My Experience

I feel like my experience in the Mississippi Teacher Corps has been fairly typical of most of the participants. In a nutshell, I came in thinking that I would kind of know what to expect simply because I had had two friends try their hand at teaching in critical-needs districts and I had heard all of their stories. I was soon humbled after my first lesson when I realized that I sucked at what I thought I was going to be good at. Throughout the first summer, I felt like I continued progressing, and by the end of that time period I thought I had gotten a lot better. I suppose it is relative, but looking back on it now, it seems like all I had accomplished was to transition from being unmitigatedly inept to barely recognizable as a teacher. I remember naturally gravitating to the people who were at or who would be at North Panola High School with me. They would be the first ones that I would be able to call my new friends and, skipping forward to today for a second, I feel like I have become close with all of them. That actually says a lot since I am naturally somewhat introverted. The first year was filled with disappointment, frustration, and a need to be comforted. In regard to my first year of teaching, I have no problem being candid about two things. One, I am glad it is over and that I have it under my belt. Two, I honestly do not think I would have made it without the friendship, emotional availability, and overall positive teaching community offered by the Mississippi Teacher Corps participants at North Panola. I remember going into the second summer with my confidence shattered into a million tiny pieces. I was actually worried that I would be as bad as I had been the previous summer. Fortunately, and thank God this happened, my one year of experience had unforeseen benefits for me and I was able to rebuild some of the confidence that I so desperately needed. Even with a month off before real school began, that momentum stayed with me and I actually got off to a pretty decent start. Today (12/15/2011), it’s not as dandy as it was at the beginning of the year due to inconsistencies from both me and the administration, but I am light years ahead of where I was at this time one year ago.