Transition and beginning

The last month has been one long transition and I'm ready for things to be routine. After Institute, I had a day at home before taking the train down to Urbana to begin packing up everything in my apartment. I was able to sleep, pack, and visit with friends one last time. On August 3, I took the train home so that I could go to the first in a series of Teach for America orientations for charter school teachers on August 4. It went from 8-4:30. While I know a lot of what they gave us was valuable, I couldn't help but reschedule all the day's events to figure out that we could have done in 2 hours what we instead took 8.5 to work through. On Sunday, Mom and I got up early and she drove the rented van down to Urbana to get my stuff. We were back in Hyde Park by 2:30, where my dad, Uncle Gerry, Brian, and David met us to unload and carry everything up to the third floor. I was not to stay in my apartment that night though, since my bed delivery was mis-scheduled. I spent the week at home before another entire Saturday of Teach for America planning time. The following Tuesday I started professional development at the other high school operated by the EMO (Educational Management Organization) that runs the school where I work. Our building wasn't ready yet. Sidenote, my "chain" of charter schools is known as Chicago International Charter School (CICS). It is actually one large school with a charter to open different campuses. There are twelve, I believe. Those are then divied up among different EMOs. Mine is called Civitas. You can read more about them at http://www.civitasschools.org/home/. My school's official name is Chicago International Charter School, Ralph Ellison Campus.

PD was roughly 8:30-3:30 everyday for two weeks. Last Thursday, we finally got to go down to our building, which meant I moved in permanently to my apartment Wednesday night. This helped with the feeling that I have just been spinning my wheels for a month since Institute, trying to start something huge but not really doing anything new. But what I'm really looking forward to is getting into a routine at my school. I met my freshmen Friday for their orientation. I have an advisory of 21 freshmen girls who are just fantastic. I see them half an hour a day. I have three sections of freshman Spanish I and two section of sophomore Spanish II. I also moderate a study hall. I'll see each of those classes 4 times a week- three one hour blocks and one half hour class each on Wednesdays when they are dismissed early. The school operates with a sort of hybrid traditional/rotating block schedule, so I won't actually have the same routine every day since the classes switch times each day. But start, lunch, and end times will be consistent and as I get to learn all 138 names I'm sure it will feel more like home.

I asked all my kids to fill out a notecard with parent contact information as well as reasons why they are at a charter school (students have to apply, though we are non-selective- if too many apply there is a lottery) and one great thing about themselves. Some of my favorites:
"I know a little Japanese."
"I can dance really good and I do hair. (I know you said 1)"
"I love to learn new things."
"I'm ambitious."
"I am ready to learn and to make it in college and in life."
"I am fully successful."
"I love to read."
"I love to participate."

The makings of a great year...