NYCTF Does Not Mess Around w/ Interviews

So, yesterday was my 4+ hour interview w/ the NYC Teaching Fellows program.  (For those who didn't know, I applied earlier this month to become a Special Education teacher through NYCTF -- check 'em out for more info.  It's pretty cool.)

I got there at 3:30pm.  We were s'posed to arrive at 4pm for a 4:15pm registration & 4:30pm start-time.  I wasn't the only early bird either... most folks were there before 4.

Any old ways, when told I had to take a math test, complete a written activity, give a 5-minute lesson, participate in a group activity & then do a one-on-one interview, I responded, (not verbatim), "you've got to put the pipe down b/c that ain't happening."  But, it did & you know what?  It was pretty darn cool & a bit fun.

I have no clue how I did on the math test.  It wasn't your basic elementary school math questions, but tricky ones where they give you a scenario & you've got to come up w/ answered basic on that (ie: If Ms. Fisher wanted to teach her kids some fraction problem & there's more than one answer possible, which of the below are correct...).  30 minutes for 23 questions.  I wonder if they give you the score.  I shoulda asked.

The written activity was based on a short video scenario of a not-so-behaving-well class during homeroom.  After watching the clip & reading the description of three kids, we had 7 minutes to craft our response to how we'd deal w/ each one's situation.  Once again, not sure how I did.  I submitted only a paragraph, but it was a powerful one.

After that we were split into groups & assigned classrooms to complete the interview process.  We had two "selectors" (NYCTF staff) who guided & assessed our way through.  The 5-minute lessons were more fun than torture, but leading up to it was painful b/c I was so nervous.  We took turns -- I was third to go up.  My lesson was on how to tell when the letter Y was being used as a consonant or as a vowel using the Magic of YUH.  It was geared towards 1st graders.  I think I did well, except for rushing through parts & not participating enough w/ the "students" to see if they were getting what I was teaching.  I did that here & there, but I shoulda done more.  Others also came in super-prepared w/ boards, handouts, etc.  I was armed w/ doggy stickers.

The group activity was brief & painless.  We had to just discuss the earlier scenario we watched & wrote about, then give a one-minute presentation on our long-term & short-term goals to achieve academic success.

Finally, came our one-on-one interviews.  Luckily, we had two selectors, so they split us up.  I was third again in line.  We went over the 5-minute lesson.  He gave me feedback -- nothing surprising -- & I had to do it over again.  Then we talked for a bit about different ways I would handle certain situations.

By 8:45pm, I was on my way home.  Very tired, but wired from the experience.

Ooh, before I hit "publish" let me just say the NYCTF candidates that I met yesterday were an amazing, groovy group of people.  They were so dedicated and chomping at the bit to be a high-needs teacher.  Just very neat.

All Frosted-Up w/ No Place to Go

I guess I gotta face it... Thanksgiving just ain't my holiday.  This year we stayed home again & missed my sisters.  We were close to going to Janine's w/ Bonni & all our families.  I even whipped-up a bunch of cupcakes for the occasion this morning, as seen below, but Claire got a fever & Carl was overtired from his trip to Atlantic City that he just returned from, so... well... you know.

Carl, Claire & I stayed true to our tradition of watching a movie together, at least.  This go-around: "Brave" -- not too shabby.  Dare I say, I even shed a few tears towards the end.  Gotta love a Princess flick where the mom isn't dead.

halloween cupcakes 2012

well, thanks to hurricane sandy, school was closed last week, so these puppies didn't get to see the light of day until today.  ladies & gentlemen, may i introduce this year's halloween cupcakes for claire's class...

(tho & stacey... i was thinking of you two while i was frosting.)

 

 



the ultimate mash-up: pink floyd & wizard of OZ

i remember trying to watch "the wizard of OZ" in sync w/ pink floyd's "dark side of the moon" back in the '90s w/ carl in our first apartment.  (i think the rule was to hit "play" on the lion's third roar, but i can be waaaay off.)

i was already online back then, but dang this video on youtube for not b/c it woulda really come in handy then.  at least it's here now for all of our psychedelic enjoyment.