first days, first impressions

So the first week in our placements is over and I'm absolutely amazed at how many stories we already have to share about our mentors, our students, our schools and our classrooms. In just two days of observation (and limited participation), we've seen icebreakers ranging from classic name games to staged altercations, introductions to school rules and classroom expectations, hallway fights, transgendered students, embittered administrators, frazzled teachers - an endless array of vignettes that will shape our experiences throughout the year. Some of us have been privileged with mentors that expertly model our ideal style of instruction while others are learning what NOT to do. In some schools discipline and order define the culture while a more freewheeling attitude prevails a few miles away. Disparities in resources, student ability, teacher quality, and administrator competency are not just anecdotes in a reading assignment anymore, they are concrete, observable, and utterly frustrating. Welcome to public education!