Expectations

Because I accepted this TFA job so long before I actually left for NC, I had plenty of time to try to figure out how to explain to people what I would be doing for the next two years without actually having much of an idea myself. I could tell them what TFA was and vaguely what that meant, that I was going to eastern North Carolina, to rural high poverty areas, and that's about all. And its funny, how, even though I'm still just getting started, the things that are defining this experience, the things I tell people now when they ask, are the things that have surprised me. So, I think for this blog, I will list some of them for you. Some of them are little, some are bigger, but they are all shaping life right now for me.

I didn't expect...

...to love North Carolina so much. I didn't choose preferences for my placement, and had never been to NC before this summer. And I couldn't have chosen better if I'd chosen myself.

...the community to be so incredibly welcoming. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is ready with encouragement as soon as they find out I'm a new teacher. The owner of my new coffee shop, a former high school history teacher, guessed by my unfamiliar face that I was new in town and struck a conversation the first time I was there. When I went almost two weeks later, he remembered me, my job, and offered me some tricks of the trade and a "Don't be nervous, you'll be just fine."

...to love my students so much so quickly. I haven't met my NC students yet, but I still miss those 13 rough around the edges kids I taught for a month in Chicago.

...to have over 160 middle schoolers through the doors of my classroom every day all year. I'll have six classes of around 27 kids each, and Miss "organized-chaos" is still trying to work out ways to keep them (and myself) somewhat together.

...to struggle so much trying to figure out how to plan a class over the course of the year or to be so incredibly excited to be handed a pacing guide that lays it out for me.

...to have so much support from my school and district. The woman in charge of personnel support has told us multiple times that they are going to be tripping over themselves helping the new teachers be successful with their students in the first year and making us want to stay for years more. She gave us supplies catalogs and told us to go crazy, subject area coaches for us to call 24/7, and orders to call her if we even think we might possibly be about to have a problem. She even told the room full of new teachers (more than once) that she will be happy to find anyone a spouse who needs one, "all in the name of teacher retention, y'all!"

...to have friends here in such a short time. I think I was ready to feel a little lost and lonely here for awhile, but I've been really blessed and am SO thankful.

...to miss home and Purdue like I do. Its funny when it sneaks up on me, usually while I'm doing something normal, like driving, and I'll hit a patch of cornfields that looks like Middlebury. Or I'll be working hard at my coffee shop and suddenly get really sad that the Tuesday study party that used to come keep me sane won't be happening any time soon. Little things everyday remind me of home. So lest you think that because I am loving it here, I'm not missing you, let me correct that. I miss you guys! (And let me tell you----the cost of living is low down here, people, and it sure is pretty. Just saying...)

I could probably keep going, but I need to go to Office Depot for supplies to decorate my classroom tomorrow :) (I didn't expect to...get so excited about school supplies on a daily basis...) The kids start school on August 25th, and I will be using every day until then getting as ready as possible to see those 160 new faces walk through my door. Right now, I am in an excited phases (as opposed to a nervous "what on earth was I thinking?" phase), so I'll say that I'm ready for it and can't wait to meet them :)