#nyctf

It was a long and rough summer, and I'm really glad it's over, but I am so proud of cohort 29! Ready for one final celebration tomorrow! #Fellows #NYCTF #ShowEmHowToTeach (at Jhs 131 Albert Einstein)

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Does this sound like you? Apply today and take the first step towards shaping the future of our communities. #NYCTF #WeTeach @nycteachingfellows

I think the question numbers didn't match up in some pages, and then aligned perfectly in others?

When I wake up in the morning, get dressed, and head to work, my thought is always on how can I make today better. How can I get my students to buy in? How do I get them excited to stretch themselves through the challenges and not shirk away? For me, one of the greatest joys as a teacher is seeing my students grow and succeed in their endeavors. There is a rewarding feeling knowing that you played a role in making a difference. I enjoy hearing my students say "Ms. Bhalai, I got it" and actually do have it. There is an amazing feeling as a teacher to see your students' heads burrowed in their books and working with the person sitting next to them to solve a problem. To hear them debating with each other the accuracy of a solution makes you feel that you are doing your job well. In my class, I like the feeling of a controlled chaotic energy, meaning I am never sure where my students may take the topic. However, I want to see and hear their mistakes because it makes me aware of the misconceptions they have. As I complete informal checks of/for understanding throughout the class, I am assessing their responses, I am checking their notebooks to see how they set up their problems, and I am looking at the connections they are making. In doing this, I am able to formulate my analysis on where my students are in the midst of teaching a topic. It also helps to inform my next steps in moving forward in this topic. The ultimate goal is for the students to make and show progress in all that is being taught. If there is no progress, then there is a gap in the teaching-learning continuum. As a teacher, it should always be a professional goal to not only stretch your students to excel, but to also stretch oneself. Constantly identify and implement strategies that promote learning and encourages student growth. We have to let our students know that they are capable of learning and provide them with the resources needed to tap into their potential. Lastly, we need to set the foundation in which our students know that we believe in their ability to realize success. Kemouy Bhalai 2011 NYC Teaching Fellow Middle school special education math

Sitting in classrooms across a school in Queens, students work to complete their response to the question “What is my American dream?” These young people are immigrants, the twenty-first century subjects of public comment and the “homeless tempest-tost” arrivals referred to in the poem at the base of the New York Harbor’s iconic statue. They are among the 43% of our city’s students who speak a language other than English in the home. They come from vastly differing circumstances: they include the children of a central Asian diplomat, an orphan fleeing central American gang violence, a brother and sister recently reunited with their eastern European father and refugees of political upheaval in west Africa. Theirs cultural, linguistic and educational experiences may differ, but they share a deep and abiding motivation that drew them here: the hope of a better future. The needs are apparent to anyone who takes the time to look closer. English language learners are among the most challenged students in our school system. According to figures released by the Department of Education, just 40.5% graduated on time in 2016, compared to a Citywide average over 70%. New to English students must navigate an unfamiliar school system in a new language that follows norms other than those they are familiar with. New state examinations have increased the linguistic complexity of the commencement-level assessments, adding a further barrier to their demonstration of content mastery. Compounded by the modest economic circumstances of many recently arrived families, it is not hard to find evidence to explain their struggles. But at some schools, the graduation rates for English language learners more closely approximate the city average for all students. These schools and their teachers focus on building upon the strengths of these learners while providing supports to help them to maintain academic progress as they develop English proficiency. Getting to know these students allows one to see beyond their obstacles and appreciate deep reserves of ability within them. Each of them has a particular ability to relate across cultures, an important trait in our globalized times. A student who has overcome challenging circumstances learns a resilience that those from more comfortable upbringings may not have the need to discover. As their voices join to our chorus, they become part of our ongoing narrative of what it means to be an American. Teachers are among the first and most influential representatives of our city and they offer a gateway to the dreams our students came here to pursue. Education remains the best opportunity students have to find a better future. We work in the hope business, and it is through our shared, sustained efforts that we do the hard work of translating those dreams into new and better reality. We lift our lamps beside golden doors. Anthony Finney 2004 NYC Teaching Fellow Principal International High School of Health Sciences

I've been reading NeuroTribes by Steve Silberman & have been blown away by his approach to explaining and honoring the beauty of autism. If you are an educator, interested in autism or are touched by it personally, this is 100% a must read.