Live from New York.
I received this email from Jess. She is in her sixth year of teaching and just moved to New York.
I've been at my new school for almost 2 months now. The school year officially started for us on September 6th. I have 82 amazing girls in 6th grade, all except one being African American or Latina. They come from a variety of backgrounds and all five boroughs, but share a passion and love of life that has re-energized my teaching. We started off our year reading "Ronia the Robber's Daughter", by Astrid Lindgren - a fairy tale in novel form - and the girls have been loving it.
I'm typing this as I watch them take an assessment, my heart swelling with pride and joy. These girls are here to learn, even on the days when they whine and complain (they are still middle schoolers after all) they know education is important and want the best for themselves. These girls has given me back my zest for this job.
Of course, it's only October. I might have a different view come March!
The school itself is a Charter school and because the staff culture is vastly different. The network invests a lot in teachers - their happiness, their time, and their quality of life and instruction - so while there are drawbacks and hiccups, overall everyone is happy to be here and excited to come to work.
I'd like to do a full write-up on a day in my life to give some idea of what it's like here, but for now I'll share a few highlights.
-On Tuesday I had the pleasure of having our network CEO and an advisor to the Mayor of NYC in my classroom. I'm hoping they enjoyed their time!
-Yesterday the sixth grade went to the American Museum of Natural History. Our specific focus was on the Hall of Human Origins, but we also saw some pretty cool dino bones and sea life!
- Today is Book Character Day! The girls got a break from uniform and have dressed up as their favorite book characters! The teachers are also in costume, and it's been a lot of fun to see some of the creativity and excitement the girls have infused into their costumes. It has been a great day all around.
This weekend I'm taking part in a professional development that is geared toward growing teacher leaders and changing the face of education. I'm really excited for it, so I'll send an email soon with what I've learned and what is happening.
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