The first round of applicants to TFA for 2011 just got accepted, and now everyone in the office who was a TFA corps member gets to spend the next two weeks calling them and trying to convince them to join. It's weird to hear so many people having so many animated conversations (most of which start with "CONGRATULATIONS!") in our normally quiet office, I feel sort of like I'm working at a telemarketing company.
The other weird thing is having the conversations themselves. I am really glad I did TFA (obviously, or I wouldn't have decided to work for them) and everything I tell the people I call is absolutely true (you get great ongoing support, you work with wonderful people, you can get a Masters degree in two years for free, you develop really positive and meaningful relationships with some kids). But at the beginning of my first year teaching I really resented TFA for not giving me any warning that kids would throw desks in my classroom and curse at me, and now here I am calling accepted corps members and not telling them about eye-stabbing or getting called a cracker or crying every night for the first few months, because I know that would make them not join and that after they finish the two years they will be glad they did it. Somehow I have to convince myself that this doesn't make me a jerk.
No comments:
Post a Comment