Surprise Surprise

Without a doubt, my second week in Mississippi was much more demanding than my first week, in terms of admin work at least. If I had to title week two it would be: Reality Check. I think I got a little caught up being chauffeured around to speakers, taking killer notes, and discussing the issues (not actually doing the nitty-gritty work involved in alleviating the issues). However, like most interns I’m also here to get the little jobs done that contribute to a successful big job.

This week Betsy (the other Amherst intern) and I collected, filed, scanned, and copied documents from the first-year teachers. On Sunday we sat in on a staff meeting (my first staff meeting!). We also began preliminary planning for our oral history project. Honestly, no one told me this internship was going to be so much work. Past interns only informed me of the great speakers, fun day trips, and the “chill” bossman. I’m not mad though, I’m gaining skills that I’ll probably be able to use later in life ☺. Besides, I know how great an internship program I’m in. I’ve already begun to hear horror stories from friends about their summers. Eeek!

Anyway, what has surprised me? MMM…how about the volume of work that we’re going to get done this summer. I know, I know, I’m not complaining, just belaboring the point….lol. What really surprised me is the reality check that first-year teachers get. Maybe it’s just me, I don’t know; I think coming into the program people have these fairy tale ideas of themselves being that teacher who comes in (some resistance from students in the beginning, but it’s all good after a couple of weeks) and inspires their students to strive for something more than the lives they see outside their barred windows. All the students succeed.

That in most cases is fiction. Fact: Most teachers aren’t that teacher and the overwhelming majority of “those” students go from looking outside the window to being on the other side of it, nostalgically looking in.

The First-years began academic classes and initiation into the reality of race in Mississippi. The others and I enjoyed watching the Daisy Pictures documentaries, even though I know the films were just the tip of the iceberg (The movies were filmed in Oxford, MS on a University campus. In Mississippi that’s a fairly progressive location).

The teachers have to go through a lot more than I expected. Can you imagine teaching full time, coaching, having students come to you with out-of-this-world problems and staying on top of your studies? Geeze Louise. I hope at summer school I get the opportunity to see the first-years, second-years and MTC alumni in action in the classroom. Every week I’m realizing more and more how much of a commitment MTC (and teaching) is. Forget the facts, I hope each and every one of these teachers is that teacher.

-Radical.