This is Information Retrieval...
Witness the birth of a new tag: " teach."
At approximately 2:30 p.m. EST Friday, I filed my last bit o' paperwork with the Philadelphia School District and was, in return, handed (a.) a carbon copy of a release/entry form to give to the principal of CAPA and (b.) an honest-to-goodness employee ID card! Ladies and gentlemen, w00t. If there's one thing I've learned, it's to go into procedures like this with the movie Brazil fresh in your mind.[1] Or, you know, not.
I am undecided on whether to place the ID on a hooked lanyard -- I have ones from Aquent, Miller Genuine Draft, and maybe a concert or two lying around somewhere -- or one of those retractable-cord thingies. If the latter, I may see if one exists that can be attached to a carabiner. I've been meaning to get one for keys and such, channeling my inner bike messenger.
This week was the first of now five weeks leading up to the start of Philly's school year where I will have some sort of orientation. This was week 1 of PSD's "Strong Beginnings" induction program for new teachers: three days of Powerpoints, instructive MP4s, and reinforcing in-person exercises.[2] It is held at the brand-spankin'-new incarnation of Audenried High School at 33rd and Tasker (literally next door to I-76), where some of the classrooms still have network cable hanging from the ceiling but the metal detectors are already hooked up.[3]
Next week, another three days of Strong Beginnings. After that? The first full week of August I'll reside at Immaculata College[4] for more teaching strategizing from Temple University, without which I can't actually get into the program that will get me my vo-tech teaching certificationeventually get me my Master's degree. The last week of August, the PSD has a two-day capital-letter New Teacher Orientation with the school superintendent, the head of the teachers' union, a pretty well-respected teacher/author, and what looks like a vendor fair? Somewhere in between should be another PSD gathering specifically for career & technical education (CTE) teachers like myself.
Now, maybe, I can buy some time to finish putting the new place together. Here's to brushing up on my cave-painting.
[1] A funny aside of the hope-you-get-the-joke variety: So a pleasant tech comes to my new apartment to hook up my new instance of Comcast internet service. In the process of testing connections, reviewing paperwork, and calling the home office, we realize my name and number is on the form for installing new service, but the old tenant's name is still in Comcast's "system" at this address. That tenant's name? Tuttle.
[2] Plus a binder of Powerpoint handouts and other documentation about the size of a poorly proofread door.
[3] I'm quite sure I was scoped out as a "buyer" heading home the first day.
[4] Free room and board! And nuns!
At approximately 2:30 p.m. EST Friday, I filed my last bit o' paperwork with the Philadelphia School District and was, in return, handed (a.) a carbon copy of a release/entry form to give to the principal of CAPA and (b.) an honest-to-goodness employee ID card! Ladies and gentlemen, w00t. If there's one thing I've learned, it's to go into procedures like this with the movie Brazil fresh in your mind.[1] Or, you know, not.
I am undecided on whether to place the ID on a hooked lanyard -- I have ones from Aquent, Miller Genuine Draft, and maybe a concert or two lying around somewhere -- or one of those retractable-cord thingies. If the latter, I may see if one exists that can be attached to a carabiner. I've been meaning to get one for keys and such, channeling my inner bike messenger.
This week was the first of now five weeks leading up to the start of Philly's school year where I will have some sort of orientation. This was week 1 of PSD's "Strong Beginnings" induction program for new teachers: three days of Powerpoints, instructive MP4s, and reinforcing in-person exercises.[2] It is held at the brand-spankin'-new incarnation of Audenried High School at 33rd and Tasker (literally next door to I-76), where some of the classrooms still have network cable hanging from the ceiling but the metal detectors are already hooked up.[3]
Next week, another three days of Strong Beginnings. After that? The first full week of August I'll reside at Immaculata College[4] for more teaching strategizing from Temple University, without which I can't actually get into the program that will get me my vo-tech teaching certificationeventually get me my Master's degree. The last week of August, the PSD has a two-day capital-letter New Teacher Orientation with the school superintendent, the head of the teachers' union, a pretty well-respected teacher/author, and what looks like a vendor fair? Somewhere in between should be another PSD gathering specifically for career & technical education (CTE) teachers like myself.
Now, maybe, I can buy some time to finish putting the new place together. Here's to brushing up on my cave-painting.
[1] A funny aside of the hope-you-get-the-joke variety: So a pleasant tech comes to my new apartment to hook up my new instance of Comcast internet service. In the process of testing connections, reviewing paperwork, and calling the home office, we realize my name and number is on the form for installing new service, but the old tenant's name is still in Comcast's "system" at this address. That tenant's name? Tuttle.
[2] Plus a binder of Powerpoint handouts and other documentation about the size of a poorly proofread door.
[3] I'm quite sure I was scoped out as a "buyer" heading home the first day.
[4] Free room and board! And nuns!