Light at the end of the tunnel...

This week marked the 1 year anniversary of the day that we signed a contract with Teach For America. We had just rented out our house, I was a week away from graduating from USU, and our future - although planned - seemed as uncertain as ever. What did we know about being teachers? What did we know about the achievement gap in America? What did we know about racial and socioeconomic inequality? The answer: very little.

We did, however, have the tools necessary to succeed in the program and make a difference in the lives of our students:

1. A college degree (suggests some degree of intelligence)
2. Experience in rejection (thank you, LDS missions)
3. A genuine desire to serve and lift up the under-served, the poor, and the needy

This year has been an eye-opening experience, and has challenged us in ways we never thought we would be challenged. We have been exposed to a new world, and a different America that we knew and grew up in. Here poverty is commonplace, crime is an occupation, and education is often viewed as an obstacle, not a solution.

I don't remember any of that from my childhood. Sure, there were a few kids that I knew didn't have much money, because they lived in the trailer court near USU's Romney Stadium. And sure, there were a couple of kids who got in trouble with the police and ended up doing community service or going to an alternative school, but that was the case for less than 1% of my peers. Thinking back, I don't know that I can name a single classmate that dropped out.

So what does that say? What does that tell us about the world? The country? The education system? Well, to me it says there is work to be done, and I'm personally glad to be doing some of that work. It's not easy, it's often unpleasant, and it requires a stiff backbone. That's why I can't tell you how proud of Celeste I am. She has developed into a PHENOMENAL teacher. Her students respect her, and their test scores have climbed gradually all year long. She throws it down, people. I wish you could see her in action.


When we both started, we felt like we were drowning. Now we see the light at the end of the tunnel. We have only 3 more weeks of instruction before state testing begins. It's hard to believe this year is almost over. Many of our days seemed to drag on forever. But those days are behind us now, and we're looking ahead with enthusiasm and hope.

Teaching is not a glamorous profession, nor is it high-paying (or fair-paying, for that matter). But I love the feeling that comes from serving these kids, and it's something I'll never regret.