Test, Test, Test

Post-institute life has been filled with tests, paperwork, & orientation. Besides the tests, I've enjoyed the free time, which has allowed me to road trip to Colorado & settle home in Fort Worth.

Another thing that has happened post-institute: I got an RT (retweet) from the Teach For America Twitter account! For a social media queen, this was really exciting to me. Haha.

Check out that #1 tweet!

Test 1: The Bilingual Supplemental tests your knowledge about how bilingual education came to be in the U.S., as well as best practices for a bilingual classroom.

I wore my Nike Olympics tank for good luck to my
bilingual supplemental test..

...& good thing, because it helped me pass! Performed like a champ.

Test 2: The Language Proficiency Test (LPT) checks oral & written proficiency in both English & Spanish. It ended up being a bit more difficult to me than expected...

Doormat outside of the testing site.

My Fort Worth ISD new team member pin I received at orientation.

I moved into my house in Fort Worth! My room contains only the
essentials - a bed & shelf. Still on the lookout for a desk & dresser!

The Fort Worth Stockyards. YEEHAW.

Today is the Day!

Induction at SMU started TODAY, & I am here with a happy heart & full of excitement! Also, the fact that I passed my TExES exam helped make the day even better =]

Although my morning started out a bit rough, I made it to Dallas on time at 9 a.m. As soon as I arrived at SMU, I found past & present TFA corps members parading around campus with signs, greeting all the new members...felt like I was starting freshman year all over again!

After check-in, I moved into my dorm room. I think Milton Daniel at TCU spoiled me a bit, because McElvaney Hall at SMU is just not as cool :P

My room! But my roommate was a no-show :(

I think I have a handicap room, it's enormous!

HUGE closet

This binder holds my life schedule for the week

I made some friends, ate some yummy food, & learned more about Teach for America's mission and involvement in DFW.

Our "lecture" room

Tomorrow I meet with Fort Worth ISD principals & have the possibility of finding out where I'll be teaching - *fingers crossed!*

"Milk & cookies" with our mentors for the evening

"If not you, who? If not now, when?"

"YOU are the movement."

The Final Countdown

TExES exam: 9 days

Induction: 10 days

Institute: 14 days

My post-grad life has been filled with tons of work, contrary to any expectations I had. You're probably wondering what this countdown represents...well, here's a breakdown!

TExES
AKA the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards. This test determines whether or not I can even become a teacher (scary). I will be taking the Generalist EC-6 exam June 4th in Dallas, & have to pass!

The test is scored from a total of 300 points, & I need 240 to pass - or 80% correct. The paragraph below is an exert from a TFA email I received, further adding to my fear of this exam.

YOUR 1st JOB AS A TFA CORPS MEMBER IS TO PREPARE FOR YOUR TExES AND PASS IT. IF YOU DO NOT PASS, YOU WILL NOT RETAIN YOUR PLACE IN THE 2012 DFW CORPS.

Along with studying for the TExES exam, I have 40 hours of reading/prep-work to complete. This work includes readings discussing the achievement gap, classroom observation hours, & lesson planning. I have my work cut out for me.

Induction
I will be at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from June 5-June 10, where I will finally meet all other 2012 TFA Corps members within the Texas region - so exciting! We have all been communicating on a Facebook page, but it will be great to finally meet these people in person. This week-long "camp" will be filled with learning about TFA's mission, as well as meeting with our respective school districts.

Induction Schedule

I was recently placed within Fort Worth ISD (stoked) but have yet to get a specific position. I'm crossing my fingers for 3rd grade.

Institute
I literally drive straight from Induction (SMU/Dallas) to Institute, held at Rice University in Houston, TX, where I will "learn how to be a teacher" from June 10-July 14. The training so so rigorous that days start at 6 a.m. & usually end around midnight.

There are many institute horror stories online via blogs, but I haven't read any of them. I want to have/create my own perspective of the 5-week training...plus, I don't want to get too stressed (probably too late for that).

Post-grad life has yet to slow down, but I can't wait to get this TFA summer officially started.