Home Sweet Home!

Back in Oaktown and already missing institute. I must say, those first few weeks were rather rough in terms of scrambling together lesson plans and attempting to execute effectively and efficiently. Overall though, despite the fact that I was extremely skeptical that Teach for America could prepare individuals completely new to teaching to lead their own classrooms to high achievement the very next fall, I am feeling far more confident in this regard than I ever thought I would.

On the last day of teaching this summer we got new freedom in terms of what we could plan. We began the day with a spontaneous push-up contest, with Mr. C. seeing just how many he could push out in two minutes. This was sparked by my informing the class why I had been absent the day before - attending my brothers OCS graduation - and following that, how many push-ups my brother did in 2 minutes. Mr. C. thought he could easily surpass this number, and set to work with bewildered and skeptical students looking on. In the end, Mr. C. put forth a valiant effort, performing far more than I thought he could; however, his form did not reach ARMY standards, and therefore I had to inform him that virtually every one he did would not have counted (I also warned him of this during his attempt, but he failed to heed my warnings).

After a morning workout, it was time for my lesson: Meditation. I set out on the floor the blankets I had brought with me and asked students to remove their shoes and join me in a circle. We chatted about the benefits of meditation - including stress reduction, boosting the immune system, improved cognitive and athletic performance, and more. Then we got into our first meditation: with our eyes closed, we counted our breaths from one to ten and then back to one in our heads.

Now, keep in mind that when first considering whether or not to bring meditation to the class, I had a few reservations. First and foremost, I was concerned that students would simply fall asleep. This was a risk particularly due to the fact that my lesson came first in the day - 8:30am. My second worry was that they would not take it seriously, perhaps laughing and talking during the meditation. Fortunately, my fears were assuaged. Our kids were energized and a short talk about staying focused on the meditation kept them engaged ("if you find yourself with your eyes open, exchanging a laugh with a friend, just close your eyes and bring your attention back to you breathing"). When I was ready to bring them out of is, I opened my eyes, looked around, and saw all students relaxed with their eyes closed. It was a definite success, with students saying that this was a technique they would likely try again at home when they needed to relax - whether it be to escape the stress that an unhappy baby's screaming might induce or just to come down before bed after a long day. This is something that I will absolutely incorporate into my classes in the fall once a safe, supportive environment has been established.

I have been home for a few days now and it's unbelievable how quickly institute went by. I will surely keep in touch with students I met over the summer and will spend the next two weeks preparing mentally and logistically before heading back to the South for more directed preparation. Nice to get some time off though to eat well and see old friends!