chriphoenix

This semester, I have work at 8am on Mondays.  It gets a little exhausting, but I get a lot accomplished during my 7-hour shift sitting at the computer.  A lot of Facebook and reading.
I’m workin’ on becoming a volunteer in the Austin Partners in Education Classroom Coaching program.  One of my anti-TFA (weird, right?) classmates is recruiting volunteers from those accepted by TFA to get some practice with students.

AEPA studying is going well.  I purchased my study guides, and I am dominating the math one so far.  All that middle school/high school math is coming back to me.  I was so excited when I saw Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally… combinations and permutations not so much.

I’m sending in my TFA pre-addressed envelope this week, but I can’t find a decent picture to for the Induction get-to-know-you wall yet.   I can’t find any pictures where I’m not making a ridiculous face/with someone.  Do any regular pictures of me exist?  Absolutely not.

I had my finger-printing session on Friday.  That was interesting.  After not being able to figure out which DPS building it was (there are like 6 on the same block), I finally made it.  The dude who administered it was really nice and chill.  The grossest hand he had touched?  A stitched hand covered in blood.  Um, gross. I also thought they used like real ink and paper.  It’s a whole computer setup.  No muss/no fuss.  He said he only does the ink if people request it… and I almost did.

I finished my application for the master’s degree in education at ASU, now just waiting for my transcript to arrive… and hopefully get accepted.  That would be great.

Also, the Superbowl was yesterday, sooooo good.

One more thing, check out the weather for today.

Awesome TX weather.

I’ve been reading TFA blogs for a few months now, and I looooove them.

MY STORY

The whole process was really intimidating.  After not going through a phone interview, I felt nervous about what it would be like on the in-person, final interview day.  It’s really all a quick blur until I had the sit-down interview.  Everybody taught their 5-minute lessons.  I taught French numbers 1-30.  My French teacher, Bryan, is the one that suggested the idea, and it paid off… another great teacher to the rescue.  It was ALL girls who all did incredible lessons, 1 TFA-Atlanta alum, and an alum director.  We did our discussion questions, our multiple-choice/essays, and we headed out pretty quickly.  I was super bummed that I ended up with the FINAL interview of the day, so much pressure.  I went home, had lunch, and it started snowing.  SNOW.  IN.  TEXAS.  I freaked out, and I left early for my interview (like 2 hours early).  I ended up hanging out in the waiting area/lobby chatting with the receptionist of the Dana Center, the nicest woman ever.  Side note: my Calc professor, Uri Treisman, is the man who started the Dana Center.  I finally had my interview, and I was so nervous.  Going last turned out to be a good thing, though, because we went over our time.  With no strict time constraint, we took our time, and the interview I thought turned out really great.

I accepted my offer basically immediately, it was like a no-brainer.

A lot of things still need to be completed before this summer… like my senior honors thesis… and final exams… and graduation, but now I know I’m not just floating around post-graduation.  I’m going to be really doing something, something that I think is so important that I’m leaving everything I’ve ever known to do - become part of the movement to eliminate educational inequity (or is it inequality?).

AEPA exams are already making me nervous.  The first 1 is March 27th.  Mathematics & Middle Grades General Science - I haven’t had a math class since freshman year, FIRST semester.  I haven’t had a since class since freshman year, second semester.

See you in the Valley of the Sun!