A Teacher's Summer

After surviving TFA Phoenix Institute, you'd think I could sit back and relax. However, in reality I thrived on the constant buzz of lesson plan due dates, OSAT tracker edits, and thinking of my kids constantly. Now I spend this lazy Saturday in bed, as I watch  a year spread out before me. A year full of new students, hundreds of lesson plans, a challenging role as advisor, and the sobering realization that these students cannot succeed without teachers willing to sacrifice everything for them. The year is unfolding before my eyes with hundreds of items on my "to do" list, but where to begin?

In 30 days, I will be teaching 11th and 12th graders English at an Early College/Big Picture High School just north of Denver. The school is a hybrid that supports students in community college classes, while simultaneously preparing them for the real world through the authentic Big Picture model. My staff is incredibly enthusiastic and my principal is one of the most inspiring people I've ever met. Yet, how am I going to stand up in front of a class in a month and teach them about Frankenstein or how to analyze a poem? Passing the English Praxis does not qualify me as a literary expert, yet I need to earn my students' trust and help them to enjoy reading.

It is going to be a challenging year, but I know it is worth it. On a side note, here is a picture of our bedroom in Denver...9 windows!