Fired Up

After a week of what Teach For America refers to as “Induction” at Rutgers in Newark, I’m just settling into my next stop on this journey to become a teacher. I’m all unpacked and moved into my suite at St. John’s University in Queens for five weeks of Institute. Summer Institute is a time to learn a little about the types of students I’ll be teaching. Over the next five weeks I will be attending sessions on diversity, literacy, curriculum design, etc. I will also work with a cohort of other TFAers to help teach a ninth grade English summer school class. I figured that now was as good a time as any to try to recall some of what I learned during Induction, and to relay some of my fears/concerns as I enter Institute. (NOTE: This post is super long because it details what I did last week and all of my reflections on it) I’ll start with a recap of the past week:

Monday: 

I arrived at Rutgers in time to get my luggage unpacked and head straight to dinner. I was housed with five other girls, all of whom were extremely cool and wonderfully sweet. That night we had a welcoming ceremony where the director of the Greater Newark region explained our role as corps members (TFA speak for teachers) in our region. She also introduced us to TFA’s core values. But more importantly, we all went around the room introducing ourselves and stating one fun fact about ourselves. Based on the randomness of the responses, I had a feeling that my fellow corps members were fairly awesome. People seemed so funny and down to earth that I couldn’t help but feel very welcomed. That night after an ice breaker, we went to a local Irish pub to get to know each other a little better.

Tuesday:

Thus began our 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. days. We went for breakfast at 8:00 and went right into a morning of sessions about the transformational change that we needed to impart in our students. We looked at some student work and discussed how it needed to change in order to be considered acceptable, grade-level work. It was a bit of an eye-opener because it showed us where many of our students were likely to stand academically when we first met them. It got me thinking about how I would hold my students and myself accountable to transformational change. I decided that in my classroom, I would try to incorporate a method that a beloved professor used on me and  my fellow students in college; I would ask my students to rewrite and revise pieces so that they and I could see the way their work transformed through the stages of the writing process. I’m certain that I will need to find a way to apply this to my specific group of students, but I look forward to using this method to watch for the growth that my students need from me. 

As the day went on, we continued discussing what the achievement gap would look like for our students. We discussed various reasons that the achievement gap exists including the low expectations that teachers, communities, and society as a greater whole can have for students in low-income and diverse communities. It made me reflect on how lucky I was to always have teachers who pushed me and believed in my abilities. The discussions also showed me how necessary it is to hold those high expectations for my own students at the forefront of my mind always. 

As the day went on we had more discussions about leadership and how we would act as leaders in our classrooms. At dinner, we met some current Corps Members who work in the Greater Newark area and got to listen to some of the struggles that they experienced and how they overcame them. Something that really stood out to me was that everyone had struggled in their first few months - a.k.a. nobody was an amazing teacher on day one. After hearing about so many TFA teachers who won national awards for teaching and who moved their students up three grade levels in reading in one year, I was nervous about my own abilities. It was so refreshing and reassuring to hear that it was okay to mess up at first and to embrace that it would happen. 

At night, a bunch of us went to a bar called Hell’s Kitchen where they were having game night. We got to play Battleship, Connect Four, and Jenga along with Trivia. I almost didn’t go because I was so tired, but I’m so glad I did. We all had such a great time and it was a fun place to learn more about each other and to bond. We had a lot of laughs and felt much closer and tight-knit as a group by the end of the night.

Wednesday:

The next day was jam packed too. We learned about how TFA alumni continue to help close the achievement gap post-TFA by working in government policy, continuing on as educators, and becoming administrators. It was really reassuring for me to see the numbers of TFA alumni that are involved in solving educational inequity in so many different ways. It comforted me after hearing lots of criticism about how TFA teachers only stay in a classroom for two years and then leave. 

In the afternoon, we got to meet some students from the Newark area. They came to Rutgers and we got to interact with them as they did yoga, an obstacle course, and signed up for library cards with the Newark Public Library. It was so great to see the kids having fun with us and it made me feel like I really was in the right place with the right students.

In the evening, we had a group of professionals from the Newark area talk about their experiences with Newark students. From teachers to principals and educational advocates, these people spoke to us about how unhappy the residents of Newark were with the current state of education and poverty in the community in which they live. The also told us to approach each and every situation with students, fellow educators, and parents with the utmost humility and respect. They told us to forget all of our preconceived notions of what education looked like and any blame that we may already have misplaced onto teachers or community members. It seemed like sound advice and I plan on really approaching every situation with the mindset that I am a learner as well as a teacher. 

Thursday: 

Thursday was a busy and exciting day. First thing in the morning I attended a session on special education. We discussed how more and more special education students are included in general education settings. We also conversed about the standards that we should hold students with special needs and learning disabilities accountable to. It made me reflect on one special education student that I had the pleasure of meeting and teaching in Hyde Park at Haviland Middle School. The child spent her day with and one-on-one special education teacher and aide. Sometimes, I wondered if this particular student was achieving all that she could, because I noticed that her aide seemed to hold her hand through much of the independent work that I assigned in class. My assumptions were proved right one day when her aide could not join us in class. On this particular day, we were reading “The Diary of Anne Frank,” the drama version, aloud as a class. Without provocation, this student volunteered for a part to read. She happily joined her classmates at the front of the room and read her lines without skipping a beat. She even followed stage directions without coaching (a task that many of her general education peers were having difficulty with). Thinking of this student reminded me that high standards need to be held for all students, not just those who learn without special accommodations. 

After this session, three other Corps Members and I took a ride to the Orange Board of Education. I’m slated to teach high school English at Orange High School and the other corps members who joined me were also lined up for teaching positions in the Orange school district. We were making this trip to meet with the head of the H.R. department and to get some paperwork that they wanted us to fill out. While we were there, we met the members of the school board and the superintendent. Everyone was so welcoming and excited to have us on board. It was so exciting to feel like part of a community. I’m getting really pumped about teaching there and I look forward to touring the school to get a better idea of how it will look for me from day-to-day.

At night, a group of students came to perform for us. From kindergarten through high school, the students really displayed  love of music through their gospel choir and step performances. It was awesome to see how extracurriculars can bring students together.

After a really long day, I didn’t feel much like socializing. But my awesome roommate, Katie, was able to convince me to go out at least for a little while. We met up  with almost the entire corps at the Irish pub from Monday. It was really wonderful to see how much everyone had come together since then. Everyone was on a first name basis (without nametags!) and it was such a fun last night together.

Friday:

On Friday we dug into a conversation about diversity. Because many of our students will be of black or hispanic descent, TFA has been very adamant about telling corps members of color the impact that they have the potential to have on their students who share their background. This led to a heated discussion about how the discussion of diversity tends to ignore those of us who are white. One corps member rose her hand to explain that she felt there was something missing from our discussion about diversity. A few people seemed angered by her statements, but then they took a step back and shouted her out for being brave enough to relay her opinion to the group. They appreciated her honestly. 

She echoed a bit of my own concerns with TFA’s diversity statement. It can be difficult to see how you should approach diversity if, like me, you come from a pretty homogeneously white, middle class high school and college. I candidly spoke to a small group around me about my own white privilege; I explained that because I had been raised to see all people as equal and because I didn’t live in a place where discrimination happened all that often, I was pretty ignorant about what it meant to be a person of color and about the fact that discrimination based on race and class still happens today. I hope that as time goes on, I find a way to relate to my students in order to break down any racial or class barriers that may exist between us. I know that the best way to do that, of course, is through having the tough conversations with my cohorts about the injustices that I haven’t been exposed to. 

And so here I am on my first day of Institute. I’m excited for the challenges ahead and I’m just going to need to stay grounded in knowing that others are going through the same thing.  I need to make time for me, and not burn the candle at both ends all the time. I need to stay connected to my Greater Newark Corps team. Here at Institute, our corps of a little less than 100 people is now a part of several regions that comprise nearly 700 corps members all together. Last night, our entire corps went out to celebrate a fellow corps member’s birthday. We really have formed a bond and I need to keep that bond strong and to use these people as resources and people to share my frustration with. I need to act with a sense of urgency for the sake of the students I will teach in summer school. And I need to be proud to be part of a movement to ensure that all students receive an excellent education. (Yes, I drank the Kool-Aid ;) )

High Expectations

My name is Heather Staats, and after just competing my undergraduate degree at Marist College I’m gearing up for my first year as a teacher. I studied English and adolescent education in college, and now I’m putting my degree to the test as I enter the public school system in Newark, New Jersey through Teach For America.

My decision to strive for a career in education came from an examination of my past. When I struggled to decide what course of study would prove the best fit for me, I couldn’t shake the image of myself as a student in my English classes from grades 7-12. I learned to read, write thoughtfully, debate, and think about the world from some of the greatest educators in the teaching world. They challenged me and pushed me to go deeper into my thoughts and writing than I ever could have done on my own. They helped me decide where to go to college. They continued to offer assistance if ever I so needed it. They were the reason that I wanted to study English, and their ability to spark and foster that interest in me got me to thinking about how amazing it would be to impart that fire in other students.

I want to teach because I want to provide students with the place where they feel free to express their ideas and opinions and to explore the multitude of texts and genres that could enrich whatever passion they want. I want to give them the skills they need to hunger for improvement and knowledge.

I want this blog to serve as a concrete reminder of why I became a teacher, my goals for myself and my students, and a timeline of what my experience was. Did my Marist education prepare me for what I’m about to see? Are my expectations for my first year of teaching on par with the reality that I will face?

As I understand it, I am about to dive into the public school system where many students do not read at grade level. Many of them are two or more years behind. Because these students are from a lower income district than many schools where students achieve at grade level, these students fall under the umbrella of “the achievement gap” in America. The sad truth is that educational equality doesn’t exist in this country. If you’re born into the wrong district, there’s a good chance that you won’t graduate from high school, let alone go on to higher education. This doesn’t sit well with my bright-eyed, well-intentioned, idealistic self. I’m going into this experience because I intend to make a difference in the lives of these students. 

Ever since I made the decision to go to Newark to teach, everyone from teachers that I met to members of my family and the community have said things such as “Good thing it’s just a two year commitment,” or “You’ll be able to find a job up here after that,” or even “You just can’t teach kids like that without getting burnt out.” In all of those instances, people were not trying to insult what I’m about to do, but the comments irked me nevertheless. I hope that this blog will also serve as a place for me to chronicle some of the success and breakthroughs that I have with my students so that I can educate the people who told me I couldn’t do it with honest examples. 

Next week, I’ll begin training for Teach For America. I know that it will prove a bigger challenge than I’m imagining in my head. It’s specifically because of my background in education that I feel like this will prove challenging. After spending a semester teaching in a high-income high school and a similar middle school, I know that I’m about to encounter students who experience far different circumstances than many of the students whom I’ve encountered in my own teaching experience. While I have taught a handful of students with learning disabilities and who come from low-income backgrounds, the majority of students who I taught came from middle class backgrounds and read on or above grade level. While I am confident that I learned great strategies for teaching and managing a classroom in my two student teaching placements, I am not sure how they will translate to my own classroom.

What I do know is that I can do this. I am unbelievably excited about the opportunity that lies in front of me. I have the privilege of teaching students who really need a teacher. I plan to harness all of the things that I remember enjoying as a student, the various techniques that I learned through my college courses, and the hands on experience that I received while student teaching to give my students the best teacher possible. But beyond that, I will treat my students with the utmost respect and support. I will listen to what they have to say, and teach them to do the same for others. 

This feels a little like a campaign promise, but now that it’s in writing I have no choice but to follow through with it. Watch out Newark - here I come!