SHOP FOR A CAUSE!

IT’S THAT MAGICAL TIME OF YEAR.  Back to school?  Heading into your first fall in the work world?  Or are you just a shopping addict like myself?

You can support TFA (perhaps you’ve heard me mention TFA here once or twice?  maybe?) and get a 30% discount at the stores you probably already shop at.

DO IT.

Support. Send the attached e-mail to your friends and family and copy and paste the following link and message in your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles and update or send a reminder in the days prior:

www.gapinc.com/giveandget/teachforamerica - Save 30% at Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy and support Teach For America

Shop. Print this coupon and present it at check-out when you shop at any Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy store from Thursday, August 26 – Sunday, August 29.

Save & Support! Get 30% off any in-store purchase at Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy, with five percent of your net purchases going to benefit Teach For America from August 26–29.

First Day of School

So on Friday I had chilluns.  AND I SURVIVED.

Highlight reel:

• Being told in first period that my shoes were too loud and I “needed to wear flats.”
• I was playing Jack Johnson while they took the student survey and no one complained and a few kids even asked me for the name of the artist at the end.  So that was cool.
• Another girl called me over to tell me I looked “just like a JC Penny’s model.”  I think this was meant to be a compliment.
• Since Danielle and Priya will ask regardless— purple J.Crew ruffle scoop-neck tshirt, black pants, gold belt and black peep-toe heels.
• Final student quote: “Ms. Foran, you are crazy.”  “Yes, I am.  You should keep that in mind in my class.”
• One of my students in the 12th grade is the same age as me.  I now desperately hope they never figure that out.
• I lied, more student quotes: “Are you one of those teacher people?” “Uhm, yes?”  “No, one of the teach—” “Teach for America?  Yes I am.”  “Oh, good, you guys are good.”  (Yay!)
• It’s good that the impression is positive— out of a staff of about 30 teachers we have 6 first year TFA and another 5 or 6 second years.  So.
• Kids really will do anything better if its a race or competition.  We played a name game ice breaker five times in one of my classes because they kept wanting to beat their own time.
• “Ms. Foran, you have the easiest name to pronounce in the school.  That’s why we’ve decided we like you.”  Take what you can get.
• Turns out that the most valuable thing I got out of Institute, in terms of things I literally used on the first day?  Lots and lots of practice at getting kids in a line.  My high schoolers are a LOT better at it than my kids this summer were, but there I was tapping my shoulder while asking them to get theirs against the wall.
• And as always, the biggest thing I bring to class?  Ability to change my mind about something mid-lesson and take a deep breath. 
• So glad I don’t teach the 6th graders who are apparently a… special group.  And they are like four years away from high school… thank goodness.  (I think I am supposed to not think that and be all about getting them into shape or something but let’s be honest, I am nowhere near ready for that.)
• I despaired of learning all the names, but some of them are already coming together.  I think I could have a good portion down by next weekend (she said, optimistically).
• My own notable quotable moment?  Throughout the day I referred to myself as addicted to email, a bit of a dork, and best of all, “If we could get through this year and I never have to hear ‘he hit me, she hit me, he pulled my hair,” and other elementary school nonsense, I would be very, very happy.  Don’t bring that fuss to my class.”

Winning quote from life (sadly not mine, but another faculty member), “This high school is like the black version of Saved by the Bell… jocks, nerds, cool kids, all together helping each other out.”

Does that make me Mr. Belding?  Were there any other teachers on SbtB?  These are the things I think about while I plan the Do-Now for tomorrow and pick out an outfit that doesn’t require heels.  Overall, a good first day.  Now to get to work and get going with this entertaining group of kids.