My first full week of City Year training was a good one. Friday I was finally told the school and team with whom I will be working. There had been a lot of anticipation regarding this placement. I had my sights set on the National Charter House School (NCHS), which will serve as a national pilot program, testing various approaches and techniques that will further City Year's ultimate goal, addressing the high school dropout crisis. I did everything in my power to ensure my placement at this school, I spent a lot of time working on the application, I verbally assured the City Year staff that I was enthusiastic about the program and willing to learn (not easy for me), and I tried to ask them good questions about the work that they were doing at the school. Unfortunately, I was not accepted into that program. Instead, I am at the Boston Renaissance Charter School (BRCS) and really happy with the placement.

It turns out that at BRCS there will also be opportunities to lead students in activities that are not exclusively academic (something I thought was unique to NHCS) and I was less enthusiastic about NHCS after I found out that corps members are not actually involved in the actual data analysis collected at the school. I don't have any regrets about not being placed in that school. Any negative sentiment was especially wiped out when I started to get to know my team this past weekend at a retreat. There are 15 of us and everyone has had a unique and accomplished life (this should not be shocking due to a number of experiences indicating that people are generally interesting, however, the realization still manages to surprise me). Additionally, one of the girls on my team, Uma, is actually going to attend Oberlin next year- Small world!!!!!

One exercise that we did this weekend that I found particularly intriguing was a "Leadership Compass". Each direction, North, West, East, and South, stands for different leadership traits respectively, active, analytical, visionary, and empathetic. After due consideration, I determined that I am North-East, leaning more towards the East. I had started to think that I would never be able to figure out what leadership type I am, when I recalled a plan I had for making my house more environmentally sound this past summer. This plan rapidly grew to include organizing the basement, which, in turn, necessitated an organization of the garage and finally the entire house. It was a really good plan and I was really excited about it (as I am sure anyone I was hanging out with at the time will attest to). I had details hashed out, but when I tried to follow through, I was stuck. I felt bogged down by the enormity of the task. Definite East. At the retreat we drew a compass in the sand, and my team was spread evenly around the compass. Our opinions on where we stand on the compass may change as the year progresses, but the basic idea that within one team there is such a variety of strengths and abilities to support each other where we are weakest makes me excited to work within the team this year.

I will not start working full time in the schools until October 4. Until then I will be doing training at City Year headquarters and working occasionally at the school to help the teachers set up and to welcome the students to the school. We visited the school for the first time yesterday to meet the teachers with whom we will be working. Last year Boston Renaissance was located in a 13 story building in downtown Boston. Each grade had a floor, and there were over 1000 students packed into the building- a fact that made fire drills thrilling I'm sure. The school is transferring to a renovated old mill and it is an awe-inspiring building. There is exposed brick and wood in every room. Massive arching windows look out onto a turf field and track containing a jungle gym. Vibrant colors add life to every room. The interior of the school seems to reflect the school's philosophy of being open to learning through whatever path is most effective for the individual.

I went to a briefing on the school mechanics with the 4th-6th grade teachers today, and they spent a lot of time discussing and proposing different techniques to assist each other in making learning as fun as possible. One question was, "how do we communicate the school's behavioral expectations creatively, so the students are engaged and have fun, but also learn the material?" Several ideas were thrown out and one teacher was given the floor because she apparently did an excellent job last year. The other teachers seemed to genuinely appreciate her input and I saw many taking notes. They also discussed an activity called "open circle", which they hope to implement at least two days a week, and at which the kids will have an outlet to discuss problems and issues among fellow students or in their personal lives. In these 15 minute sessions the teacher is supposed to play a hands-off role and to serve as a guide assisting the students in problem solving skills and I am sure a number of other things. There are also typically 2 teachers per classroom that collaborate together and while one teaches the other assists by working with smaller groups or by simply walking around the room to ensure that the kids are all on the same track. The Boston Renaissance Charter School needs to improve (otherwise we wouldn't be there), but it seems to me that it is headed in the right direction and I am really looking forward to observing the school and how effective they are with their creativity and fun.

I am happy to announce that I had success in the job search. After three days of applications and resumes, I was contacted by an owner of a cafe that sells coffee and deli items and focuses on locally grown produce. I had turned in my application Friday morning and heard back from the owner that night. She asked me to come in for an interview the next day. It turns out that she actually did City Year in the 90s, and she was very sympathetic to my need for a second job. I feel incredibly fortunate. The cafe has a great atmosphere (I got free coffee just for the interview and the people seem really nice), it is also a 15 minute walk and 5 minute bike ride from my apartment, and the owner said that she knows City Year is really intense, so I should keep her updated as to how I am feeling and she fully understands if I need to take a weekend off (which I am not likely to do).

Please stay in touch and write comments if you suffer the urge!!

Nora