Dylan has officially begun his first semester as as student teacher. He's thrilled to be working with a middle school math teacher who was voted the best teacher in DC for the 2013-2014 academic year! He's also working in a fun environment at a relatively new charter school with a small group of three other math teachers. They've been doing get-to-know-you and communication activities these last couple of days and have professional development activities for two more weeks before students come.
I had the privilege of meeting with one of the professors I'll be working with this semester as a graduate assistant at the downtown offices of his NGO - The Public Law and International Policy Group. PILPG does pro bono legal work with groups in conflict or post-conflict countries, helping them draft new constitutions or incorporate reconciliation and peace-building processes in their communities. I think this is fascinating and central to sustainable development and I am so excited to get started! I will be working with the Syria team.
While Dylan had a bit of a holiday the last two weeks, I've been finishing up my first grad school class (Economic Theory) and working at a language immersion summer camp for preschoolers. The second half of my econ class was all about macroeconomics (the first half was micro). We learned how the government can affect the economy through fiscal and monetary policy, about the causes of the 2008 financial crisis, and about the difficulty involved in making accurate economic predictions and therefore good economic policies. We also discussed long-term economic growth and the success of some countries (mostly in Asia) and the disappointing progress in others (mostly Africa) due to investment, or lack thereof, in human and physical capital and technology.
On a much less academic note, at summer camp I have practiced changing diapers, playing make-believe, and doing various crafts involving paper plates, paint, markers, and glue. I have also used my French much more extensively than at any point in the last five years, which is great! I'll be working at the summer camp until the end of next week.