Only One Week Left!

There is only one more week of institute left. I ca not believe time has flown by so fast. The experience has continued to be quite the emotional roller coaster, but there is a LOT about it that I will miss.

Over the past two weeks, the classroom has contained some ups and downs, but things have slowly continued to improve. Last Tuesday and Wednesday, the two students in my class with the greatest needs both showed up for “breakfast club” for extra help before school, and I had my first successful lesson where 100% of the kids in attendance got the questions right on the exam (yay for the “KFC” method of dividing fractions!).

However, during this time nearly 25% of the class has been absent each day, one of my favorite students moved to Queens, and I have still not been able to prepare material that keeps every student engaged and learning as much as they can… Teaching continues to prove to be a big challenge, and I wish that I had more than 4 days left with these students.

Outside of the classroom, my time has included attending evening sessions where I have enjoyed quality time with tantagrams and other math manipulatives, competing against the other summer schools during TFA Day (offiical "tug o' war" and Saltine eating champions!), enjoying Manhattan with friends, and eating Coldstone cake with the members of my collaborative group to celebrate how fantastic our Corps Member Advisor is.

One more week means only 5 more days of boxed lunches, living in a college dorm with 8 other girls, and riding a school bus to work each day. And while I may not miss EVERY aspect of institute, it is incredible how much bonding has gone at 6:15am as we file on the yellow school bus to head to the Bronx with our cups of black coffee and at 11:45pm when 80 of us line up to use the copiers before they close.

One week also means only 4 days to teach ratios, proportions, unit rates, area, percents, and absolute values…. I am not sure how it is all going to get accomplished, but thankfully I am surrounded by committed teachers and capable students- both of which I will miss immensely.

I hope all is well wherever you find yourself reading this blog, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Love from Queens,
Katie