Obviously, it would be impossible to answer this question honestly without first saying this: you should not join the Mississippi Teacher Corps if you don’t think you can handle everything that goes along with teaching in a critical-needs school. It feels like a bit of a cop-out not to talk about what this means, but vacation is making me lazy and it's simply too big a question to answer in one blog. If you’re debating whether or not teaching in this kind of environment is right for you, read the blogs; talk to current MTC-ers and alums. It’s all there.
If you do think that this life is the one you want (at least for two years), here are a few things to consider before you commit to join us in Oxford in May.
The strength of this program, as compared to other alternate-route programs, lies in two things: the training and support, and the bonds that form in a small group of people who are going through the same challenging and downright crazy experience. If you’re more interested in doing this by yourself—if you’re a lone wolf, to borrow from The Hangover—the rest of us are going to drive you crazy.
I do have to warn my lovely little lone wolves: this is a really, really hard thing to do by yourself, especially if you are not from the area where you’re teaching. You will need to talk, and more often than not, the only people who will understand are the ones going through the same thing. If I had a dollar for every time I emailed, texted, or called an MTC-er this semester to complain, brag, congratulate, or beg ask for lesson ideas, I would be eating at Walker’s every night.
On the subject of MTC’s superior training and support: this is only helpful if you are the type to accept advice. This program has tremendous resources to offer you support. Please recognize that sometimes this support will come in the form of criticism. The system only works if you can accept that the criticism you receive in summer school, etc is meant to help you, and comes from people who were in your shoes. You will probably be terrible in the beginning. That’s okay. We all were, too. But if you reject help just because it might sting a little, you’re going to make your life even more miserable than it’s already going to be. And you’re better off leaving your spot to someone who will take advantage of what the program has to offer.
One final caution to those of you who are not from Mississippi: this is the South—for most of you, it will be the rural South—and things are different. That culture shock (particularly for those in MTC who are placed in rural areas) can be as difficult as the teaching stuff. You can read more about this here, but in my experience as someone Not From Round Here, the less I compare Mississippi to other places I’ve lived, and the more I make an effort to find things I love about it, the happier I am. Two years is a long time to be in a place you don’t like. At the risk of reducing a very complicated state to a few stereotypes, if you can’t picture yourself shopping at Wal-Mart or watching the latest Cannes Palme d'Or winner on Netflix instead of in a theater, understand that things are going to be just a little bit harder.
This job sucks. Frequently. You'll get advice that all you can do is control your classroom. So you set up rules, you set up consequences, and you figure you'll get through. But no matter how organized and stern you are, the circumstances surrounding (and within) your school may cause you to cross bridges you never thought you'd cross. And I'm not talking about the intimidating bridges you were too afraid to approach, I'm talking about the bridges you already walked by and thought "How could anyone ever think that bridge was an effective and appropriate way to cross those raging rapids?"
I am certainly not the rolemodel I had hoped to be. I am constantly frustrated with the lack of structural support (to put it lightly) and end up using displinary actions and retorts that I would never use in another situation. I yell and make borderline comments to my students more often than I would like to admit. I am used and abused by my students and administration. I am convinced I could be doing a better job.
But then there are the small moments of hope. One day after school I was talking to a fellow teacher about how defeated I felt. The lack of disciplinary action at my school was turning me into a complete asshole to my students. I had no other way of creating order within my classroom. I said, "At this point, I doubt I'm doing anything positive."
At the same moment, two students poked their heads into my classroom and smiled, "Hey, Ms. Merica!!"
My colleague said, "You seem to be making a positive impact on those girls."
I had been focusing on the kids I couldn't reach, on any harsh word I had spoken towards my students. I had overlooked my impact on the two girls who helped me in my classroom everyday after school, convinced they would be good kids whether I was here or not.
I thanked my colleague for redirecting my perspective, but didn't think too deeply on the conversation until later that night. I started to think about the starfish story framed in my aunts bathroom; what was once a nice, short read for a relaxing moment on the jon turned into my teaching philosophy. If I keep throwing starfish into the ocean, it doesn't matter whether they are good, bad, or special ed starfish, because they wouldn't have made it to the ocean without that toss.
I have to let these small positives tosses outweigh the negative punches. But I guess those tosses aren't so small, because like the child on the beach says, they're huge to that one child. So, if there's any reason to join the Mississippi Teacher Corps, it's that the Teacher Corps allows you to throw starfish back into the ocean. One at a time.
The Starfish Story
Original Story by: Loren Eisley
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed
a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.
Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”
The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean.
The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”
“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?
You can’t make a difference!”
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish,
and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…”
I made a difference for that one.”
The culminating questions: Do I regret it? If I had to do it all over again, would I have chosen a different job opportunity?
Answer: I do not regret and would never trade my experience in Mississippi. I have learned a lot about myself, my peers, employment and education. If I want to live in a better America, education is where it starts, and as twisted and frustrating as the situation is, it is a situation I need to know and experience.
In summary:
How I have been changed? I'll never take teachers for granted.
Reasons to join: - one starfish makes a difference
- increase your strength of character
- broaden your knowledge of American culture/experience a different (and wonderful) region of
the United States
- meet a group of amazing and good hearted people-- that know how to have a good time
- discover how hard it is to be a teacher and how important they are to our youth -- as a parent
you'll never take your child's teachers for granted!
- get a masters and free computer
Reasons not to join: - you'll be used and abused
- constant feeling of failure and sometimes isolation
- trying to solve a huge problem with too short of time and very few resources
- rural life is slow and sometimes groceries are an hour drive away
- teaching in these districts is SO MUCH WORK!!!
I was going to write about a situation at my school today that upset many of the MTC teachers, but I think Brent did it better than I ever could...
You should not join the Mississippi Teacher Corps for the money. Teaching is one of the most under paid professions on earth. You hear about it from time to time as a student, but when it is actually you, you feel it. You should not join the Mississippi Teacher Corps to change the world. In teaching, you touch lives, the live of young people. Some of those young people will probably look up to you; therefore a person joining the Mississippi Teacher Corps should only look to change the path of, at least one student, not the entire world. You should join the Mississippi Teacher Corps, just to be doing something. If you do not have the drive, the commitment or toughness to stick it out, by November 3, you may be a distant memory. There are many other reasons a person should not joins the Mississippi Teacher Corps, too.
Money is a pretty big issue to most people in the world today. The economy is in a recession. To be frank, money makes the world go around… All the hours I spend each day, week and month planning goes unaccounted for in the pay. Sure, I do coach, but coaching is totally different. Time, Time Time! This Mississippi Teacher Corps thing we do, along with being involved in our school takes time. Leaving before sunrise and not getting home until after sunset is a lot. It is what I do as a teacher. It also goes unnoticed when the check is deposited into the back account. One reason not to join the Mississippi Teacher Corps: the Money.
Another reason to not join the Mississippi Teacher Corps is to change the world. The world will still be the same when you join and after you are done, too. If not, it will not be directly relating to your teaching or membership in the Mississippi Teacher Corps. The feeling may be that, “No one cares that I spent 12 hours planning this lesson…” The fact is, we teach in areas where there is a critical need for a teacher. There could be a number of reasons for such, but the students’ dispositions in such an area, could be effected as a result. You will have opportunities to develop relationships and change some things and even help people, too. Ultimately, the world as a whole, as a direct result of what you do, will not change.
If a person has no idea about what to do with their life and they decide they want to join the Mississippi Teacher Corps, just to be doing something, do not join. To be a member of the Mississippi Teacher Corps and be successful, there has to be commitment. If there is no form of commitment, it will not last. You may survive throughout summer school. August may fly by, without a hitch, but by the time you get into the thick of things, when the students are being their WORST and they know what gets to you, they may choose to work on your every nerve. If you are not committed, you will not last.
You should not join the Mississippi Teacher Corps without first thinking about it. Think long and hard. Is this what you want? If not from Mississippi, think about that, too. It is not easy but so far it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
You should not join the Mississippi Teacher Corps for the money. Teaching is one of the most under paid professions on earth. You hear about it from time to time as a student, but when it is actually you, you feel it. You should not join the Mississippi Teacher Corps to change the world. In teaching, you touch lives, the live of young people. Some of those young people will probably look up to you; therefore a person joining the Mississippi Teacher Corps should only look to change the path of, at least one student, not the entire world. You should join the Mississippi Teacher Corps, just to be doing something. If you do not have the drive, the commitment or toughness to stick it out, by November 3, you may be a distant memory. There are many other reasons a person should not joins the Mississippi Teacher Corps, too.
Money is a pretty big issue to most people in the world today. The economy is in a recession. To be frank, money makes the world go around… All the hours I spend each day, week and month planning goes unaccounted for in the pay. Sure, I do coach, but coaching is totally different. Time, Time Time! This Mississippi Teacher Corps thing we do, along with being involved in our school takes time. Leaving before sunrise and not getting home until after sunset is a lot. It is what I do as a teacher. It also goes unnoticed when the check is deposited into the back account. One reason not to join the Mississippi Teacher Corps: the Money.
Another reason to not join the Mississippi Teacher Corps is to change the world. The world will still be the same when you join and after you are done, too. If not, it will not be directly relating to your teaching or membership in the Mississippi Teacher Corps. The feeling may be that, “No one cares that I spent 12 hours planning this lesson…” The fact is, we teach in areas where there is a critical need for a teacher. There could be a number of reasons for such, but the students’ dispositions in such an area, could be effected as a result. You will have opportunities to develop relationships and change some things and even help people, too. Ultimately, the world as a whole, as a direct result of what you do, will not change.
If a person has no idea about what to do with their life and they decide they want to join the Mississippi Teacher Corps, just to be doing something, do not join. To be a member of the Mississippi Teacher Corps and be successful, there has to be commitment. If there is no form of commitment, it will not last. You may survive throughout summer school. August may fly by, without a hitch, but by the time you get into the thick of things, when the students are being their WORST and they know what gets to you, they may choose to work on your every nerve. If you are not committed, you will not last.
You should not join the Mississippi Teacher Corps without first thinking about it. Think long and hard. Is this what you want? If not from Mississippi, think about that, too. It is not easy but so far it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
A person should join the Mississippi Teacher Corps to be different. When given the question, I wonder…it is more than teaching; it is more than the money, more than anything I have ever done. Anyone can go to school. The thing is, can anyone teach?
On the surface, join the Mississippi Teacher Corps for the MACBOOK! It may not come for a few months, but when it finally arrives it is all worth it.
On a serious note, join the Mississippi Teacher Corps for a challenge. It is a challenge like no other. Going to college, playing football and being a black young man in the United States is nothing compared to teacher at Byhalia High School. That’s a joke. Along with the afore mentioned list of things, it, teaching is ranked right there with them. In life you face challenges. Teaching is just another challenge. It is nothing like college, vastly different from playing football and could never compare to growing up black in the United States.
Having to wake up each and every morning to teach gets old. Someone once said it is the hardest thing you will ever do in life. I have beg to differ. It is not the hardest thing. There are many other things, I would say, that are harder.
Join the Mississippi Teacher Corps for the challenge. I had never in my life thought I would once become a teacher. On this day, December 18, 2009, I would say I am a very good teacher. Although not great, I am good. Since a teacher is never a finished product, I do not feel bad at all about it. As long as a person can commit to something and give it there all, they will be fine.
Aside from the challenge, you build relationships. Some may look at this and say, “What? Coach Huff is antisocial…” I would not say I am antisocial but I may keep have my mouth closed and mind my business more so than not. The thing is, by being a teacher and a coach, I see a lot of people. Once I joked with my friends about now being a teacher, “I have to speak to people.” I cannot walk around all day hushed, as if I do not see my students, coworkers or my players. Now I have transformed into a social butterfly. In summation, if you do not like people or talking and being sociable, the Mississippi Teacher Corps may not be for you. Back in college, I went minutes upon minutes without talking to people. At Byhalia High School, from the moment I arrive at 6:44am, I am swarmed with people, people people. Therefore Coach Huff puts on his best “smile” and greets them with cheer.
The Mississippi Teacher Corps is more than a master’s degree. The Mississippi Teacher Corps is so much more than a Macbook computer. The Mississippi Teacher Corps is a challenge. It is something I had never dreamt of doing in life. Now that I have had a taste of it, I will keep my plans as they are today and pursue my doctoral degree.
This reminds me of the "We are the Fighting Irish" ads they play during ND football games. Danielle Hall, Notre Dame and MTC alum, is featured in this recruitment/information video about the Mississippi Teacher Corps:
In End the Fed, Ron Paul's latest book since The Revolution: A
Manifesto, Paul introduces the basic argument that "it
is irresponsible, ineffective, and ultimately useless to have a serious
economic debate without considering and challenging the role of the Federal
Reserve". Though some of Paul's economic conclusions are arguably
extreme and pragmatic in their approach, he clearly addresses questions that
are thought provoking and relevant in a post-economic meltdown world. Perhaps
the most universally agreeable portion of End the Fed, is in its early chapter
as Paul discusses the nature and origins of the Federal Reserve;
information of which the vast majority of people are unaware. As an eleven term Texas Representative,
Paul holds back few punches in his vocal lament of government involvement in
the private financial sector, writing that "[t]he
entire federal government,is one giant toxic asset at the moment. It certainly
has no business telling the private sector how to run its affairs. It is in
worse financial shape than all the companies in the private sector put
together.” Though many Libertarians and supporters of his cause to audit
the Federal Reserve and End the Fed will cheer his aggressive disdain for
government prevalent throughout this book, his sometimes extreme language will
likely undermine his research credibility with the currently neutral reader. Dr. Paul acknowledges in his writing that abolishing the Federal
Reserve would not be a cure all as all economic systems have inherent
weaknesses, but it would dry up the limitless funds that make it possible for
Washington to fund unnecessary wars, expand the government with few boundaries
and run up obscene deficits. Finally, Paul retells stories
from his own fight against government waste and what he argues are the negative
effects of the Federal Reserve (inflation, economic recessions, limitless money
supply). Though this portion of the book is definitely more anecdotal in
nature, it does provide an enjoyable easy reading account of his efforts in
Washington. Overall
End the Fed provides a valuable thought provoking argument in evaluating the
Federal Reserves role in shaping our national economic policy and fiscal
health.
Algebra 2 thus far has reviewed Algebra 1, learning to describe with pencil and paper (and usually no calculator) the various properties of lines, quadratics, and absolute value. We have approached perhaps two or three objectives from the state Algebra 2 framework.
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