Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Field Training (or Lack Thereof) [UPDATED]

It is just past midnight and I am not exactly sure what I am supposed to do tomorrow.

As a part of the Teaching Fellows program, I am supposed to go to a school during the summer session and observe / student teach. While I am thrilled to do both, I lack the proper instruction to do so and I think part of it has to do with me already being hired.

There are two options. People who do not have positions for the fall have been assigned a school for field training and instructions on when and where to be at the beginning of summer school (tomorrow morning). Option 2 is that people who do have a position for the fall. We are supposed to be in contact with our school and our school should give us all the reporting instructions for our field work. I am in the latter group and have received no instructions on what to do / where to go for summer session. So after leaving a voicemail last Thursday, calling today (with no answer), and an email this evening, I am hoping that someone from somewhere will contact me. If not by tomorrow morning, I will be making more phone calls and more emails to those who I find appropriate.

Needless to say, it is a bit frustrating. While I have a hard time objecting to the free time of not being in class until 1, I would highly value some classroom experiences to better prepare me for the fall. However, I think receipt of my stipend check and metrocard tomorrow will mitigate some anxiety.

[UPDATED]
In response to my email last night, the administrator who I contacted emailed me back early this morning. I was very glad to see that he indicated he would take appropriate action to ensure that I and the other person assigned to my school knew exactly where to go and what to do for summer session. I am currently awaiting further instructions before reporting to the school.

When I sent the email, I CCed the other person assigned to the school, a Fellow from my cohort who will also be working there come September. He responded saying something about how the administrator's response seemed to indicate administrators would be providing strong support to rookie teachers. I hope he's right.

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