Step 27: With the Help of my Friends

I was recently speaking with a prospective student about the elements of this program that stood out to me as particularly valuable, and I realized that one that I have not touted loudly enough throughout this blog is my dependence on my cohort. I cannot imagine having gone through this year without them. To have a group of classmates/colleagues/friends who are sharing my excitement and my frustrations in the Penn classroom, the elementary school classroom, and everything in between, has made every challenge much easier to endure, and every high much more fun to celebrate! Pragmatically speaking, it has also been helpful to have a built-in group of 30 people who know my class schedule and assignments. Most importantly, however, is the fact that I now have a group of new friends who are working toward a similar goal. Even though I will be leaving Philadelphia at the end of this program, I will doubtlessly rely on these friends as I face the tremendous difficulties of my new teaching career. And just as we faced 10 miles together in the cold and rain, I am confident that we can endure other challenging conditions with each others' encouragement and support!

TEP classmates facing the wet Broad Street Run this weekend!