Ain't Got No Worries . . .

By now the lot of you probably know that I have been accepted to the Teach for America 2009 corps for the Mississippi Delta region. Although I had hoped to be able to stay in Atlanta, I am pretty darn excited about the opportunity and the chance to do something totally different for a while. In an effort to educate my many fans and maintain my sanity, I figured I'd put up some of the answers to the frequently asked questions I've gotten so you can all follow along at home. Behold.

1) I head to Mississippi on June 4 for a few days of induction and interviews with principals and stuff.

2) Then I go to Houston for 5 weeks of teaching and training. Please people- if you know of fun things to do in Houston, please let me know. I suspect I shall not have a wealth of free time, but just in case I desire to get out and about . . .

3) Then it's back to Mississippi for a few days. At some point during summer training, I find out where specifically I will be teaching- town, school, grade (most likely elementary) etc. Once I'm back in Mississippi, it's my understanding that I will work out my housing and stuff.

4) Then I teach for two years.

5) No, I won't necessarily get a master's.

6) Yes, I will be certified at the end of all this.

7) I have to take Praxis I and II. And possibly another?

8) I have no idea where specifically I will live at this point. See #3.

9) Sure, I have a map of all of the potential locations right here (Memphis, Little Rock, and Jackson are included as reference points- they are not part of the TfA region):


View Teach for America - Delta Region in a larger map

10) Very excited. Sort of nervous.


For the time being, I am about to finish up my second semester of grad school at Mercer, but I have no idea what will happen with the credits I have earned so far in that program once I am off to Mississippi. You can find me most mornings behind the counter at Danneman's and most afternoons holding court by the pool. Life is hard, friends. Come see me before I head off into the sunset.