tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930044.post110022377988007534..comments2007-10-31T15:01:13.745-07:00ex-TFAerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227540642319942991noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930044.post-78161555055227998392007-10-31T15:01:00.000-07:002007-10-31T15:01:00.000-07:00Hey Ex-TFAer,<BR/><BR/>I stumbled upon your blog (google search for TFA stories) and just wanted to thank you for totally hitting the nail on the head.<BR/><BR/>I was an '07 Phoenix corps member, "was" being the operative word. I taught middle school language arts until the end of the first trimester and recently re-signed from the corps. Thankfully, my region was as pleasant as possible and helpful during my dismissal.<BR/><BR/>I still think the mission and intention of the group is good, but I think that I got kind of sucked up into the recruitment without REALLY thinking about what I was doing--teaching! Damn, is that not the hardest job in the world, or what? ESPECIALLY in the circumstances we taught. What is important is that TFA recruiting uses ALL of those weak reasons you listed to suck in potential candidates.<BR/><BR/>I think my biggest cause of angst was outside of the classroom. My region all but mandated that we enroll in Arizona State's Master's in Ed. program, which we attended Monday nights 5:30 - 10. That pretty much shot one night every week to try to do "teacher" things, and it also dumped a ton of homework on top of our already-demanding commitments. Likewise, our fall "orientation" was very frontloaded. We started teaching Aug. 6 and had Saturday and mid-week orientation commitments with our PD or other people...almost every week! It literally drove me nuts. It was like institute never ended, and finally, I said enough is enough!<BR/><BR/>I am three weeks out of teaching and moving on to career plans B, C, and D, but I wanted to thank you for articulating my thought processes about the group more accurately than anything else I'v heard/read. Good luck, and thanks!<BR/><BR/>--John Carlisle<BR/>Glendale, AZJohn Carlislehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16707132155622099009noreply@blogger.com