for Thanksgiving break and I told him that I was heading home to Wisconsin. He asked “so how are the schools where you are from?” and then he added “in comparison to here…” I was not anticipating that last part and was not sure how to answer, as technically I am a representative of the school for which I work. I thought for a second, trying not to make my answer sound forced and answered “They’re really good.” While in my mind I was thinking “they are so much better than Benjamin Stoddert Middle School. In fact my experience in school was so great that I am concerned for your daughter’s well being and success as a student at this school.”
Of course I was not about to say that to this concerned parent, but that was the truth of the matter. What actually popped into my mind was a phraes that Mr Stien, the English teacher at West High School used a lot. He said “From here [Waukesha West High School], you can go anywhere.” Every time he used that I thought it sounded, for lack of better words, so dumb. Of course we could go anywhere… college, career, stay in Wisconsin, move to another city, go abroad, study science, major in literature. But only now do I think that I am beginning to understand what he meant. “Being able to go anywhere” is actually a very unique and uncommon quality. Waukesha West High School, even with all its administrative issues and student snootiness, offered a plethora of AP Courses, after school activities, leadership opportunities, scholarships, extracurricular conferences for students, and above all a relatively safe educational environment. Can I say that about the school where I work? I don’t think I can. Can I assure the parents of my students that from Benjamin Stoddert Middle School, they will be prepared to be successful in High School and beyond? Simply, no.
I am not sure where it happened, but at some point in my early life, my parents got through to me that anything less than the best is not acceptable. And that this concept applied to a variety of realms. Turning in a crumpled homework assignment was not okay. Printing an essay without revising it first was not okay.
I remember one specific time in elementary school (2nd or 3rd grade) when we students were made to write a note home to our parents about something. I was excited to present it to my parents, but when I gave it to my mother, her response was not as expected. She looked at it and read out loud “Mom and PAD? Maria does this say Dear Mom and PAD?” Of course it did not. It CLEARLY said mom and dad in my 2nd grade writing, but according to my mom I had not looped the D down low enough and instead it formed a P. I remember being so frustrated because why couldn’t she just take the note for what it was and put my ONE penmanship mistake aside? But as everything is always 20/20 in hindsight, I now see that this one incident was part of a greater scheme to instill the idea that I should and need to take pride in everything that I do, big and little. She made me erase my P and re-write it as a D.
This is one of the elements that I see my students missing. Somewhere along the line, the students have not learned this essential skill. Will they make it in the world without it? Yes. Will they do well without it? No. Will they get the best educational opportunities, jobs and ultimately live a fulfilling life as a result? While I can’t speak for anyone who isn’t me, I am going to assert a firm NO here as well. The absolute CRAP that I receive on a daily basis is laughable but sad at the same time. I feel obliged to give full credit on assignments that are not complete or on which the directions have not read or followed the directions because at least they did it at all. But then I think I am lowering my expectations for the students. Is it fair to them that I am accepting crippty crap from them now and thus, setting them up for failure in the work world and the world of higher education? Try to half-ass taking inventory at the café where you get a job in high school. Try to write a college essay which includes fragmented sentences and grave spelling and grammar errors. Try telling your boss that you lost your current project and for that reason are just not going to turn it in. FIRED. DENIED. AND FIRED. It’s such a struggle. Do I ONLY accept the best and make even the medium- smart kids feel like failures? Or do I accept the shite that I get now to at least make kids feel like they can achieve?
So that’s where I am right now.
I recently had a friend ask me if I was depressed because a negative comment that I made. I told him no, but that’s just the reality of the situation. I feel that I have now left the bubble of bliss and constant life harmony and entered the world where I am much more aware of the serious problems that plague our country and world. It’s awful. So many broken systems which perpetuate classism, racism, failure and desperation in our “great nation.” But of course that’s something that is obvious and which is exposed in the media all the time. The worst part about all of it is that I have really internalized the fact that I can only do so much and that “so much” will not solve anything.
A lot of people say “Well as long as your making a difference in the life of one kid, that’s enough.” Well, actually, when you have 180 children under your wing, helping one student is not enough. What about the other 179 who are potentially failing not only Spanish but Middle School in general? Is that acceptable for a marketer to tell his boss that “Well my new plan will reel in 1/180 of the market so I think we can consider this a success” Or how about a non-profit announcing that it has raised .005 % of its goal? PEOPLE, NO. IT AIN’T RIGHT.
November 24, 2010
Salaam ya shabab. I am sitting at the airport waiting for my flight home to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving break. All that I have gotz to say is that Alhamdulillah I made it to Thanksgiving. I am definitely staying positive, but I have barely been making progress. The idea of “small wins” gets me through day to day, but I have lost most control of the classroom (which incorrectly implies that I ever had control). Sometdays I tell myself that it’s the 8th graders that kill me. Other days I say it’s the 7th graders. And then there are others where I say it’s the 6th graders.
I don’t hate my life and every day I go in to school thinking that today will be different. But, it’s really not. Same kids not turning in homework. Same students frolicking throughout the classroom during instruction. Same girls mocking me and talking back to me. Several times I stand at the front of the classroom listening to and watching the chaos ensue in front of me. Many times I stand there in silence while students continue totally disregard my presence.
Frankly I am sick of using “systems.” I am sick of buying my kids things. I am sick of giving points to team Costa Rica for opening their notes when asked or team España for sitting in their seats during instruction. Even when kids “earn” points them with class points, they don’t deserve it. For example, I give points when the kids can silently brainstorm for 5 seconds. I give points when 80% of the students repeat a word when I say “repeat.” I always have kids come up to me at the end of the hour and ask “Ms Señorita Mararez, how come I ain’t get no extra credit when I act right all hour?” My response of course: because you are EXPECTED to “act right” all hour. I will give extra credit when you go above and beyond in class and when you show me that you are an exceptional student. However, sitting in your seat for 68 minutes and raising your hand to answer questions does NOT merit extra credit.
I had a rough moment yesterday when a parent who is always stopping by the school came in and caught me in the hall. He asked what I was doing for Thanksgiving break and I told him that I was heading home to Wisconsin. He asked “so how are the schools where you are from?” and then he added “in comparison to here…” I was not anticipating that last part and was not sure how to answer, as technically I am a representative of the school for which I work. I thought for a second, trying not to make my answer sound forced and answered “They’re really good.” While in my mind I was thinking “they are so much better than Benjamin Stoddert Middle School. In fact my experience in school was so great that I am concerned for your daughter’s well being and success as a student at this school.”
Of course I was not about to say that to this concerned parent, but that was the truth of the matter. What actually popped into my mind was a phraes that Mr Stien, the English teacher at West High School used a lot. He said “From here [Waukesha West High School], you can go anywhere.” Every time he used that I thought it sounded, for lack of better words, so dumb. Of course we could go anywhere… college, career, stay in Wisconsin, move to another city, go abroad, study science, major in literature. But only now do I think that I am beginning to understand what he meant. “Being able to go anywhere” is actually a very unique and uncommon quality. Waukesha West High School, even with all its administrative issues and student snootiness, offered a plethora of AP Courses, after school activities, leadership opportunities, scholarships, extracurricular conferences for students, and above all a relatively safe educational environment. Can I say that about the school where I work? I don’t think I can. Can I assure the parents of my students that from Benjamin Stoddert Middle School, they will be prepared to be successful in High School and beyond? Simply, no.
I am not sure where it happened, but at some point in my early life, my parents got through to me that anything less than the best is not acceptable. And that this concept applied to a variety of realms. Turning in a crumpled homework assignment was not okay. Printing an essay without revising it first was not okay.
I remember one specific time in elementary school (2nd or 3rd grade) when we students were made to write a note home to our parents about something. I was excited to present it to my parents, but when I gave it to my mother, her response was not as expected. She looked at it and read out loud “Mom and PAD? Maria does this say Dear Mom and PAD?” Of course it did not. It CLEARLY said mom and dad in my 2nd grade writing, but according to my mom I had not looped the D down low enough and instead it formed a P. I remember being so frustrated because why couldn’t she just take the note for what it was and put my ONE penmanship mistake aside? But as everything is always 20/20 in hindsight, I now see that this one incident was part of a greater scheme to instill the idea that I should and need to take pride in everything that I do, big and little. She made me erase my P and re-write it as a D.
This is one of the elements that I see my students missing. Somewhere along the line, the students have not learned this essential skill. Will they make it in the world without it? Yes. Will they do well without it? No. Will they get the best educational opportunities, jobs and ultimately live a fulfilling life as a result? While I can’t speak for anyone who isn’t me, I am going to assert a firm NO here as well. The absolute CRAP that I receive on a daily basis is laughable but sad at the same time. I feel obliged to give full credit on assignments that are not complete or on which the directions have not read or followed the directions because at least they did it at all. But then I think I am lowering my expectations for the students. Is it fair to them that I am accepting crippty crap from them now and thus, setting them up for failure in the work world and the world of higher education? Try to half-ass taking inventory at the café where you get a job in high school. Try to write a college essay which includes fragmented sentences and grave spelling and grammar errors. Try telling your boss that you lost your current project and for that reason are just not going to turn it in. FIRED. DENIED. AND FIRED. It’s such a struggle. Do I ONLY accept the best and make even the medium- smart kids feel like failures? Or do I accept the shite that I get now to at least make kids feel like they can achieve?
So that’s where I am right now.
I recently had a friend ask me if I was depressed because a negative comment that I made. I told him no, but that’s just the reality of the situation. I feel that I have now left the bubble of bliss and constant life harmony and entered the world where I am much more aware of the serious problems that plague our country and world. It’s awful. So many broken systems which perpetuate classism, racism, failure and desperation in our “great nation.” But of course that’s something that is obvious and which is exposed in the media all the time. The worst part about all of it is that I have really internalized the fact that I can only do so much and that “so much” will not solve anything.
A lot of people say “Well as long as your making a difference in the life of one kid, that’s enough.” Well, actually, when you have 180 children under your wing, helping one student is not enough. What about the other 179 who are potentially failing not only Spanish but Middle School in general? Is that acceptable for a marketer to tell his boss that “Well my new plan will reel in 1/180 of the market so I think we can consider this a success” Or how about a non-profit announcing that it has raised .005 % of its goal? PEOPLE, NO. IT AIN’T RIGHT.
Monday, January 17, 2011
What I Really Think
When someone considering TFA in her future asked me my opinion of my current experience, I replied:
The program in and of itself is great, I would say. Lots of support. Lots of training. Opportunities at getting a masters in teaching for almost free. However, the american education system is a disaster. And when its all said and done, you are a teacher at your school before you are a Teach for America Corps member. Each school is very different and all Corps Members have very different experiences. Some people I have talked to are really guided and helped by their school's administration and others are basically hired and never contacted again. My situation would fall somewhere in the middle. I have learned so much in the last 6 months, but they have also been the most difficult, emotionally erratic and least enjoyable of my life. I know it sounds super depressing, but I just wanted to be completely honest with you since no one ever told me this previous to applying.
Everything that TFA tells you is 100% true. There is a huge gap between different groups of students in the US. American schools are failing. Good teachers make a huge difference in the education of students and competitive and compassionate young graduates will do a great job in the classroom.
What they don't tell you is that you'll be working from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to bed, spend hundreds of your own dollars on your students/classroom and unintentionally let your personal health and social life fall by the wayside. Also they dont tell you how disrespectful and unappreciative students are. While they are of course children and don't know better, no one cares how many hours of sleep you lacked to plan them fun and interactive activities. They will still express to you that they think you're a racist bitch, asshole and/or motherfucker. No one cares if you have a headache or if you're having some personal crisis. They still treat you with the same disrespect they do every day.
Granted these things are all parts of life in the United States. I think that most successful people are hard working and sacrifice many things in their personal life to better their professional life. Its just a rude awakening going from such an enjoyable and mostly stress free lifestyle in Madison to the sad truths of the "real world"
The program in and of itself is great, I would say. Lots of support. Lots of training. Opportunities at getting a masters in teaching for almost free. However, the american education system is a disaster. And when its all said and done, you are a teacher at your school before you are a Teach for America Corps member. Each school is very different and all Corps Members have very different experiences. Some people I have talked to are really guided and helped by their school's administration and others are basically hired and never contacted again. My situation would fall somewhere in the middle. I have learned so much in the last 6 months, but they have also been the most difficult, emotionally erratic and least enjoyable of my life. I know it sounds super depressing, but I just wanted to be completely honest with you since no one ever told me this previous to applying.
Everything that TFA tells you is 100% true. There is a huge gap between different groups of students in the US. American schools are failing. Good teachers make a huge difference in the education of students and competitive and compassionate young graduates will do a great job in the classroom.
What they don't tell you is that you'll be working from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to bed, spend hundreds of your own dollars on your students/classroom and unintentionally let your personal health and social life fall by the wayside. Also they dont tell you how disrespectful and unappreciative students are. While they are of course children and don't know better, no one cares how many hours of sleep you lacked to plan them fun and interactive activities. They will still express to you that they think you're a racist bitch, asshole and/or motherfucker. No one cares if you have a headache or if you're having some personal crisis. They still treat you with the same disrespect they do every day.
Granted these things are all parts of life in the United States. I think that most successful people are hard working and sacrifice many things in their personal life to better their professional life. Its just a rude awakening going from such an enjoyable and mostly stress free lifestyle in Madison to the sad truths of the "real world"
Friday, November 12, 2010
life after masr
here's an update of my life after my 6 weeks in Egypt that I wrote for an email chain among the 12 AFS Egypt 2006 Summer Program guinea pigs:
After returning from Egypt, I started my first year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Once I moved into my dorm I sought out the Arabic Langauge and Culture Club and found myself interacting with students from all over the Middle East even before meeting your average 18 year old American college kids. I continued to study Arabic in informal settings like Arabic Language Club and in having ESOL "conversation partners" from a local English school. I also continued to study Modern Standard Arabic for 3 semesters before focusing more heavily on Spanish. I entered UW-Madison planning to complete a major in International Studies but by the time I graduated, I had earned a double major in International Studies and Spanish and two minors in Middle Eastern Studies and African Studies. Aside from studies, I was part of an student-run international business organization called AIESEC in which my role was "International Opportunity Specialist for Egypt." In this role I held web conferences to coach college students from across the United States on Egyptian culture before they moved there to carry out an internship.
In 2009, I studied for a semester in Alcalá de Henares, Spain and then spent the summer Athens, Greece. From Athens, I was able to travel back to Egypt for 3 weeks to visit friends who were studying at American University in Cairo. This "homecoming" was quite a bit more emotional that I anticipated, as I could not believe that I was returning to the place that changed the track of my life forever. In fact as soon as I spotted the Nile Delta from the plane window I had to wipe a tear, and by the time we were flying over Zamalek and the Cairo Tower I was full out laughing/ crying and being stared at by several other passengers on that flight. I was able to meet up with my host family, several friends that I had met there and even ran into two AFS volunteers at Felfela as they were heading home from a YES orientation with Huda. (As I was eating my wara' el-3inab, someone tapped my shoulder and asked me " Excuse me, but are you Maria Ramirez?" That someone turned out to be Sameh from AFS). I also explored Cairo night life for the first time with the help of 24-hour alcohol delivery service, Drinkiez, Buddha Bar, Club Latex and a crazy British-Sudanese twenty-something living on the 30th floor of a swank apartment building in the middle of Zamalek. (delete last sentence from final draft)
I have since graduated in May 2010 from UW-Madison, and I am currently a middle school Spanish teacher Prince George's County, Maryland as part of the Teach for America alternative teacher certification program. While I previously thought Egypt was "the hardest thing I've ever done," I am reconsidering using that phrase for the current stage of my life.
Nonetheless, I am confident in saying that Egypt has been the single most transformative experience in my life. I will agree with Justin in saying that there are really no words to describe the ways in which those six short weeks have impacted my life, studies and relationships. However I would like to close with a short story about how Egypt continues to impact me on a daily basis-even in the smallest ways.
Yesterday, after the 8th graders finished their Unit 1 Spanish test, I told them that they could silently take out any other work while their classmates were finishing their test. As I circulated the room, one student's paper caught my eye. It looked somewhat like he was writing Arabic text, but I didn't say anything because I did not want to interrupt the "test environment." Upon passing him again, he had a print out of the Arabic alphabet on his desk and was clearly copying the letters. I couldn't hold my excitement in any longer, so I bent down to him and asked "What's that for?" He answered that he heard some people speaking it, thought it sounded interesting and looked it up online. Still, he was not connecting his letters, so I told him "Well, you're doing it wrong. Come after school and I'll show you what I mean." Not expecting too much from this student who is earning a 50% average in my class and talks through each 68-minute class period, Devin walked through my door a few minutes after the last bell rang, Arabic alphabet print out in hand and a handful of questions in mind.
I taught him first how to write his name, then showed him pictures of Cairo and videos I took at the pyramids and Hadeeqat al-Azhar. Though I spend the majority of my time immersed in the Spanish language, I live for the moments that I can interact with others around the Arabic language and culture. And being able to share that with one of my students gave me a renewed sense of meaning as a teacher and of course, as a AFS "citizen ambassador."
After returning from Egypt, I started my first year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Once I moved into my dorm I sought out the Arabic Langauge and Culture Club and found myself interacting with students from all over the Middle East even before meeting your average 18 year old American college kids. I continued to study Arabic in informal settings like Arabic Language Club and in having ESOL "conversation partners" from a local English school. I also continued to study Modern Standard Arabic for 3 semesters before focusing more heavily on Spanish. I entered UW-Madison planning to complete a major in International Studies but by the time I graduated, I had earned a double major in International Studies and Spanish and two minors in Middle Eastern Studies and African Studies. Aside from studies, I was part of an student-run international business organization called AIESEC in which my role was "International Opportunity Specialist for Egypt." In this role I held web conferences to coach college students from across the United States on Egyptian culture before they moved there to carry out an internship.
In 2009, I studied for a semester in Alcalá de Henares, Spain and then spent the summer Athens, Greece. From Athens, I was able to travel back to Egypt for 3 weeks to visit friends who were studying at American University in Cairo. This "homecoming" was quite a bit more emotional that I anticipated, as I could not believe that I was returning to the place that changed the track of my life forever. In fact as soon as I spotted the Nile Delta from the plane window I had to wipe a tear, and by the time we were flying over Zamalek and the Cairo Tower I was full out laughing/ crying and being stared at by several other passengers on that flight. I was able to meet up with my host family, several friends that I had met there and even ran into two AFS volunteers at Felfela as they were heading home from a YES orientation with Huda. (As I was eating my wara' el-3inab, someone tapped my shoulder and asked me " Excuse me, but are you Maria Ramirez?" That someone turned out to be Sameh from AFS). I also explored Cairo night life for the first time with the help of 24-hour alcohol delivery service, Drinkiez, Buddha Bar, Club Latex and a crazy British-Sudanese twenty-something living on the 30th floor of a swank apartment building in the middle of Zamalek. (delete last sentence from final draft)
I have since graduated in May 2010 from UW-Madison, and I am currently a middle school Spanish teacher Prince George's County, Maryland as part of the Teach for America alternative teacher certification program. While I previously thought Egypt was "the hardest thing I've ever done," I am reconsidering using that phrase for the current stage of my life.
Nonetheless, I am confident in saying that Egypt has been the single most transformative experience in my life. I will agree with Justin in saying that there are really no words to describe the ways in which those six short weeks have impacted my life, studies and relationships. However I would like to close with a short story about how Egypt continues to impact me on a daily basis-even in the smallest ways.
Yesterday, after the 8th graders finished their Unit 1 Spanish test, I told them that they could silently take out any other work while their classmates were finishing their test. As I circulated the room, one student's paper caught my eye. It looked somewhat like he was writing Arabic text, but I didn't say anything because I did not want to interrupt the "test environment." Upon passing him again, he had a print out of the Arabic alphabet on his desk and was clearly copying the letters. I couldn't hold my excitement in any longer, so I bent down to him and asked "What's that for?" He answered that he heard some people speaking it, thought it sounded interesting and looked it up online. Still, he was not connecting his letters, so I told him "Well, you're doing it wrong. Come after school and I'll show you what I mean." Not expecting too much from this student who is earning a 50% average in my class and talks through each 68-minute class period, Devin walked through my door a few minutes after the last bell rang, Arabic alphabet print out in hand and a handful of questions in mind.
I taught him first how to write his name, then showed him pictures of Cairo and videos I took at the pyramids and Hadeeqat al-Azhar. Though I spend the majority of my time immersed in the Spanish language, I live for the moments that I can interact with others around the Arabic language and culture. And being able to share that with one of my students gave me a renewed sense of meaning as a teacher and of course, as a AFS "citizen ambassador."
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