Future

NPR Features Andrew Coy

Andrew was interviewed for the local NPR station for a story about Teach For America, the teaching program both Andrew and I went through to start teaching. Don't worry, they interview Andrew. And the CEO of City Schools. No big deal.

Since making the front page of the Baltimore Sun, he's been featured in a few other stories, and now he's getting sound bites.

He's basically a really hard working teacher.

debacle

I had a 2010 corps member come to school with me Friday. I warned her about what she would see. That one of my kids has both is parents deployed to Afghanistan and is really angry and scared. Another is screaming for attention from a mom who is never home, and he thinks he's 29. Another is just super ADHD. Another isn't wanted at home, and acts up in class. And another who speaks no English...just to name a few.

There is a lot of anger, and a lot of fights. I just didn't think they would all combine for Pandora's Box in one single day. Especially the day when we have a visitor all day.

Four boys went crazy, and when administration came for them, they said they didn't want to go, and administration looked at me and said, "We'll, I can't make them go if they don't want to."

I called parents.

"I just think you have management issues, Ms. Passey." (But could be true...but I don't think I'm the only one with issues....)

By 9:30 I had broken down in tears in front of all my kids, and this poor girl who is coming to B'more to teach next year. (Which wasn't really called for, but once they started to come, there was no stopping them.)

The class next door had a sub, so they were crazy (and remember how we have no walls?).

The first grade class on the other side (you know, the one with 31 kids) had one of the students LEGIT try and strangle another kid. Seriously, squeezing his neck with intent to stop air. For Real. So there was much throwing of desks (I don't know why this was necessary, but it seemed to add to the "I'm Serious! You better let go of his neck!" nature of the affair.) and wailing of children. Don't worry, the little strangler wasn't suspended. He came back for round two of "who can I strangle" two hours later.

After a rough morning, we went outside to get some of our energy out, when two kids got into a "I'm not backing down, EVER" kind of fight where I had to restrain them, while I tried to get the rest of the twenty kids into a line to go inside.

I didn't actually every get a chance to teach math, or social studies. In fact, I'm pretty sure no learning took place Friday. But you can't win them all. I mean, I'm also pretty sure no one died (or quit their job) so that counts for something.

At the end of the day the new 2010 corps member I'm pretty sure was traumatized. But at least now she knows what she's gotten herself into, right?

Waiting

Here are two of my favorite ladies. Ever. They've lived down the street for the past two years. They've celebrated the high-points of life, and listened to me cry more than once. They were the only other two Mormon TFAers. And they are hittin' the road in the next week or so. Tonight, however, we were celebrating another friend that is going away. Only he forgot what time dinner was at. So while we waited, we documented some emotions.

This is how we feel about our upcoming trip to NYC on Friday! Um, can you say stoked?!This is how we feel about not living a two minute walk from each other. And my favorite game: sleeping. Kat really likes it. I'm not going to lie, I really like it.

The End of TFA

It's so close.

Kat is clearly happy.

Cree hopes to scare it off.

And I just really like them both.