Induction

On the last night of induction, alone in my dorm room at Tulane University, an overwhelming feeling of excited exhaustion encompasses the room. The buzz about the incredible burden of work at institute weaves itself amongst the energy felt by all the Corps Members at the thought of teaching summer school. Induction has been wholly easy compared to the next two years of all of our lives. For the past couple days, we have been shepherded from interview to interview and attended a few non-intensive, but nonetheless inspiring sessions during the day. At night, we have enjoyed the ecstatic feeling of meeting new people united around the movement of closing the achievement gap and the intrigue of exploring a new city that truly does (as I can attest) never sleep. It is hard to miss loved ones from home at this time, as the extroverted ones, such as myself find themselves content in the conversations about passion for human rights and dreams for a more equal world dominate the late night hours. It again feels like the unexplainable feeling of the first few weeks of freshmen year of college, with over a hundred young adults pumped for a new start, but clueless in a new environment, making new friends quickly and creating irreplaceable memories that become harder to grow when the reality of life demands kicks in.

As euphoric as we have all been in these days, despite our lingering worries of housing, roommates and for many of us, including me, employment, it is time to go to Institute and really begin. Now with a blossoming TFA support system in hand and a realignment of values and beliefs of the program, it is time for the challenge. In just hours, I will be on the road to Atlanta to begin a six week training program that according to TFA corps members, leaders and alums, will be the most demanding part of the next two years of my life. I will have to learn how to not only be a teacher, but to be a transformational teacher, not just seeking one year of growth, but seeking to bring students 2, 3, 4, grade levels behind up to par. Meanwhile, the students in summer school are not just paid puppets for practice, but real students already struggling and behind in school. Obviously this is a time for trial and error, but it is also not a time for mistakes, as my teaching this summer could help determine the future opportunities of the students I work with. I may sound conceited or all important in saying that phrase, but in reality, that is the expectation. The expectation is that one good teacher, if even for only a summer, can change the life trajectory of a student. By helping the student catch up in school and helping the student make the connection between a passion for learning and achievement, I believe a student really can overcome all the odds and go from a failing 4th grader to a college bound 5th grader, despite the geography, socioeconomic status or race of the student.

In a session this week, one of the school principals and former TFA corps member said a quote that has stuck with me, "We are not missionaries, we are visionaries." As cheesy as this quote may seem, I love it. The next two years of my life are not about serving those less fortunate than myself simply to feel more at ease with my own privilege or about obtaining some shard of content feelings in my own perceived selflessness. Instead, the next two years of my life are about fighting for the future opportunities of children from all communities to not be determined by their parents education, income or location. Teach For America is not just a job, it is a movement. I know the journey is going to be so so hard and the rewards at time may feel as though they are far and few between, but I am in this movement and I will not relent.

So I will leave you with this. I may be young, I may have no experience in education, I may be a new city with new people and in over my head, but I believe I can make a difference in the lives of my students and in the overall vision to end educational inequality. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, "Energy and persistence conquer all things."