Click on this to learn the secret to criticizing white privilege without alienating half of your friends on facebook!

              How can minorities talk about white privilege without alienating most white people? Introducing the "upper middle class" reassurance gag. Make most white people feel like your post isn't about them by specifying you're only talking about white upper middle class people. Since even the upper middle class thinks their not in the upper middle class, while the rich believe they are the upper middle class, you'll pretty much only offend a small percentage of the friends on your facebook. In the mean time you get to rip into all the aspects of white privilege you hate the most. I hate that words like dude and totes are considered eccentric, while the words homie and "mad" are considered unrefined and ghetto. Darn those whit... I mean upper middle class white people! If you want to take your race avoidance to a whole new level, omit any mention of race. Affirmative action is cool when it's only based on SES! Keep up with this practice and you too can be a trendy social justice writer who has bunch of reblogs on tumblr.

Note: use of this technique may result in massive reduction in realness
Second note: I know this is super corny, I was bored. 

Things I wish someone would have told me before joining Teach For America

                I have finished my first few months as a teacher and while it hasn't been easy it also wasn't the miserable experience everyone told me it would be. The tips and advice I was given by a variety of people about Teach For America was mostly useless in my opinion. Here are a few things I wish someone told me before I joined the Corp. This reflects my personal opinion and your decision to join or not join should be your own.

1. The Corp is not a monolith
              Every Corp is different. The NYC Corp has a different culture from the Baltimore Corp. Every Corp has different quirks, challenges, benefits and hardships depending on the needs of that location. For example, every single NYC Corp member must go to grad school while in the Corp. This is optional in many other locations, making the stress of going to school and being a first year teacher particularly difficult. I'm sure other locations have different difficulties that the NYC Corp doesn't have. That's why it's so crucial for you to talk to a current first or second year CM from that particular region. They'll give you the truth of how things are.


2. Getting accepted is the easy part
          I don't intend to offend anyone who may have been rejected by Teach For America, as I know it's an arduous selection process. But when you are admitted you need to be prepared for the craziness of going on flights for interviews, getting your certification while still in college and also beginning to look for an apartment and roommates in your new location. This on top of finishing your final semester of college can become incredibly stressful, Also, the financial obligation is very taxing. Teach For America tries to alleviate the financial obligation, but there's only so much that they can do. You should honestly talk to someone at your location about what is to be expected from you before you join the corp.

3. You may not teach what you want to teach
          I am an English and Political Science major who is now teaching 6th grade special education math in an ICT setting. I hate math. I never wanted to teach math yet here I am teaching it and it's something I've grown to accept. You joined the corp committed to filling the needs of the community. You don't get to be upset and disgruntled because you don't get to be comfortable. Now that being said it's not like TFA tries to place you somewhere you don't want to be. On the contrary, they make a concerted effort to place you somewhere you'll fit well.

4. No one is going to teach you how to teach
        Sure institute is a month long crash course, but I promise you that institute just grazes the small surface that is teaching. Actual teaching is far more difficult and is something you learn while in the classroom. I am lucky enough to simultaneously take graduate school classes so I've been given extra support on proper pedagogy while also learning on the job. TFA has tons of resources at your disposal, but they aren't going to force you to use them. You need to take the first step.

5. The goal isn't to be an amazing teacher for 2 years. It's to eventually be an amazing teacher for 5 to 10 years
        You will hear stories of legendary Corp members who go into their two years burn themselves out doing everything possible for their kids, achieving amazing results, but find themselves too exhausted to continue. I wanted to be those corp members at first, but then I realized that isn't healthy nor is it even beneficial for my kids. I don't know if I'll stay in teaching, but I will definitely not return if I burn myself out. Sustainable teaching practices need to be promoted in order to have long lasting changes in our communities. Be open going into the corp, don't immediately assume you're going to quit.

6. Veteran teachers only hate you if you have an ego
      I trust veteran teachers in my school. They always prove to have insight that's worth far more than what any class could tell me. Teaching has humbled me and I now know that there's so much to learn. Don't go in thinking you're great. You're not. You're a new teacher.

7. Many of the people you meet in institute will quit
        Not everyone is cut out for teaching and not everyone is as supported as you are. Don't be judgmental or shocked when that teacher who won "transformational teacher award" during institute quits in their second month because they had a nervous breakdown. It happens. Teaching is difficult and in the schools we teach in sometimes you fall through the cracks. I learned that friendships don't end when someone quits unless you make them end. Be ready to be supportive of a lot of career changes and please don't ever tell someone to "suck it up"

8. TFA won't hold your hand through the growing pains
       When you hit rock bottom, there is rarely anyone else there but yourself. MTLDs can be amazing or they can be over worked and generally unhelpful. The seminars in TFA will often do nothing to help alleviate the dark hole that can be your first year teacher. Also, if you have a horrible administration it can feel like you're completely isolated. As a NYC corp member who has his family and friends to support him, I am shocked by those who come here from across the country and go through the hell that is your first year teaching alone.

9. Ignore the strong face culture, everyone is secretly crying themselves to sleep
       Ok everyone isn't crying themselves to sleep (especially not some charter folk), but there are plenty of people in the corp who come home from their job and begin sobbing due to the exhaustion. Being a first year teacher can suck and that friend who keeps telling you that her classroom is perfect and she has no problems at all is a huge liar. We all have our rough days. The best conversations I ever had were with corp members who lifted me up when I felt like a failure as a teacher (shout out to my buddies Schulze and Pagnotta :D) So don't stress that you haven't transformed a kid's life yet. The moment will happen if you keep believing in your kids.
I might edit this as I think of more. There's so many things I wish someone would have told me.
Edit #2: Added a few more, I may start another thread called " Things I wish someone would have told me before starting my first year teaching"