TFA Update, At Institute: Living on Reds, Vitamin C, and Ephedrine

That is how I feel and look after some days at Institute.

TFA's summer institute is demanding, to say the least. I've finished three weeks of teaching and I'm steadily improving. There's so much to say regarding institute, that I'm uncertain where my point of departure should occur. Emotional? Physical? Intellectual?

From the moment you arrive, you are fed into TFA's logistical leviathan. Besides a few hiccups, I'm bowled over by the streamlined processes that ensure this five week program's success and the uniformity of their approach. (It's no coincidence that most of the comment boards have pluses and deltas.) The folks who staff institute seem largely on top of their responsibilities--a few exceptions notwithstanding--and are here to assist. Staffers know the stresses of institute and meet us where we are to help mold us into teachers in five weeks. No mean feat.

Regarding my school, it's best for me not to discuss it or my students. I'm teaching kindergarten in Phoenix in a collaborative group (referred to and pronounced as co-lab) with three young women. Yes, the gender balance is tipped decisively in favor of women in TFA as a whole. I've been forced to reorient my mind to teach minds that require different needs. And while I knew this before leaving, it's another beast entirely to encounter and adjust on the fly when you've taught highly functioning college students. I am apprehensive as to whether I should be teaching K. I selected early childhood as one of my highly preferred areas and I'm committed to seeing it through with earnest toward succeeding in this role. Nevertheless, the past few weeks led me to realize the full breadth of my content knowledge in what is typically grouped as social studies.

This isn't a pleasant five week vacation. In fact, an eighteen hour day with little free time is not uncommon. I did not come to grips with the demands until we were thrown into the fire. I don't know if it's feasible for CMs to adequately grasp what's coming at you until you've descended into the breach. Someone might roll their eyes at my choice of language, but there are times when institute strains even a strong person's abilities to fight simultaneous emotional, physical, and intellectual fires.

Part of me wants to quip about being institutionalized and mulling over a speedy departure. After a few weeks, a few lingering doubts remain. Diane Ravitch's comments about TFA and the forces it champions doesn't ameliorate those nagging concerns. To be frank, I am uncertain if TFA as an organization privileges team player cohesion over expressing dissension in order to operate smoothly and train (and at times discipline) us to enter this world. Quite possibly this is how they manage to function, and part of me realizes that as a body it must push in this direction in order to thrive and survive. Staffers have always allowed me to state my misgivings. Whenever I have raised some concerns, I cannot accurately gauge the reply and subsequent interactions. Further, I dislike referencing my age and experience as a way to distinguish myself from some of my colleagues, but at times it's painfully obvious as a night out with a few CMs reinforced. Regardless, I have a profound respect and admiration for the staffers I've interacted with, especially my CMA, and I have found some impressive people to chat with and who share some of my viewpoints and personality. I elected not to mention any names, and I think it's the best course of action to allow many people to remain anonymous.

So where do I stand? Anyone who knows me can well understand that flagging certainty and muddled pride are my MO. My academic training has led me to be suspicious of my activities and my personality traits reinforce that skepticism. These comments were carefully articulated and I think my concerns will dissipate once I leave this meat grinder and actually begin teaching in my own classroom once I have my style and experience fixed. The welter of emotions and push-pull factors of home and normal life leave me with mixed judgments. I remain steadfast in my belief that I can foster a great deal of good in the classroom and young people's academic paths. That unites me with my fellow CMs and TFA's vision, and those bedrock similarities bring me into the fold, however reluctant I may be.

TFA Update: Don't Fear the Reaper

In one month, I will be preparing to leave for five sunny (read: blistering) weeks in Tempe. I'm applying to schools and my anxiety is growing day-by-day as I shift nervously in my seat updating the Denver Public Schools (DPS) site. There are contingencies if I do not secure a position. I am endeavoring to remain optimistic and taking comfort in the knowledge that positions will continue to open. And, no, it's not dissimulation. My next few weeks remain busy as I conclude any responsibilities with K Plus and prepare for induction and institute. Induction begins on 8 June with a week of packed administrative and team-building activities for new corps members (CMS), including dinners hosted by current CMS and a Rockies game on the last day.

TFA structures the five weeks in Phoenix to challenge CMS with an intensive schedule and work load that harnesses their driven, committed tendencies to mold them into teachers. At some point, I will be teaching an early childhood education (ECE) or elementary classroom. My preference remains for ECE even though the realities of the job market may compel me to find a position as an elementary teacher. I received the recognition of excellence from ETS for scoring in the top 15% of test takers for the Praxis II 0014 for elementary education. Part of me dreads the possibility of retaking the Praxis or Place if my endorsement advances from ECE to middle or high school.

My goal now is to post reviews of institute when time permits. TFA has not shared information of institute beside the readings and tasks in the pre-institute readings, so I'm at a loss for specifics. Kate will visit me over the fourth of July weekend for a side trip to the Grand Canyon and Sedona. At some point I will explore the greater Phoenix area when I can wedge time in to what I am led to believe is a demanding period where CMS encounter heaps of work. The dorm experience is entirely new to me. The only remote point of intrigue are the pools and an unlimited meal card. The pools for obvious reasons, and I always found a meal card fascinating since I attribute a fair amount of spending to food.

Oy. My e-mail digest from CO TFA informed me that I need to ready seven copies of my transcripts for licensing in Colorado. Between the readings and activities, I will have a busy month. I wish my allergies would let up so I could find some excitement and motivation rather than this all-encompassing fog that settles on my mind.

TFA & Praxis 0014 - Update 6 and 2/3

This is another installment in my TFA series. As I mentioned in a previous post, when I searched for info regarding TFA, the interview day, and subsequent entry into the program, blogs were a prime source of information for positive and negative insight. I weighed the risk of keeping this blog alive when I'm waiting to interview, and I determined that my missives aren't caustic, defamatory, or radical. In the new year, TFA starts in earnest with the first hurdle of passing the Place and Praxis exams, which are remarkably different tests with more on the latter below. The hiring process commenced at the beginning of February and continues until one secures a position before the beginning of the school year. TFA matches corps members with a hiring consultant--a member of TFA--to smooth the process. It is our obligation to find and apply for jobs once they are listed on district HR pages, which was reinforced during a roughly hour and a half conference call last week. The Denver coordinator also sends e-mails with job openings, and I've applied for one position thanks to her efforts. My concerns don't stem from finding a job at this moment, rather the Praxis occupies my time and anxious center.

To teach Early Childhood Education in Colorado, I am required to sit for the Praxis II Elementary Education Content Knowledge, test 0014. ETS divides the exam into four subjects: language arts, social studies, mathematics, and science. Educators are required to know the four areas even though they might not cover more than one in their classes. Or, in my case, I must pass despite not teaching the Mayflower Compact, factor trees, plate tectonics, or homonyms/phones/grams. There are 120 questions split evenly between the four disciplines on the paper-based exam. Unlike the Place's abundance of time, the Praxis limits text takers to two hours and poses markedly harder questions. In other words, it's a demanding exam and requires the usual standardized test skills remain sharp. Mine are, admittedly, dull. The last time they were deployed was five and a half years ago for the GRE.

I purchased study guides from Research & Education Association, CliffsNotes, as well as ETS's e-book. Each one features a practice exams, and I will purchase a retired exam from ETS. The REA and CN consist of details and diagrams, whereas the ETS offering is vague at points. For instance, ETS suggests learning sonnets, and the CN book describes the quatrain and rhyming sequences of Petrarchan and Shakespearean. I might return the REA test prep as I am uncertain it is too broad without ample focus on the questions I will face.

I feel comfortable with the language arts and social studies sections, and the remaining two represent my bigger challenge. For instance, when was the last time one memorized the breakdown of a cell and what conducts DNA? If you want to quiz me on the origins of the Cold War or Civil Rights, I'm game. Twenty-eight days remain before the Praxis, so I have ample time to study and devise patterns or jar mnemonics loose from the recesses of my brain. I must complete language arts and social studies this week, thus allowing me to devote a week to science and math with a final week for review and practice tests. After that, hiring and prep for institute.

The Atlantic on TFA and What Makes A Great Teacher (According to TFA's Data)

The January/February issue of the The Atlantic features a three page electronic spread on Teach For America and teaching, in general. The story centers on twenty years of TFA's story and the coming release of its internal investigations on what characteristics makes a great teacher. For TFA, there are core traits, however--as the piece reveals--the process of discovering these aspects took TFA through winding courses of trial and error. For instance, earlier on, interviewees were asked nebulous questions such as "what is wind?" After reviewing the data, the TFA staff realized that past experiences in low income areas or presumed teacher qualifications (a master's degree in education, ivy league attendance, self-reflection, constant learning) did not determine an accomplished corps member. They boiled down their findings to several merits:

• Perseverance with attention to long-term goals that is labeled "grittiness," which is exactly how I like to describe myself (humor, folks, humor)
  
• Impressive or improved GPA in the last two years of college
• Measurable past performance in GPA, life goals, or leadership roles
  
• Life satisfaction

TFA interviewers quantify those indicators into thirty data points, then the information is forwarded to TFA's admissions center where a hiring recommendation, subject, placement are decided. As the article states, TFA received 35,000 applications in 2008/2009 and admitted 4,100. I can only presume that there will be a marked spike in the 2009/2010 submitted figures, although I believe the number of accepted will remain static or rise slightly.

There was plenty of hand-wringing in Denver and Rabat as I weighed my performance during the interview day, especially on the sample teach (the day's first activity) that establishes a tone. The article sheds light on the five minute sample teaching exercise and TFA's expectations. In contrast to a charismatic young man, the TFA representative praised a young woman that the author considered dull or formulaic with her lesson that was direct and lacked pizazz. Those elements, however, are the criteria TFA searches for in potential corps members. "What matters more, at least according to Teach for America’s research, is less flashy: Were you prepared? Did you achieve your objective in five minutes?" As a point of reference, I allocated a week for planning and testing of my five minutes on why the United States entered World War in 1917.

If you're considering TFA, the Atlantic piece is, simply put, revelatory and introduces you to the challenges corps members encounter from the moment when you submit your application until you finish.

Preparing for Colorado's PLACE Exam

The Program for Licensing Assessments for Colorado Educators (PLACE) exam is one of the first licensing tests a prospective teacher in Colorado must pass, followed by PRAXIS II. The early childhood education exam consists of one hundred questions that range from situational queries (eg, you're a teacher and this happens, what next?) to topics of professionalism. Due to two bouts of food poisoning last week and my return to the States followed by holiday travel, I could not prepare as adequately as I would have preferred and, as a result, I am uncertain if I will retake the exam. Here are some useful links to pdfs and websites for anyone who might begin preparing as I did: in the dark.

The official study guide - Despite the twelve practice questions, this study guide lists topics one should know with no exposition. From this, however, one can research these topics or read about them at length via other resources.

Denver Public Schools curriculum site

Colorado Department of Education Unit of Academic Standards

Colorado Model Content Standards: Reading and Writing

Building Blocks to Colorado's Content Standards: Reading and Writing - a multi-page pdf with the standards and how early childhood educators should approach the standards.

Building Blocks to Colorado's Content Standards: Mathematics - the same style as the above.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAYEC) Position Statements - especially relevant for PLACE is the Code of Ethical Conduct.

Bowen Theory - is a theory of human behavior that views the family as an emotional unit and uses systems thinking to describe the complex interactions in the unit. (descriptive text copied from website)

There are more links out there and study guides, as well. The above linked sites, however, are starting points and foundations for grasping the contours of your expected knowledge.

Teach For America

I was lucky enough to secure a position with Teach For America. I am filling out the paperwork soon to accept, which isn’t terribly surprising. My sense of self-criticism is usually dialed up to high/self-flagellating, so one can comprehend why my initial blog post after the interview was more of a negative appraisal. While I don’t know the specifics, the offer was for early childhood education in Colorado. TFA is still filtering applicants and the specific assignment will come into focus this spring and summer, even though I presume reading and spelling will be my responsibility. From an early age I loved reading and I could be found with my head buried in a book, and the idea of sharing the joys of reading is an ideal task for me.

Despite my conviction to accept it and enter the classroom with as much energy and passion as I can muster, I am still left to wrestle with the question of why TFA? Growing up poor and working-class, I can identify with the socio-economic—yet not racial—circumstances of the communities TFA addresses. Still, there is the larger question of evaluating if TFA helps or hinders, and I think there is room for ambivalence among teachers.

When I first shared my desire to apply to TFA with a high school teacher and labor-minded history friend, she attacked the program, concept, and value to students and teacher solidarity. Her stinging opinion can be viewed from the perspective of a tenured educator who rejects the idea of seemingly unqualified teachers temporarily joining the ranks of public school teachers. For my friend, it’s a black and white issue, however, one could reject her commentary as symptomatic of the problems that afflict teachers’ unions and entrenched teachers. My opinions on organized labor are transparent and I feel that a strong labor movement is the best for the country and the bulk of its citizens. However, I cannot disagree with the idea that education’s centrality in developing and socializing children requires flexibility in the labor market. I would not support the belief that the solution is the end of tenure, private schools, vouchers, or whatever host of neoliberal solutions one touts.

My good friend Katy Plechaty, a spectacular educator and person, shared her positive and negative thoughts on TFA, as well as dashes of confusion or doubt. I think her comments accurately reflect my own opinions and I anticipate sharing them with her and soliciting her advice. Along with my brother, mother, and aunts, I have a store of advice and decades of experience to call upon. Even though I won’t face grading, classroom discipline (of one sort), standardized tests, intense lesson planning, and the rigors of a high school or middle school teacher, the challenges of early education will require discipline, passion, and drive. I am grateful for this opportunity and will enter the classroom with the realization that I cannot change the world in two short years, but I know that I am presented with an opportunity to facilitate the development of a child’s mind at a formative stage.