After much fretting and worrying and research, my thesis proposal is done.  It was due last Wednesday but the professor knew I wouldn’t be done until this weekend. I sat down yesterday and started it, for the 27th time   and made great progress.  It’s amazing how once you find the path you want to take the paper just about writes itself.  So I worked on it about 2 hours yesterday, about an hour and a half last night and then 5 hours today.  The bugger is done.  Not only that but I actually got 2 papers done.  I’m using my thesis topic in another class and I got that paper done too. Woot!!!!! You have no idea how good I feel.  I want to jump up and dance in my Dansko shoes!! So now I’m going to veg in front of the TV for a little bit. Then I’ll take the dogs to the park and have a relaxing evening. Tomorrow I will pull the paper up again and do a last read through. I’m sure I’ll have some minor revisions, I’m never satisfied with my writing, but then that’s it. Monday I turn it in and I’m done until I start the research for my thesis.

Well this week is off to a rousing start, actually it’s half over.  Things are going really, really well.  We have been covering things and some kids have even been learning – amazing!!!  I’m happy.  Now I know what I have to do…..

I was just cruising around the web and found some interesting news stories.  Rochester, NY has rescinded a curfew.  Apparently in 2006 they had some teen violence and so they started a curfew.  Well the state court of appeals has decided that it violates parent’s rights. I understand and I believe that the government should keep their noses out of our business BUT, it the parents are not controlling the teenagers and letting them run wild at all hours of the night, that’s a different story.  If the parents won’t take responsibility then the government needs to step in.  I think that if teens are caught out after curfew the parents should be fined.  But I generally don’t hold opinions that most people agree with.  Although I’m sure there is some Rochester personal injury lawyer who would find someone responsible for something. Ah well, if I ran the world things would be much different……

Okay, I have some things to do before I head out for class…..

That’s what I’ll be doing today.  I’m going to get ready for next week by having fun things for the kids to do in class.  I’ve got things to do for my classes so I’ll be getting those things ready.  I’ve got a few other things to do too so today will be all about work.  That’s okay since I did nothing yesterday.  I laid around and read my book, went out to lunch, went shopping, a very relaxing day.  It was nice.  But today I have things to do.  I also have to take some time and plan my time during the week.  I have lots to accomplish in the next few weeks and I need to get organized.  I find that if I don’t have a plan I don’t get much done.  So today is all about planning and working.  I’m tired already and it hasn’t even started yet

So summer school has not been going so well.  I have really not been having a good time this week teaching and I sat down yesterday to try and figure out why.  What I realized is that I do not like the way I’m supposed to be teaching this class at all.  I don’t like the whole way that she has me going about this class so I’ve decided I’m going to switch it up.  Today is Friday and we are basically going to play games today.  I have a math bingo game and some math dominoes games for them to play.  It’s only 2 hours so that’s what we’ll do today.   But over the weekend I’m going to revamp the entire program.  I’m going to work out the rest of the summer.  We will have 15 more days and I’m going to make sure each one is full and doing something that I think is important.  I’m going to work out lesson plans that will cover the material then put in some extra assignments for them.  I’ll have days where we play games to keep it interesting and fun.  Things like that.  This is just craziness…. The good thing is, it is only 15 more days.  I can do that..  So that’s my plan.

I’ve been keeping a journal of my daily teaching experience and I think I’m going to put it up here at the end of every week.  Rather then do a daily post, which I know I won’t do, I’ll put up a weekly recap with all the gory details of the week.  I want to remember the experience and a weekly recap should be good enough.

Yesterday was much better than Monday.  What I’ve discovered, and I’ve known I just forgot, is that I can’t teach someone else’s lesson plan.  I have to know what I’m doing and understand why I’m doing it.  I guess that would make me a lousy substitute teacher, huh?  But Monday was pretty bad, at least I felt it was, but I took some time and planned out yesterday and it went much better.  Yesterday after class I stayed and planned out today so that should be okay too.  I also have some backup material in case we finish early.  I also got 4 more kids in class yesterday and with more kids things just take longer.

I’ve decided to keep a journal and document these beginning days. I want to remember how frustrating they were and how I worked through them.  At this point I’m keeping a written journal.  I can’t decide if I should start a new blog, or change this blog to the story of my teaching career or what.  I’ll figure it out, but for now I’m handwriting it.

So now that things appear to be back on track we are making Colorado plans again.  That kind of got pushed to the side with Nala and Rocco and my being unemployed and all that stuff.  Now it’s back front and center.  I’ve already started looking around for some travel deals so we can make a trip there. I’ve begun to get excited again.

Well, I think I’m going to take the dogs for a hike again.  That was so nice yesterday quiet and peaceful.  I’m off.

Yesterday was my first day teaching summer school.  I met with the head of the math department and got the curriculum literally an hour before class started.  I had zero prep time and most of the activities included making copies which I didn’t have time for.  I ended up having to wing it for 2 hours and it was miserable.  I know the kids were bored and probably thinking what the heck is this??  The class is considered an algebra prep class but there’s no real, structured math taught.  It’s supposed to teach the kids to think creatively about solving problems.  We had a bunch of brain teasers for them to work on yesterday and overall it was pretty boring and dull.  It might be because I only have 7 students, there were supposed to be 12.  If there are more students it might be more fun, but with 7 it was pretty boring.

I have decided I’m going to keep a daily journal for my teaching experience.  I want to remember these first days and look back on them years from now and laugh.   Well, this morning I’m taking the dogs for a hike, then I’m going to figure out what we are doing today, then head out for school.  Luckily class doesn’t start until 11.

As is typical with me, when I have something that is weighing heavy on my mind I tend to avoid it.  I know that I should be getting things ready for tomorrow but I”m not.  I cleaned the bird cages.  Vacuumed the house.  Watched some soap operas.  Cruised Craigslist looking for nothing in particular.  I did find a cool looking undermount sink for sale, not that I have any use for something like that but it was cool. You get the idea. Avoidance behavior, I’m the master. I did however print out some brain teasers for class tomorrow just in case I run out of things to do. Okay, I’m going to do something serious now.

The okay thing about possibly blowing that test yesterday is that since I got a job at a private school I do not have to be certified by the state to teach.  So I can teach and repeat the test until I pass it.  I do want to get certified by the state because ultimately that’s probably where I’ll be working.  I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who thinks this whole Praxis thing is nuts.  Patricia you are absolutely right.  The whole No Child Left Behind thing is just insane.  They say they want highly qualified teachers yet I know some science teachers that will be teaching English next fall.  Huh??  That’s not highly qualified.  Anyway I have time to jump through their hoops since I got a job at a private school so I’m happy.  The thing is that test costs $90 every time you take it!!

Okay, enough of that.  Oh, one more thing.  So I start teaching on Monday.  It’s a pre-Algebra prep class.  The head of the math department was supposed to get a hold of me to go over the curriculum for the 4 week course last week.  Here it is Sunday and I have not met with her.  I finally heard from here yesterday morning that she could come by at 6:30 tonight!!!  I’ll be up all night getting ready for tomorrow.  People don’t realize that I don’t know what I’m doing and need a long lead time to get ready   Oh well.  It’s only for 2 hours I guess I can come up with some review stuff to do for the first day.  I like having a plan and hate  winging it.

I totally was going to write about something semi important but in carrying on about school and testing I’ve forgotten what it was.  Hmmm….it is tough getting old.  I went to WW yesterday and gained  two pounds,  I wonder if it’s time to look into some ephedrine? Of course, when I start teaching full time in the fall I’ll have my hands full. I’ll be running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I probably won’t have time to eat. Jeez, I wish I could remember what I was going to write about. I think I need to make notes…..

In order to be a teacher there are several hoops you have to jump through tests you have to take.  They are called the Praxis don’t ask me why, I don’t know. In order to get into the Masters program you have to take the Praxis I which is basically a reading, writing and math test.  They want to make sure you can do the basics.  That wasn’t too hard.

The next step is the Praxis II, Content Knowledge.  This you take in your subject area, I took it in General Science. This is just to make sure you have a basic grasp of the subject you are going to teach.  That was a little tougher but not too tough since I know science.

The third step in this farce journey was the Pedagogy Test. I took the one for science and basically I had 1 hour to design a 1 week unit plan. They gave me a topic and I had to come up with 3 areas of study for that topic. What would I do and how would I do it. Plus 2 summative assessments which could not be multiple choice. This was tough. It took me the entire hour to finish this one. I was a little worried I wouldn’t pass but I did fine.

Today’s insanity test was the PLT, Principles of Learning & Teaching. In this test you are presented with 4 case studies and you have to answer questions about them. This would have been great if I understood what they were talking about. Define this students behavior based on adolescent growth and development. Huh??? Which statement more clearly shows the metacognition of a teenager. Wha??? Why were the exchanges between student and teacher ineffective? How could they have been more effective?? Huh??? I managed to answer each question with some bull but I have a feeling that I failed this one. I will find out in 30 days. With the other tests I wondered how it took them so long to grade. With this one I wonder how they can possibly get it done in 30 days. {{sigh}} I guess we’ll see.

Everyone has dreams.  Some I’m sure are large and grand.  Some are probably small and humble.  I have both kinds.  On the large, grand side I’d love to have millions of dollars, travel the world and save all kinds of animals.  On the smaller, humbler side I’d like to have a couple of acres and some dogs, birds, horses, goats, etc.  Kind of similar dreams just on different scales I guess.

Right now I’m facing the realization of one of my dreams.  A little over a year ago I decided to return to college and get my masters and become a teacher.  When I made that decision it felt so incredibly right.  No decision I’ve made in a long time has felt that right.  I ran into obstacles all along the way but they weren’t hard to overcome because I knew this was the right thing to do.  I lost my job and it while money was tight, it didn’t bother me that much because I knew I was doing the right thing.  I knew deep in my heart that it was all going to work out just right. I knew this because once I made this decision I realized this was a dream of mine for a long time. It had been in the back of my mind for easily 10 years.  I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is what I was meant to do.

Now I am literally facing my dream becoming reality.  Monday I start teaching.  I am so excited I can’t even put it into words.  It really couldn’t have worked out better.  I will teach summer school for 4 weeks, 2 hours a day.  Then, starting in fall, I’ll teach a regular 5 class line. This, to me, is the perfect way to break into teaching.  I’ll start slow not just dive into the 5 classes a day.  I’m very excited.  To be standing here facing something I’ve wanted for 10 years and have been working towards for a year.  Wow!!!