Staying Strong in the Windy City

So I've survived my first week of Institute in Chicago and it was such a roller coaster of emotion. Basically the first week consisted of waking up at 5:30am to eat breakfast, pack a lunch, say a quick hi to my friends and then head out to Webster and Melody Elementary Schools, my home away from home for the next five weeks. While there are things to complain about, my overall experience with Institute has been positive. There are certain aspects that have taken some getting used to such as the lesson planning templates, immersing yourself in 4 different curriculums, the lack of AC in the schools and just adjusting not even seeing my Charlotte friends during the day. I'm teaching 2nd grade and starting this week of with writing. It's so funny to look back at the curriculum and remember what exactly you learned when you were in second grade.

It's not easy, that's for sure. There was a point in the middle of last week when I was just asking myself, why am I here. I couldn't quite get the concept of key points, I was exhausted and I was just not used to not getting an idea or concept on the first go around. Luckily, I have a lot of positive forces around me that sent me encouraging emails, texts that made me smile and friends here reassuring the fact that we are all in this together. I have come, in my mind, so far from that moment now and I'm glad that I'm here. My turning point was actually meeting my captive 9 2nd graders who were so eager to call me "their teacher."

This weekend we had time off to explore Chicago and I love it here. We went out, we shopped on Michigan Avenue, went to a free Counting Crows concert, went on the Navy Pier ferris wheel and just enjoyed ourselves. I'm really lucky to have met such a great friends already and I don't think I could get through this experience without them. At the end of the day, even for a 15 minute dinner, I find so much comfort in sharing stories from our days.

And so begins the first day of actual teaching. I'm nervous but so excited at the same time to get my feet wet, receive (hopefully) constructive criticism, and help make a difference in my student's lives.

With that, I'll leave you with some pictures from the weekend.