The end of the school year came with great excitement but little meaning. The key points of the short version are 1) my kids did OK on standardized testing but not stellar; 2) the administration was fired, again; 3) I never said goodbye to any of the kids because they went to their mid-week graduation…
read more »This is part 2 in a series on my experience teaching in China this summer. Part 1 is here. Today’s theme: exchanges. ***** As I was boarding my flight out of mainland China, I picked up a copy of China Daily, the local English newspaper. Until then, I had missed any chance of reading the…
read more »I met it on day one of Institute, when I was as eager as I’d ever be to tackle the achievement gap, even though I had no idea how I might do so. It stood by my side, always loyal, even during the hardest of times, times when I felt like giving up (there were…
read more »In this series, I’ll be reflecting on my experience teaching and working with Chinese high school students, using the photos and videos I took to supplement my reflections. Today’s theme: libraries. ***** Members of our group’s construction team spent the week building, essentially from scratch, an English language library for the local high school where…
read more »I feel like I’m at TFA Institute. The odd thing is that I’m actually in Xiuning County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, China. It’s main drag looks like this: 7,000 miles from the nearest actual TFA Institute, I am waking up tomorrow and teaching new students. I am and have been preparing lesson plans, gathering supplies,…
read more »I love the freedom of summer. This summer feels particularly unique because I know that I will be going back to the classroom as a student, rather than a teacher, this fall. But I’ll still be in my role as a teacher for a bit. A text conversation between a student and me shows that…
read more »Imagine for a second that you’re a student (“pupil”) in the United Kingdom today. You wake up and, ready to face the challenges of the day, select clothes to wear, scarf down breakfast and run out the door, eager as always to leave the house, see friends, learn something. Soon enough you arrive at the gate…
read more »Last Friday, I walked out of my classroom for the last time. Two years of teaching, done, just like that. Though I still haven’t had the chance to process that last day I will do so soon. This is, I guess, the first post of “Year Three,” made semi-official by Alumni Induction a few weeks…
read more »So Induction starts Wednesday, and I’m excited to let the brainwashing begin. I’m two years out of college, so probably less likely than some to be susceptible, but then again I’m pretty susceptible to brainwashing in general if commercials are any indicator (KFC Double Down! I’m going to buy that tonight!) But here’s my question.…
read more »Two photos of my classroom, one taken… Before taking stuff down: and one taken… After taking stuff down (with the help of student labor): It’s been a great two years here in DCPS. Though there are things I will certainly not miss, there are many more things that I will miss. It’s over, folks. (Back…
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