Tonight my fellow TFA'ers and I went to the zoo for a cocktail hour with some of Kansas City's most prominent citizens.  The purpose of the event was to expose them to our cause and to put some faces with the headlines that have been promoting our arrival since early summer.  Some of the attendees included Carl Schramm from the Kauffman Foundation (a HUGE supporter of TFA in KC), Todd Epsten, CEO of Major Brands in St. Louis, Missouri State Senator Jeff Smith, and Maxine Clark, CEO of Build-A-Bear/national TFA board member/honorary doctoral degree recipient, Saint Louis University '08.  (For those of you that were at graduation, she was the little short lady that got her honorary degree with Jack Buck and the Drury couple). It was nice to get dressed up and talk to adults for a change :)

So one of my major challenges in teaching has been figuring out the right approach to classroom management.  At the risk of sounding self-sacrificial, I will tell you that my students are mostly from the ghetto.  Hell, my school is located in the ghetto.  And what my students know is a ghetto way of life.  They haven't been taught that problems can be solved with words and not violence.  The respect for authority figures that is instilled in many children by their parents is lacking. So basically, my job is not only to bring my students up to grade level--which for most of them involves a leap of about 1 1/2-2 years--but also to try and teach them the life skills that they must have to escape the cycle of violence, illegal activity, and poverty that plagues them every day of their lives.  And I know it does--it's amazing how honest and open 8 year-olds can be.

Not that it's all bad.  Some days are better than others...last week I had my first genuinely good, productive day.  That was a big step.  I have lots of stories to share, but right now it's late and I have tests to grade, so I'll have to post those later...

Traveling to St. Louis this weekend for the Show-Me Summit, a day of workshops geared toward the needs of TFA teachers in the KC and STL corps.  Staying with Morgan and Katie and I absolutely cannot wait!!

Oh yeah, and did you catch that TFA shout out on the debate??  Hell yes!