Alas, MIA-ing,

for time is a luxury, per the following sample daily schedule:

5:00am - Wake up and get ready
6:00am - Breakfast
6:40am - Bus departs to summer school site
7:00am - Campus meeting
7:30am - Assist in students' arrival/Prepare classroom for teaching
8:00am - Lead teach/differentiated time
9:30am - Academic Intervention
10:30am - Nutrition
10:45am - Lead teach/differentiated time
12:15pm - Lunch/student dismissal/supervise lunch
1:00pm - Professional development sessions
4:30pm - Bus returns to LMU
5:00pm - Work out
6:00pm - Dinner
7:00pm - Meet with Corps Member Advisor
7:45pm - Workshops/Institute Learning Teams/Regional meetings
10:00pm - Meet with Collab/Lesson plan/Prepare and practice lessons
by 2:00am - SleepAll to legitimately earn the following titleas we daily battle and persevere for the "one day [that] all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education." Yessirs and madams, I've been successfully indoctrinated by TFA.
But hey, at least I'm not the only one.

In deadpan seriousness, 'tis been an overwhelmingly thrilling journey thus far, and I've still a long and tortuous way to go. As the days literally flash by, I'm incessantly inspired and subsequently increasingly invested with amassing amounts of "sopo," or sense of possibility, for what our homey globe could look like with a closing achievement gap. I've the privilege to meet some of the most amazing people I have ever come across here, and as I glance at the 2010 corps members (that's what they call us) around me, I can scarcely believe God granted so much abounding grace for me to bask in the midst of these amazing individuals, each with our own stories and experiences, but all united by a singular mission.

But more importantly, I am floored by the opportunity to meet our soon-to-be students - children facing extra challenges due to the national injustice called the achievement gap. Kiddos with limitless potential to achieve and succeed beyond everyone's expectations if only they're bestowed the opportunity. The initial meet-and-greet shall transpire whence we visit our summer school sites in a few hours time. I shall be teaching 8th grade English at ICEF View Park Preparatory Accelerated Charter Middle School this summertide (Why do charter schools adopt such exhaustive names?)!!! I am so humbled by this thoroughly exciting yet blatantly daunting task. Though I am learning how to teach for the following five weeks, I've a hankering my students will end up teaching me more than I am going to teach them.

"...For all things are possible with God." - Mark 10:27

I've so very much to learn. And, so, let the learning commence!