To Infinity, and Beyond

Great news! I passed my PRAXIS II: Mathematics Content Knowledge! My score was a 160 and I needed a 123 for Mississippi standards and a 139 for Oregon! So thankfully I’ve passed in both states, and if it turns out after the 2 years with TFA I’ll want to continue teaching math, I’ll be able to come back home and do that.

I still need to take my PRAXIS I (kind of like an SAT - covers reading/writing/math of high school material), but fortunately I found a place in Eugene that offers the test on Sundays, so I won’t have to miss practice like I did for the Praxis II. Plus, this one is computer-based so I’ll get my reading and math scores immediately! No 4-week wait this time. I will have to wait a bit for my writing scores as someone will actually have to read my essay and grade it. I’ve been meaning to start studying, but I caught a bug this past weekend and haven’t had energy to do much besides going to class and practice. Yesterday I did change my tail light on my Jeep though! I’m basically a mechanic now! Ha!

I went to the Oregon State vs University of Victoria rugby game last weekend and snapped these shots of those insane men!

It was the first rugby game I’ve been to, and I have to admit it is a fairly violent game!

http://katiehumm.wordpress.com

I’ve had some experience with this blogging site before, and can’t seem to master this teachfor.us site.

Adios!

On November 10th I received an email welcoming me to Teach for America and was extended an offer to teach secondary math (7th-12th) in the Mississippi Delta. That’s almost all the information I have on where I’ll actually be living for the next two years. As a rough guide, I’ll be living somewhere in here:

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I’m pretty excited to be part of such a great organization, and to be honest feel pretty stoked that they wanted me! I read an article from The Daily Princetonian that stated the national acceptance rate for TFA is 11.7% (while the Princeton acceptance rate is 16.7 percent); so it’s pretty cool to know I am one person that makes up that 11.7 percent.

I have to take the PRAXIS I and PRAXI II: Mathematics Content Knowledge tests in order to quallify to teach next year. I take the PRAXIS II test this Saturday, January 9th, which is both freaking me out and also causing me to shut down. I want to study, and I try, but it’s so overwhelming that I just decide not to study…. good coping method? Probably not. Apparently the passing score for Mississippi is only slightly above the median (50%) and I think I can do that. But this is probably me just rationalizing not studying. Oh well. I’ll let you know how it goes.

As for now I’m just focusing on getting my class schedules in line so that I can graduate this spring with my Biology degree, Education option, and Environmental Sciences minor (this is my 5th year, at least I have something to show for that extra year). Also, my rowing team is prepping for the start of our spring racing schedule. It is going to be quite a trying year with a young team attempting to follow up on an amazing season where we were invited to the National Championships in Camden, NJ, and finished 15th as a team!

If I were admit to being stressed about something it would be the transition from being an OSU student-athlete, living an hour and a half from my parents, taking my last finals June 7-11th (hopefully closer to 7th), skipping graduation all together and hopping a flight to Mississippi with a couple suitcases and starting Institute (training) on June 13th. And moving out of my house and moving all my stuff back home to Portland, including my constant companion, Duncan, who isn’t allowed in the Delta Institute living quarters (they’re a local university’s dorms). What a sad day!

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Anyway, that’s all for now, but I’ll keep you updated!

-katiehumm-

This will be updated later, but wanted to throw a post on here so if someone comes across it they’ll at least have some info.

Hi! I’m Katie, a 22 year old 5th-year senior at Oregon State University. I’m on the varsity rowing team here, taking mainly filler classes, and waiting to graduate and get started on this adventure that Teach for America has offered: secondary math in the Mississippi Delta!