Pinching Myself...
In October of 2016 I applied for the New York City Teaching Fellows. The following month I interviewed for a Special Education position. On January 5th, I told my mother that I was accepted to the program. She immediately began crying. I couldn't believe it.
Here we are, it's June of 2017 and I'm laying in my bed in my tiny room in my tiny apartment in Brooklyn. Sleeping at foot of my bed is Oliver, my roommate's cat who quickly took a liking to me. My NYCTF calendar is above his head on the wall, marked already with plenty of deadlines and meetings. Looking at the blocks from here I can see that I moved in exactly 3 weeks ago. It's been a really enjoyable 3 weeks so far. I'm so in love with this city. There's a vibe in the city that is hard to describe but it's one that makes you feel like you're home.
I can't believe I did this. I actually moved to New York City. I accepted my offer into this program, took 3 CST standardized exams (math, science/technology, English), the GRE and an EAS exam, completed 4 online prep courses for training, chose an apartment, pieced my post-grad self together and moved into this apartment. This was a really drastic change for me. I was so anxious in the weeks and days leading up to the move. My father would ask me how packing was and bring up Brooklyn somehow into the conversation and my stomach would just churn. I was so anxious to uproot my life and move to a city of 8 million people. I can't begin to describe how happy I am that I made this decision for myself.
I spent much of the first week acquainting myself with the area and surrounding. I tried the local grocery stores, deli shops, bodegas (yes this is a new NY vocab word), shopping malls, gelato shops, libraries, the 4-mile park. I met a friend in Manhattan on one of the first nights to attend a Syracuse alumni event. I got off the train in Times Square. I probably looked so ridiculous because I couldn't stop smiling. I was elated. Blown away. I had to remind myself that this is where I live.
We later went to the East Village in Manhattan, which is a lively young person's dream. We clanked out $16 sangria's and cheered to "adult life."
I began training last Monday which was a TCIS course, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention in Schools. We basically learned how to manage and follow up with students in crisis. This training is required by the Department of Education for anyone in the school district who works with special education students. I found it extremely interesting and motivating. After the written and practical exam, my instructor complimented my work during the week and thanked me for being so present.
Monday I begin classes at Brooklyn College. Time has gone by so quickly. Everyday is something new. Like I keep telling my mother on the phone, I'm so fascinated by everything around me. This city has so much life and so much to offer.
There's just so much going on. On the first day I woke up to the sound of children outside of my window laughing and playing with a ball. A woman on the G train was holding an imaginary box in her arms for the duration of my 30 minute ride and no one batted an eyelash. I walked a mile to a school tour in a Hasidic Jewish neighborhood. I ate chicken meatballs with a friend in the West Village just so that I could see Carrie Bradshaw's stomping grounds. I got lost on the train the second day and had a mini panic attack. I socialized with my roommates and her friends on a photo-worthy outdoor bar patio. I took too many shots of Tequila and then ate pizza rolls with my roommate at 2 a.m. I walked to a farmers market and bought a carton of fresh strawberries for $5. I ate a whole wheat bagel with cream cheese and tomato from Terrace on my block and practically licked the foil after. I ate, and continue to eat, non-GMO organic whole milk yogurt that's $2 per cup. I also ate, in 2 days, a pack of Fig Newman's (the organic, healthy, bullshit version of Fig Newtons). I brought a towel to the park after a day of training and fell asleep for an hour and a half. I could go on...
I'm excited to be placed in a school setting to begin skill-building sessions. I'm excited to work for the DOE in September and help fight education inequities. I'm also looking forward to creating relationships with my students and to see their growth over the year we have together. This is just the beginning.
Here we are, it's June of 2017 and I'm laying in my bed in my tiny room in my tiny apartment in Brooklyn. Sleeping at foot of my bed is Oliver, my roommate's cat who quickly took a liking to me. My NYCTF calendar is above his head on the wall, marked already with plenty of deadlines and meetings. Looking at the blocks from here I can see that I moved in exactly 3 weeks ago. It's been a really enjoyable 3 weeks so far. I'm so in love with this city. There's a vibe in the city that is hard to describe but it's one that makes you feel like you're home.
I can't believe I did this. I actually moved to New York City. I accepted my offer into this program, took 3 CST standardized exams (math, science/technology, English), the GRE and an EAS exam, completed 4 online prep courses for training, chose an apartment, pieced my post-grad self together and moved into this apartment. This was a really drastic change for me. I was so anxious in the weeks and days leading up to the move. My father would ask me how packing was and bring up Brooklyn somehow into the conversation and my stomach would just churn. I was so anxious to uproot my life and move to a city of 8 million people. I can't begin to describe how happy I am that I made this decision for myself.
I spent much of the first week acquainting myself with the area and surrounding. I tried the local grocery stores, deli shops, bodegas (yes this is a new NY vocab word), shopping malls, gelato shops, libraries, the 4-mile park. I met a friend in Manhattan on one of the first nights to attend a Syracuse alumni event. I got off the train in Times Square. I probably looked so ridiculous because I couldn't stop smiling. I was elated. Blown away. I had to remind myself that this is where I live.
We later went to the East Village in Manhattan, which is a lively young person's dream. We clanked out $16 sangria's and cheered to "adult life."
I began training last Monday which was a TCIS course, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention in Schools. We basically learned how to manage and follow up with students in crisis. This training is required by the Department of Education for anyone in the school district who works with special education students. I found it extremely interesting and motivating. After the written and practical exam, my instructor complimented my work during the week and thanked me for being so present.
Monday I begin classes at Brooklyn College. Time has gone by so quickly. Everyday is something new. Like I keep telling my mother on the phone, I'm so fascinated by everything around me. This city has so much life and so much to offer.
There's just so much going on. On the first day I woke up to the sound of children outside of my window laughing and playing with a ball. A woman on the G train was holding an imaginary box in her arms for the duration of my 30 minute ride and no one batted an eyelash. I walked a mile to a school tour in a Hasidic Jewish neighborhood. I ate chicken meatballs with a friend in the West Village just so that I could see Carrie Bradshaw's stomping grounds. I got lost on the train the second day and had a mini panic attack. I socialized with my roommates and her friends on a photo-worthy outdoor bar patio. I took too many shots of Tequila and then ate pizza rolls with my roommate at 2 a.m. I walked to a farmers market and bought a carton of fresh strawberries for $5. I ate a whole wheat bagel with cream cheese and tomato from Terrace on my block and practically licked the foil after. I ate, and continue to eat, non-GMO organic whole milk yogurt that's $2 per cup. I also ate, in 2 days, a pack of Fig Newman's (the organic, healthy, bullshit version of Fig Newtons). I brought a towel to the park after a day of training and fell asleep for an hour and a half. I could go on...
I'm excited to be placed in a school setting to begin skill-building sessions. I'm excited to work for the DOE in September and help fight education inequities. I'm also looking forward to creating relationships with my students and to see their growth over the year we have together. This is just the beginning.
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