I just recently found out that the two spaces after a period rule is antiquated. And frowned upon. How will I ever change?! Eek. I just started in that last post, and it took every ounce of my energy to not tap the space bar twice.
...and no one really cares. At least I've shared my struggle with the world.
Showing posts with label links. Show all posts
Showing posts with label links. Show all posts
Monday, January 17, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
It's Okay, I'm in Teach For America
As I apply to law schools and various jobs in one of the worst economic recessions in history, I can't help but feel like I'm immune to it all. It's not just me. Most of my friends in TFA are following the same type of path, applying to prestigious grad schools and job programs and not blinking twice. It makes me think of those old Holiday inn commercials, because almost everyone answers questions of competitiveness with the same answer- "It's okay, I'm in Teach For America."
It's not necessarily that we're cocky, but we've been inflated quite a bit by all the hype that's going around. My year the acceptance rate was around 11%, so I think our self-esteem has been boosted by the difficulty of just getting into the program, and even more by the difficulty of sticking with it for two years. As I get deeper into the law school application process and the job application process, I'm pretty tempted to submit a letter that just says, "I did TFA. Isn't that enough?" I'm starting to second-guess that mentality, but am still holding out for people to be wildly impressed. False hope?
Probably. But at the very least I've gained confidence that if I ever get thrown into a situation for which I'm completely unprepared, I WILL come out alive-not too bad of a feeling.
It's not necessarily that we're cocky, but we've been inflated quite a bit by all the hype that's going around. My year the acceptance rate was around 11%, so I think our self-esteem has been boosted by the difficulty of just getting into the program, and even more by the difficulty of sticking with it for two years. As I get deeper into the law school application process and the job application process, I'm pretty tempted to submit a letter that just says, "I did TFA. Isn't that enough?" I'm starting to second-guess that mentality, but am still holding out for people to be wildly impressed. False hope?
Probably. But at the very least I've gained confidence that if I ever get thrown into a situation for which I'm completely unprepared, I WILL come out alive-not too bad of a feeling.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
I Need to Prove that People Like Me
Two requests directed at all the readers of my blog-
- Donate to my Donors Choose project PLEASE. Even $5 helps and research proves that people that spend money on other people consider themselves happier. The link to donate is the first box on the left sidebar (or, for those of you that are too lazy to move your mouse that far, go here). Some ways that you can make those bills back:
- Eat dinner at your parents' house one night, then pull a high school move and take some of their liquor home in a water bottle.
- Accept a drink from that sketchy guy at the bar when you're out this weekend (just make sure he's not TOO sketchy)
- Walk somewhere instead of driving... yes, I know it's 97 degrees out with seven million percent humidity, but come on people, it's for the children.
- Follow my blog. It has a measly four followers, which makes me look super lame. If you have a Google account, which I'm SURE most of you do, and you read my blog occasionally, then follow me. I'm asking nicely. Just go to the box on the left hand side of the page where it says "Super Fans," then click Follow. Make sure you follow it publicly, otherwise it won't make me look any cooler (my primary goal).
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
More About That Girl
My boyfriend reads Barstool Sports religiously (as most 20-35 year old men on the East Coast probably do) and I usually give him a pretty hard time about it. Surprisingly, I don't love watching him pore over the Red Sox, weird-looking criminals with even weirder sounding crimes (i.e. does this look like the face of a man who would lure children into his broken down van with hot dogs and cotton candy flavored condoms?), and hot local girls. Even so, I caught a post about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo over his shoulder... which made me laugh, mostly because it's true and also because I just blogged about it. Women ARE reading this book, including my 80+ year old grandmother. So all three males that read my blog- follow this advice and maybe it'll score you a date (possibly with Nana).
Monday, July 12, 2010
Confidence Boost
Sometimes, the articles written about Teach For America give me a much-needed lift in my self-confidence. Apparently these articles are in no shortage these weeks, probably because of a pretty anti-TFA study done in Texas. I like reading both kinds of articles because it lets me see how much of the TFA juice I've drank (quite a lot) but it forces me to think about what I consider to be the positive and negative aspects of the organization. It also gets me fired up because in most cases there is some kind of inaccuracy, especially regarding teacher layoffs* (see below). Not that TFA's info is free from criticism- I'm pretty sure that their alumni statistics are a little skewed when it comes to judging how many alums are in an "education" field (a pretty broad category, I would argue) and how many still support the TFA mission (another vague description). If you'd like to be a little bit more impressed with me (or rather, the organization I'm a part of), feel free to browse through these articles. They're mostly based on Ivy League and really elite schools, but still applicable to all in TFA.
Also, if you haven't made your way down to the bottom of my blog, you'll find a stream of education/TFA related news... just in case you're interested.
*It's a pretty common misconception that during teacher layoffs, districts are letting go experienced teachers and replacing them with TFA teachers. Budget cuts requiring a reduction in force and the hiring of Teach For America teachers are two different things- TFA hiring (at least in my district) is part of the district's strategic improvement plan, mainly because our superintendent believes strongly in the program's results. So, for example, the district may be cutting its technology budget by 1/3, but its strategic technology plan calls for the purchase of 3,000 new computers. These two decisions sound contradictory at first, but (as I said before) they're part of two different district initiatives. Also, Teach For America teachers are not immune to layoffs. You can ask corps members in my class who DID get laid off this year. A lot of people believe that we are allowed to stay no matter what we do, but our performance is measured by the same evaluation tool used to determine which teachers get RIF (reduction in force) letters. Usually, the teachers that get these letters are (1) mid-year or emergency hires who have only signed a contract to the end of the year, (2) teachers who have been teaching for fewer than five years and have been rated below-standard in one or more of their evaluations, or (3) teachers whose position has been combined with another or eliminated altogether (sadly, more and more special-area positions like librarians and guidance counselors are being cut).
Also, if you haven't made your way down to the bottom of my blog, you'll find a stream of education/TFA related news... just in case you're interested.
*It's a pretty common misconception that during teacher layoffs, districts are letting go experienced teachers and replacing them with TFA teachers. Budget cuts requiring a reduction in force and the hiring of Teach For America teachers are two different things- TFA hiring (at least in my district) is part of the district's strategic improvement plan, mainly because our superintendent believes strongly in the program's results. So, for example, the district may be cutting its technology budget by 1/3, but its strategic technology plan calls for the purchase of 3,000 new computers. These two decisions sound contradictory at first, but (as I said before) they're part of two different district initiatives. Also, Teach For America teachers are not immune to layoffs. You can ask corps members in my class who DID get laid off this year. A lot of people believe that we are allowed to stay no matter what we do, but our performance is measured by the same evaluation tool used to determine which teachers get RIF (reduction in force) letters. Usually, the teachers that get these letters are (1) mid-year or emergency hires who have only signed a contract to the end of the year, (2) teachers who have been teaching for fewer than five years and have been rated below-standard in one or more of their evaluations, or (3) teachers whose position has been combined with another or eliminated altogether (sadly, more and more special-area positions like librarians and guidance counselors are being cut).
Monday, July 5, 2010
Searching for The "Just-Right" Book
Quick post to let you know that my very first Donors Choose project is posted. Read my project proposal here and PLEASE donate so that my kids can have a full library when they come back to school in the fall. Not only are you supporting my classroom, but you're also supporting a really great organization that helps thousands of teachers get the resources they need. Take a look!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
You're Leaving? When I Specifically Asked You Not To?!
One effect of a bad economy is the tendency of people to reconsider their employment situations, whether it becomes a necessity because of being laid off or a strategic move to gain stability. Apparently this economy has even had that impact on fictional characters, because this weekend I learned the incredibly upsetting news that Michael Scott will be bidding his employees and adoring fans goodbye after the coming season (a reporter from the NY Times interviewed him about his decision, I'll let you read what she said about it).
To say that I watch The Office religiously would be an understatement. To say that I am pretty familiar with the characters and most of the episodes would be an insult. I consider myself one of those obnoxious people who could reenact the entire show, Season 1 to its most current episode, with my eyes closed and the TV on mute.
All in all, I think that it's probably time for the show to end anyway and that Carell is making a smart move to leave. I'm hoping the NBC and the show's writers will see it my way too- that Dunder Mifflin is nothing without Michael Scott- and end the show after Carell goes. Anyone who has watched from the first season can attest to the evolution of the show from the extremely dry humor of its pilot (a nearly identical re-make of the British pilot) to its more expansive and outlandish cast of today. The best seasons are the ones that have mixed the two kinds of comedy- in my opinion, Seasons 2 and 3 (maybe 4 too).
Anyway, I'll end this post with my favorite Office moments, ones that have taught me a lot about social etiquette, business professionalism, and personal relationships. Enjoy!
"Guess what? I have flaws. What are they? Oh, I don't know- I sing in the shower. Sometimes I spend too much time volunteering. Occasionally I'll hit somebody with my car. So sue me- no don't sue me. That is the opposite of the point I'm trying to make."
To say that I watch The Office religiously would be an understatement. To say that I am pretty familiar with the characters and most of the episodes would be an insult. I consider myself one of those obnoxious people who could reenact the entire show, Season 1 to its most current episode, with my eyes closed and the TV on mute.
All in all, I think that it's probably time for the show to end anyway and that Carell is making a smart move to leave. I'm hoping the NBC and the show's writers will see it my way too- that Dunder Mifflin is nothing without Michael Scott- and end the show after Carell goes. Anyone who has watched from the first season can attest to the evolution of the show from the extremely dry humor of its pilot (a nearly identical re-make of the British pilot) to its more expansive and outlandish cast of today. The best seasons are the ones that have mixed the two kinds of comedy- in my opinion, Seasons 2 and 3 (maybe 4 too).
Anyway, I'll end this post with my favorite Office moments, ones that have taught me a lot about social etiquette, business professionalism, and personal relationships. Enjoy!
- Best of Michael
- Best of Dwight (the sound's a little up and down on this one)
- The Epic Rivalry
"Guess what? I have flaws. What are they? Oh, I don't know- I sing in the shower. Sometimes I spend too much time volunteering. Occasionally I'll hit somebody with my car. So sue me- no don't sue me. That is the opposite of the point I'm trying to make."
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Love Languages
My roommate mentioned this to me a while ago, probably on one of our frequent trips to Target and Original Pancake House. There are five different "languages of love" (as cheesy as that sounds), at least according to this guy Gary Chapman, and people generally prefer to communicate and/or be communicated to in one of these five languages. It's nothing groundbreaking- most people who take these things probably aren't very surprised by the results. But it's still kind of fun to take the quiz and see where you land.
That quiz is set up to tell you how you like your significant other to show love. My highest was words of affirmation. Or, rather, I like to be worshiped. And in first typing that word it got the red underline, meaning I've been spelling it incorrectly for about 20 years. Damn you Microsoft Word auto-correct. It's the reason I couldn't spell embarrassed until I got to college. That's an entirely separate post, though. Got a little sidetracked. Anyway, quality time and physical touch ranked pretty highly for me too. I guess I'm not so much the kind of person who wants to receive gifts or be the recipient of acts of service. (By the way, see how I've bolded them to make it clear what the five languages of love are? High five to me for strategic formatting.)
I think it's interesting to look at it from the other side though- how you yourself show it- because it's not always the same. A corny post, I know, but I still think it's kind of cool.
*This is really just a sneaky way of telling all my fans to keep complimenting me via Facebook. Thanks.
That quiz is set up to tell you how you like your significant other to show love. My highest was words of affirmation. Or, rather, I like to be worshiped. And in first typing that word it got the red underline, meaning I've been spelling it incorrectly for about 20 years. Damn you Microsoft Word auto-correct. It's the reason I couldn't spell embarrassed until I got to college. That's an entirely separate post, though. Got a little sidetracked. Anyway, quality time and physical touch ranked pretty highly for me too. I guess I'm not so much the kind of person who wants to receive gifts or be the recipient of acts of service. (By the way, see how I've bolded them to make it clear what the five languages of love are? High five to me for strategic formatting.)
I think it's interesting to look at it from the other side though- how you yourself show it- because it's not always the same. A corny post, I know, but I still think it's kind of cool.
*This is really just a sneaky way of telling all my fans to keep complimenting me via Facebook. Thanks.
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