Well, I’m at the 16-week mark on my journey toward permanent teacher certification.
Last week, I had some not so much fun when I had to pay my tuition…
I had to get a student loan to finance my classes, but I messed up a bit because I did not know that student loans are only dispersed once each semester. Because I am attending mini-terms (two sessions per semester), part of the tuition for my second term had to come out of my pocket. I will get the money back at the end when I receive the difference from my last term’s fees and the dispersed amount, but still, $200 (the difference this term) is no small chunk of change.
Aside from paying out huge amounts of money that will take me forever to repay, life was good last week.
I did not have any assignments to finish, except for the creation of three CDs (one per class) of my work. I dropped those off on Monday night when I took Rooster to his class at the college.
I spent the bulk of the week working on lesson plans. I also knit and, quite honestly, vegged out on my couch.
On Friday night, I made the mistake of looking at my online school’s web site.
My new classes had been opened up.
I just had to punish myself by looking at the assignment schedules.
Whoosh…
My happy bubble burst.
Reality set in.
A new round of classes was about to begin.
And begin, it did, when I attended my Saturday classes.
You might remember that my classes are conducted in a hybrid fashion. Most of the work is done online; however, attendance is required one Saturday per month, for a total of two in-class sessions per term, per class.
I must admit, though, that as I got ready for class at o’dark thirty on Saturday, I looked forward to seeing my classmates.
I feel as if we are part of a Special Forces unit in the military (I’ve previously said that we feel like a family, but “family” is too mild of a word).
We’re doing battle together…the war being fought is us versus the assignments.
When I walked into class at 7:30, I smiled at my classmates. I was genuinely happy to see them.
The names and faces are starting to stick.
We have been reading and responding to each others’ postings for two months. Many of these postings are extremely personal because reflections are part of the curriculum.
There is a core group of us…thirty or so people who started the program in January. We’re all on the “fast track,” meaning we’re taking three courses each term. On Saturdays, we’re like animals being herded from one pen to another as we move from classroom to classroom.
I cannot speak to the emotions that others are experiencing through this process.
My emotions have run the gamut from overwhelming anxiousness to pure joy.
And yet, yesterday morning, as I got ready for church, I could not help but reflect on how inspired I felt after Saturday’s class.
This term, I am taking the following classes:
- Teaching and Technology
- The Teaching Profession – Field Experience
- Diversity in the Classroom – Field Experience
My technology teacher is AMAZING! She works at my school district’s office and is in charge of instructional technology (or something like that) for the county. I’ve already read the first chapter of the textbook, taken one quiz, and completed one assignment, and I can honestly say that I am pumped up! The school that I teach at is extremely small; it is sorely in need of technology. I can see so much potential in what the kids could (and should) be learning. This class is going to breathe life into my lesson plans as I search for ways to incorporate technology into my students’ academic lives.
My other two classes are my field experience classes. This is the term when I will be working with a mentor teacher. I will be spending three days outside of my own classroom soaking up the lessons that will come from observing and teaching my mentor’s classes. I am very excited and very nervous.
One thing though…I am not feeling as overwhelmed as I did that very first Saturday in January.
God is so good.
He has shown me in very tangible ways that He is with me every step of the way.
The way certainly has not been easy, and there were a few days in the beginning when I wanted to throw in the towel.
I am so incredibly glad that I did not.
I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that God will get me through every single day and every single assignment.
And so I continue to press on.
Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: certification, EPI classes, teaching | Leave a comment »
AuburnChick's Adventures 