Reservations, Doubts & Decisions

Teach For America has been one of the most difficult decisions I have made. I am certain that I have cried more in Atlanta during Institute (TFA training) than I have in any other state. I cried about leaving Oregon and my support system, and then I cried about feeling cowardly; I cried about leaving Loren, and then I cried about wanting to come back to Oregon; I cried about deciding to return to Oregon and then again about the idea of working a restaurant job once I returned; I cried about lesson plans, and then about my students shouting the word "faggot" at me from across the cafeteria. I have done so much crying, and I'm sure there is more to come both in Atlanta, Georgia and in New Orleans, Louisiana once I move.

I've thought so often about leaving Teach For America, and in the end I have decided to stay.

If I return to Eugene, I would be with my partner and friends, but I would also be in a job that was not in social justice work, and in Eugene as a non-student. 

Leaving my partner behind, and continuing our relationship across thousands of miles is heartbreaking, but not as heartbreaking as how mean and unkind I would be to everyone in my life if I was working in an emotionally unfulfilling job in a college town that I have walked many roads in.

Teach For America (Yes, they capitalize the "For" in all their literature) is the right move for me, but it's also very difficult.

Yesterday someone told me I "looked like a real teacher."

I think it was the tie.

My "real teacher" tie (with sharks) 

"Mr. Sylvester" ?!?!

Early mornings, and nights that are a little too late!

Today I had the honor of meeting my summer school students while they worked through assessment testing. I have five young women to work with, and hopefully I will have more students in my classroom tomorrow.

Here's something I'm going to have to get used to:

"Mr. Sylvester" ?! What is my dad doing in Atlanta teaching my class?

I am proud to be the second "Mr. S" from our family who works in education.

Today after school I missed our bus because I was working late with the attendence instructor (Ms. Watkins). There was a lot of crying and "Stupid, Stupid, Stupid" at the end of a long day of work.

I was going to walk the hour long route home, wasting time I need to work on lesson plans. Luckily, some of my supervisors bailed me out with hugs, love, and money for a cab.

Today's Lesson: Be kind to yourself; take a cab.

Choose Love

Today was so challenging. So much information to absorb, and so much to do. Many tough conversations about "diversity" happened, and I'm excited to continue them tomorrow.

At the end of the workday my Corps Member Advisor shared a personal story about her teaching experience, and ultimately reminded us that the most important thing (more important than all of the planning and work) is to choose love with our kids, so they can succeed.

I'm taking it to heart and choosing love in all situations today.

Loren and I on a late night skype date.

Today's Lesson: Choose Love

Day 3: Welcome to Inman Middle School

5:30 am - Wake up. Get dressed. Pack up. Go to dining Hall. Eat.
6:10 am - Butt in seat on bus. If you miss the bus, you must pay for your own cab. The bus waits for no one.

This is my ride to and from institute. I feel a little like I'm back in elementary school.

6:30 am - 6 pm

Learn, learn learn!
 Lesson plans.
  Literacy, literacy, literacy!

Today was long and incredibly productive. Next week (not the end of this week like I thought before) I will be teaching summer school at Inman Middle School. I will teach eighth graders (I got bumped up from sixth). My students will not be remedial (they were not held back) but rather, they will be students whose families (for whatever reason) want them in school to learn the first part of next years curriculum.

The front doors of Inman Middle School.

Inman middle school is in the middle of (what appears to me to be) a pretty well-off area. The school building is nice, clean, and air-conditioned. The students that are coming into my classroom for summer session are not from Inman. Summer session will feed from students from a variety of nearby schools, many of whom are struggling. Even for those students who achieve in the ninetieth percentile on Georgia state exams are only answering about 50% of the the questions correctly.

I exercised today. I called a lot of people. There is so much work to do, but for now I am still happy to do it.

Today's Lesson: Do not under any circumstance take an afternoon nap. (It throws off your whole sleep schedule.)

TFA Kickoff Day (Yay)

Today was a looooooong day of learning. I woke up at 5:40 to eat and then started sessions that continued from 6:55 am to 4:30 pm.

We had a kickoff meeting from 7:00 to 8:00 and people expressed a lot of love for TFA and a lot of self-pride. I'm looking forward to all of us eating some humble pie when we start teaching summer school later this week.

TFA Slogan "One day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education."

 I have to wake up at 5 am for my 6:10 bus time tomorrow.

Today's Lesson: Pack a lot of snacks.

Atlanta Institute: Day 1

Today has been lengthy. I said a tearful goodbye to my partner Loren at the airport at 8 pm. We cried. A lot.

I arrived at the Atlanta airport at 6:00 am Atlanta time, and then (foolishly) took a 30 minute train ride and and then a 1.4 mile walk with a fifty pound dufflebag, a backpack, and a rolling suitcase to arrive for registration 2 hours early at 8 (yes, the walk took an hour and a half).

My walking route from the train to registration.

Now I'm settled in my "little room" in the residence halls at Georgia Tech. It is small-ish, but it is much roomier than the University of Oregon residence halls. 

My little-ish room

And I just got a little teary-eyed because an alarm went off on my phone with the title "I love you. =)". I have one of the sweetest partners ever. 

Long-distance love

Today has been long, and I have a lot of feelings about TFA and life right now, but more on that later. It seems fitting to end each blogpost with a lesson.

Today's Lesson : Be kind to yourself; take a cab.

What is TFAlex?

This is a blog that will show and tell a little bit about the life of Alex Sylvester (me) in Teach For America. 

Teach For America (also known as TFA - note the clever word play in the title of the blog) is an American non-profit organization whose mission is to "eliminate educational inequity by enlisting high-achieving recent college graduates and professionals to teach^" for at least two years in low-income communities throughout the United States. If you want, you can check out Teach For America's website.