Life After Connecticut College

So during the day down here it's started to get as low as the mid 50's. Everyone keeps talking about how cold it is, but it's nothing compared to the winters walking across the fields at Conn with the wind blowing in from water on two sides of the campus. One of my students (I shouldn't say favorite student because teachers shouldn't have favorites) well anyway one my students with cerebral palsy is determined to learn how to write even though his limbs are determined to not obey his commands. He has the will and the determination so I've decided that we're going to spend some time each day practicing writing skills. Today we were working on making capital A's and for a moment he was able to actually do the up down and across motion that this letter requires with minimal assistance form me, and he was so excited. I have never seen so much excitement. So that was in fact the highlight of my day.

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Posted by Tahereh Coq at 12:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At the end of last year I got accepted to teach for America New Orleans corp. I drove down to New Orleans at the beginning of June, and headed off to Texas for a five-week Teach for America training. This training was in fact one of the hardest things I have ever done, or at least I thought until I started teaching. I'm currently working as an elementary school special education teacher. My school is Fannie C. Williams and it's located in New Orleans east, which was hit very hard by the hurricane. This year is the first year that Fannie C. is re opening, and we are currently a modular campus. This is difficult at times, especially when it rains. I have never seen puddles like the ones in New Orleans. But we make it work, and I feel very lucky because my principal is amazing. My students range in disabilities from mild to moderate learning disabilities to sever and profound disabilities, but they are all amazing, and the reason I go to work every day. New Orleans is an incredible city, like nowhere else in America. When I travel outside of the city it almost feels like when I return to the states form a different country. I highly encourage people to come and visit the city. It will be a great vacation and one of the best ways to help this city re-build.

Posted by Tahereh Coq at 5:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)