It's the end of week one.
On Monday we have students!
All 50 of us practically skipped out of our school in the South Bronx today.
Elated at a day that finally went smoothly after a week full of high strung, stressed out, there's never enough time 17 hour days.
Elated at having begun our day in the classroom - moving desks, designing bulletin boards, making signs....planning for these kids we can't wait to meet.
Elated that the end of week one means there are only four weeks left.
Elated that relationships are starting to form. We don't eat or teach or interact with strangers anymore but slowly, through conversations on the bus or at dinner or in the elevator, we're cultivating friendships that will pull us through whatever the next 2 years bring.
This week was intense. We were up at 5 am everyday, on the bus with our bagels and bagged lunches by 6, at school by 7:30, then in classes until 4:30. We come back to campus by 6, inhale dinner, then have sessions from 7 until 9 or 10. After sessions there's work to be done and showers to be taken and phone calls to return. As soon as our heads hit the pillow it's time to get up again...
Tonight, we'll sleep...take tomorrow as a 'me' day and Sunday as a lesson planning/poster making/prepare for the week day.
We will make it, and in 4 weeks we'll be teachers, not just a bunch of recent college grads with good intentions and big dreams.