First Week in Oxford

Wow! I cannot believe that I have already been in Oxford a week! Everything about my time here has been much better than I could have imagined (and I came in with some pretty high hopes!). The town and the campus are beautiful and the people both at the university and in the community are welcoming and helpful. The ubiquitous senses of school spirit, pride, and loyalty are addictive.

One of the highlights of my week has been the thought-provoking conversations I have had with the other employees in the Dept. of Education. It is extremely encouraging that individuals who work in the field are constantly discussing how the education system can be improved. Low salaries for teachers, cultural clashes, and differing discipline styles are all common themes. As I listen to these conversations, my mind is spinning with ideas I wish we could implement to attempt to rectify the problems. If only we have the financial means to do so...

I was fortunate that Ben et al invited me to their meeting in Holly Springs Friday morning. We met to iron out specific details for the summer school that the MTC teachers will be staffing during the month of June. I was caught off guard by the amount of time during the meeting that was dedicated to delineating specific disciplinary procedures and consequences. I am saddened that this discussion is so pertinent; it makes me question what steps teachers, administrators, parents, and students can each take in order to address the cores of the behavioral issues. Additionally, I was shocked when I read over the disciplinary referral form. One of the disciplinary options for teachers was "corporal punishment;" "number of licks" was the next section of the form to be completed! Regardless of whether or not I feel that this is appropriate, I simply could not believe that such actions were legal in the public school system in 2006!

On a more positive note, I am really looking forward to meeting the first-year teachers! They are arriving this weekend! I have read and heard so much about them I am excited to meet them in person. The group seems to be diverse and eclectic -- I am interested to see how we are all going to be able to learn from and with each other. Can't wait for (almost) everyone to meet each other on Tuesday morning!