Aftermath. Graduation is Saturday, but really it's all over except the formalities.
Not even a lot of those, really. On Monday, our program has its farewell dinner, some sort of heartwarming affair where we eat with our faculty and our mentors all say nice things about us. On Friday there's another optional dinner, where our program celebrates alumni who have finished five years of teaching. I'm still awaiting feedback on my final portfolio, though I know it was "accepted" without need for revision. My certification paperwork is pending.
On the "completed" list, alongside my portfolio you can add student teaching, classes, and fixing my flat tire which apparently had a nail in it.
So am I celebrating yet? I guess you could call it that. I went for a hike in the Wissahickon (one of my favorite parts of Philly, a pretty massive forested area, with plenty of paths, that's big and secluded enough that you can actually forget that you're still well inside the city limits), along with some classmates. I've had nights of porches and parties, I'm reading and cooking more, and I'm doing my laundry before I run out of clean clothes.
At the same time...I don't exactly feel like I'm out of the woods yet. Three significant obligations remain, regardless of the TEP-sized hole in my schedule.
Not even a lot of those, really. On Monday, our program has its farewell dinner, some sort of heartwarming affair where we eat with our faculty and our mentors all say nice things about us. On Friday there's another optional dinner, where our program celebrates alumni who have finished five years of teaching. I'm still awaiting feedback on my final portfolio, though I know it was "accepted" without need for revision. My certification paperwork is pending.
On the "completed" list, alongside my portfolio you can add student teaching, classes, and fixing my flat tire which apparently had a nail in it.
So am I celebrating yet? I guess you could call it that. I went for a hike in the Wissahickon (one of my favorite parts of Philly, a pretty massive forested area, with plenty of paths, that's big and secluded enough that you can actually forget that you're still well inside the city limits), along with some classmates. I've had nights of porches and parties, I'm reading and cooking more, and I'm doing my laundry before I run out of clean clothes.
At the same time...I don't exactly feel like I'm out of the woods yet. Three significant obligations remain, regardless of the TEP-sized hole in my schedule.
- Finding a job. Future/prospective TEP-ers, I'd love to be able to tell you I'm graduating with a job already lined up, but it hasn't happened yet. Cross your fingers that something changes between now and the conclusion of this blog, but don't hold your breath...
- Teaching. I actually left my student teaching a bit early to start up a "teaching internship" at a local neighborhood school. I'll write more about this before I sign off, but the short story is, I'm doing small-group instruction, particularly in literacy, for a kindergarten classroom that is...struggling. Like I said, more soon.
- Finishing up my work with admissions. And yes, that means a few more blog posts before I say goodbye to Penn. Stay tuned!
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