I am finally here!

Induction only began the day before yesterday, and already there are so many amazing people I've had the privilege of meeting and so many informational sessions I've attended that have really helped me to reflect upon what kind of a teacher I want to be. Most of all, I feel very inspired and encouraged by everyone here who shares my ideas about educational inequity.

Let's break it down. There are 185 corps members (CMs) here in Los Angeles for induction. The corps here is 30% male. There is a very elaborate team structure, building from the CMs at the bottom to their Transitional Team Leaders (TTLs), who are each in charge of eight CMs. A Program Director (PD) is in charge of a similar group of TTLs, and there are various other administrative positions above that, culminating in the Executive Director. All the acronyms take some getting used to, but they're very reflective of the way Teach For America (TFA) works. It is all very structured, organized, and supportive. Support is rampant here. Everything also seems very transparent. We had a session about misconceptions about TFA and criticisms of it that was stimulating (see my earlier blog post). I also attended a session about how to have a good interview, since there will be a placement fair tomorrow very early in the morning. Hopefully by the end of the day, I will know exactly what grade level and subject I will be teaching and where. I'm a little nervous about the interviews, but overall I feel confident in my ability to be calm, honest, and well, confident. Some of the questions are tough, but today they really prepared us well. Lots of mock questioning and practice.

For anyone planning on interviewing to be a teacher, here are some of the most common questions that are asked:

• What is your teaching philosophy?
• What is going to be your classroom management system? [Or, how would you handle a disruptive student?]
• How would you handle teaching students in your class who are working at very different levels academically? (Answer: Differentiation.)
• What does "at-risk" mean to you? (Answer: Unequal opportunities and low expectations.)
• Are you willing to tutor after school, participate in extracurricular activities, teach summer school, etc.? (Trick question: The answer is that academics come first.)
• What are your thoughts on standardized testing? (Trick question: Your answer is that students' high performance is what counts, not your personal feelings on the issue.)
• How will you foster relationships with parents/guardians? (Saying something that implies that you aren't psyched about it is a red flag.)
• Why do you want to work in a low-income community? (The answer should be about your students, not you.)
• Do you work well with others? (The answer is yes.)
• Define your working style. (The answer should involve being open to learning and new approaches.)

Fun, huh? Well, I should go to sleep so I can "perform" well at any interviews I get tomorrow. Should be fun!