become a teacher

I very honestly don’t know if I can do this.

It’s been one week and I’m ready to quit.

There is a reason why public schools in New Orleans are among the worst in the country, and I’m not sure what it is. It’s very wrong and it’s very complicated.

As I was sitting in the RSD office waiting to sign paperwork, the neighborhood elementary school called me offering an interview. So I headed over there and an hour later had accepted a position as a computer literacy teacher for grades PK-8.

I did call the other school beforehand to let them know.

I start as soon as the paperwork goes through.

Starting Monday the 26th I will be a pre-kindergarten teacher in the Recovery School District.

I will spend several days setting up my classroom, then as soon as I get a Temporary Authority to Teach from RSD I can start teaching. The education system in New Orleans is crazy: I was very upfront with the principal that I have no experience in an early childhood classroom, nor do I have any intention of getting certified in early childhood education. My certification, when I finish in two years or so, will be in elementary education, grades 1-5. She told me that by next year I could have an elementary classroom.

The situation here is so desperate that my utter lack of experience wasn’t a problem, and that continues to blow my mind. I attended a teacher in-service today and told several fellow teachers about my situation and no one seemed surprised.

Part of me is very excited about this opportunity to take on a challenge and make a difference, but another part of me knows that these students deserve a well-qualified teacher. I will do the best that I can by my students; I do have that to offer.

I have an interview for a 1st grade position tomorrow afternoon at 3 pm. That’s worth missing the end of the Saints game. :-)

I started my elementary school field experience on Tuesday. It’s in a 4th grade classroom at a local charter school. I’m about the only white person in the school except for when fellow UNO students come in to teach a lesson, but I don’t feel uncomfortable at all.

I also heard back from the Recovery School District. I need to go take a “skills assessment” next week, and I’ve scheduled it for Wednesday morning. Wish me luck.

I start my field experiences today, in a middle school in Jefferson Parish (read: the suburbs). Ultimately what I want is an elementary school in New Orleans, but that won’t happen until the end of October thanks to the inefficient Recovery School District. (My background check will take a month because they’re implementing a new system, though what they’re doing with new teachers in the interim is beyond me.)

Anyway, I’m making progress and progress is good.

I made it to New Orleans. Classes start tomorrow. The neighborhood elementary school is just down the street.

1. Accepted 10k in student loans.
2. Applied for a substitute teacher position in the New Orleans Recovery School District.
3. Officially accepted into the teacher education program at the University of New Orleans.
4. Registered for more of my teacher education coursework at UNO.

Classes start August 20th. Moving down there a week before for volunteering and sightseeing, good food and jazz music.

I aced the middle school social studies PRAXIS II test. Now I’m waiting on word from the financial aid office at UNO, and after I hear about that (mid to late next week), I can start looking for housing.

I’m going to email NOLA public schools about subbing, too. Just 2 1/2 months until I move and get started on my teacher education classes.

I switched from elementary content to middle school social studies. Even just in subbing, I’m finding I enjoy working with the older elementary kids more than the younger ones. Plus, I’ve been a history buff at least since I was 10, and if I could pass on that love of and appreciation for history…well, it doesn’t get much better than that.

It’s worth the $50 fee that PRAXIS slapped me with.