Middle School

I walked through the halls of a middle school today for the first time since I had braces and was (even more) awkward. In addition to the urinals seeming smaller, the pending differences between my experiences at Shattuck Middle School in Neenah, WI and my upcoming experiences at F.M. Black Middle School in Houston, TX were not lost on me.

Summer school started last week for the students of "Black," and 48 of us will be responsible for their instruction starting next Monday and running until mid-July. This week will consist of an information frenzy, during which my fellow corps members and I will learn about the ins and outs of lesson planning, content material, literacy, and the benefits of air conditioning (a watermain burst today, which left the school without A/C in the afternoon).

As I passed by summer school classrooms between sessions today, there were a couple moments when I locked eyes with a student inside. Maybe I've already seen some of the students that I will be teaching this summer. Some may need a push from me in order to recognize their own ability to do what it takes to move on to the next grade. Some may challenge me in ways that I can't imagine or prepare for. Some moments may make me want to laugh out loud, while others may make me want to sob like Dave Groshek. Maybe 19 instructional days will feel like an eternity, or maybe they will seem tragically inadequate. My only hope is that I will provide each student with the opportunity and desire to reach the ambitious goals I will set for him or her.

I'm meeting some amazing people down here and making the kinds of connections that are only possible in such a high-intensity, high-stress, high-humidity environment. I'm surrounded by passionate and motivated leaders, which is two parts inspiring and one part overwhelming. The Type-A meter is through the roof. Still, I've enjoyed conversations about sports, math, music, faith, and future with people from LA, Philly, Michigan, Houston, Kansas City, New York, Georgia, and even Madison, WI itself - sooooo relieving to find a Brewer fan. It's hard to believe it's only been 4 days, but it's still just as hard to believe that I'm not on some kind of extended vacation.

After a weekend in a posh hotel with all the Houston corps members for "Induction", we moved onto the University of Houston campus yesterday to join the future teachers of the Rio Grande Valley, Mississippi Delta, Dallas, and Hawaii for "Institute." We're set up in the Moody Towers - the kind of dorm whose drab walls, water stains, and bouches (a strange bed/couch hybrid) seem quaint and full of possibility when you first move in - but will be left in a month with no hesitation or regret.

It's feeling more and more like go-time, and I'm feeling less and less anxiety. I know that the challenges of leading a classroom next week will likely dwarf any I've known - but at this point I understand that it needs to happen and it will happen, which is more than I could have honestly said a week ago.

Go Panthers!