I'm going to be honest and admit that I don't have the energy to write a flowing piece of prose in response to this prompt. And for the first time, Ben, I'm sad about that, because this is a topic I've thought a lot about. I'll come back to it later and give it the time it deserves. For now, however, I will provide a simple black and white itemized list with brief explanations of each MTC effect, separated into three categories: the good, the bad, and the not quite there yet. Here goes.
The good:
I’ve become more caring and empathetic - as a person, not just a teacher. I've come to realize more than ever that everyone has a story, and this year I've found myself personally invested in several of them. I’ve gone from judgmental to more judgmental to totally accepting. I’ve distanced myself from old ideals while passionately seeking out new ones.
The bad:
I'm more argumentative, especially around people who aren't teachers. I'm far too quick to assert my opinion in debates about education and poverty, and I have to make a conscious effort not come off as pompous just because I have these two years to boast. I'm afraid that sometimes it's offensive, so I need to get to the point where I come off purely as someone who's invested in underprivileged children and education. I need to do a better job of showing that I've formed my opinions through an immense amount of caring and reflection, not just out of ego and face value assessments
The not quite there yet:
I'm absolutely not the person I was a year and a half ago. And that's a good thing. It's not that I was a bad person... none of us were or we wouldn't still be here. But this experience will change you; it'll make you think more critically about this country's problems, about life, about people. It'll make you more compassionate for those from a background different than your own. It will teach you how to manage time and stress in a way that makes your worries in college seem laughable. What I haven't yet mastered is putting all of this in perspective in the moment. I still get frustrated and I still get overwhelmed. But I'm hoping that whatever I encounter post-MTC will seem easy by comparison.
The good:
I’ve become more caring and empathetic - as a person, not just a teacher. I've come to realize more than ever that everyone has a story, and this year I've found myself personally invested in several of them. I’ve gone from judgmental to more judgmental to totally accepting. I’ve distanced myself from old ideals while passionately seeking out new ones.
The bad:
I'm more argumentative, especially around people who aren't teachers. I'm far too quick to assert my opinion in debates about education and poverty, and I have to make a conscious effort not come off as pompous just because I have these two years to boast. I'm afraid that sometimes it's offensive, so I need to get to the point where I come off purely as someone who's invested in underprivileged children and education. I need to do a better job of showing that I've formed my opinions through an immense amount of caring and reflection, not just out of ego and face value assessments
The not quite there yet:
I'm absolutely not the person I was a year and a half ago. And that's a good thing. It's not that I was a bad person... none of us were or we wouldn't still be here. But this experience will change you; it'll make you think more critically about this country's problems, about life, about people. It'll make you more compassionate for those from a background different than your own. It will teach you how to manage time and stress in a way that makes your worries in college seem laughable. What I haven't yet mastered is putting all of this in perspective in the moment. I still get frustrated and I still get overwhelmed. But I'm hoping that whatever I encounter post-MTC will seem easy by comparison.
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