I never thought I would go back to high school -the worst four years of my educational career- let alone be on the other side of the chalkboard, doing the teaching. And yet, I find myself in Boston for the summer, part of a group of 148 teaching fellows who've come together for one ultimate mission -that of Uncommon Schools- to close the achievement gap. As a five-foot-three young woman with little experience teaching, this goal is one of the most challenging I've ever faced. Though I have not started teaching my own full-time class just yet, I have already learned so much about what it means to be a teacher both in and outside of the classroom and some of the glows and grows that go along with it. Here are a few of these moments:
Wake up at 5:45am for the first time in years.
6:30am Trying not to fall asleep on public transportation.
7:30am Arrive at the school and realize that some of the students have managed to arrive before you.
7:45am Scavenge for breakfast and prep for your first class.
8:30am Surprise! It is finals week and you have to proctor* until 12pm!
*Testing is ten times worse when you are on the other side of it. No phone, no talking for four. straight. hours. The thoughts that start going through your head are astonishing. Every other one is "when is lunch?" but all the while rooting for the students to do well and trying to do everything possible to help, whether it is sharpening and replenishing pencils or writing the time on the board.
12:00pm At long last! Lunch time is here! #blessed
12:15pm Monitor students in the lunch room, unleashing all the energy they have been suppressing during testing.
12:30pm Get called by your last name for the first time and not responding immediately because it does not register that they are referring to you.
1:00pm Help a student put their thoughts into words for an essay and marvel at how smart they are.
2:00pm Observe a class discussion and restore faith in humanity hearing how #woke and eloquent these kids are.
3:00pm See how hard it is to grade tests, how bad it feels to give out bad grades, and how good to give out good ones.
4:00pm Alphabetize all of the tests you just graded.
4:30pm Woohoo, you made it! Your day is finally over! Check your weekly plan and make and re-prioritize your day for tomorrow. Again, try not to fall asleep on the commute home, although thinking about your day and your students will keep you entertained. You are tired, but you cannot wait to go back tomorrow and see what else your students (and you!) can do.
