Teaching is Like Jumping Out of a Plane

It's been a while since I last updated, mainly because the pace of things has really stepped up a notch now that we are in TAKS (Texas state-standardized test) season.

Here are several things that have happened since I last blogged.

1) I jumped out of a perfectly good plane. That's right - after always saying that I wanted to go skydiving, I finally did it. I went with Anna, Peter, and Genievieve - all TFA teachers in the Houston corps. We had a blast and I can't wait to go again soon. It's an experience I think everyone should have at least once.

I purchased the DVD of my jump, and if I can ever figure out a way to upload it, I'll share it with you. Until then, here are some pictures of me in the air. I showed this to my kids in Science class and they all went crazy when they saw my cheeks! As you can see, our jump was right at sunset, so the view was simply unbelievable!

2) UGA Recruitment Trip. Last Wednesday-Friday, I was in Athens helping to recruit for TFA. Well, that's what was supposed to happen. While I had a good day of recruitment on Wednesday (Career Fair, a couple of faculty meetings, and a CNN documentary screening/info session), Thursday was a complete waste due to UGA's being closed due to ice on the roads.

The good news was that I was able to spend the day catching up with friends - though not as many as I had hoped to. Sorry if I missed you this round! Being in Athens was a great way to refresh and renew my focus on why I'm doing all this.

3) I lost my single best and worst students. While I was gone, Taylor and Mehran were both withdrawn by their parents. They are both moving to other schools. I'm not sure how to feel about this.

Mehran was definitely my single best student and it really saddens me that he won't be able to contribute to my class anymore. He always asked those really smart questions that put me on the spot - that's the best thing that can happen to a teacher.

While Taylor was my most labor-intensive student, and nearly drove me insane prior to the break, I am even more upset at his withdrawal. While he still had a long way to go, Taylor was making solid improvements in my classroom. He has made 90% or above on the last three exams - miraculous, considering his grades last semester! I fear that he won't receive the attention at his new school that he was getting in my classroom. I called his mother over the weekend and told her that I'm still willing to help him in any way that I can. Here's hoping he remembers the lessons he learned in my classroom about his ability to achieve personal success.