So school is over and I passed the class. Yea!!! I had to have an observation by my professor and then I had to present my portfolio orally to a panel of 4 professors. That was nerve wracking but I got through it just fine. So now I will be a certified teacher. And next semester I will have a masters degree. How cool is that??

So just as one stress clears up I pile on another one. We put an offer in on a house last week. The owners countered. Yesterday we countered the counter. The loan is going to mean paying off some big bills. It’s going to be tight, real tight, but I’m beginning to think it can happen. I’m so excited. They have until tomorrow to accept the counter-counter. My fingers and toes are crossed.

We are nearing the end of the semester at school. This weekend I have to write the final and create a study guide for my chemistry class. I can not believe it, this semester passed so incredibly quickly.

Tonight I rest. I got a planner for next year, I’m going to transfer my important dates into it. I need to look at some cell phones, as much as I like mine I think it’s almost time for another one. I’m going to check into it.

Okay, that does it for me.

I am just a bundle of nerves. I don’t know exactly why I do this stuff to myself but I do. I have this huge portfolio due on Tuesday to get certified as a teacher. I have a lot to do on it and even though I had 5 days off and worked on it every day, I still have tons to do. So there is that pressure. Then there is something I don’t want to talk about yet but the deadline is 10am this morning. It is now 8:45 and I haven’t heard a word. I’m jumping all over the place. I can’t sit still. I can’t focus. I’m just a bundle of nerves waiting to hear on this. Yikes!!! Okay, I’m going to go shower and try to get more work done while I wait.

With any luck at all I’ll be completing my master’s degree in the spring.  I’m very excited about that because I believe education is the most important thing you can do.  Every other thing you may work for in this life can be taken away; your job, your home, your children, your husband; but once you have an education no one can ever take that from you.  So in my mind it’s the most important thing.  So I have plans on going for my PhD once my master’s is completed.  I’m considering doing it online as that would be a lot more convenient for me.

I have  a friend who injured his back about 10 years ago.  He was a mechanic with the bus company and he injured his back at work.  He ended up having back surgery – something I would never, ever consider, ever, but that’s a whole different story – and being on disability.  He’s been attending a community college as part of his disability for retraining into another career, but that’s getting to his back.  He’s looking to get a business degree.  So in my searching for online schools for my education degree I came across Western Governors University and I think it would be a perfect fit for him.

WGU is  a fully accredited, online university that offers a number of options for an online degree but, more importantly for my friend, he can get an online business degree. I think this would be a great opportunity for him. He can work from home and not have to go anywhere. If his back is bothering him he can put it off until later. I think this is the way to go.

WGU seems like a pretty good school. As I said they are fully accredited, they are a non-profit and therefore more affordable. I also like the way they structure the programs. You sign up for 6-month intervals and pay for that 6-months, not the credits you take. This semester I took 9 credits and it cost me over $6,000 – that’s insane!!! There is a lot of things to like about this place. I just wish they offered a PhD in education. Hint, hint guys!!!!

Today was Halloween at school. It was fun. They had a costume contest for the elementary and high schools as well as the teachers. It was a fun day. As you can imagine, it being Friday and Halloween not a whole lot got done. We spent some time talking and goofing around. One of them was on the internet trying to find the best acne treatment. I don’t think she found it. I figure that part of the whole teaching experience is talking and getting to know the students. They are a pretty interesting group. A couple even want me to teach AP Chemistry next year. I took that as a great compliment.

I could be this tired. I’ve started new jobs, changed fields, taken on totally new careers and never been this tired in all my life. The classes I’m taking are all ending this week so I’m crushed trying to get everything done and in. Plus tonight I sat on a discipline board at the school I teach at. Then met with a teacher about my class. Ugh….I’m exhausted. I was up until 10 last night working on my presentation for today. Then I almost overslept this morning. I still have a pile of work to do I’m really wiped out tonight. I’m thinking of relaxing and calling it a night early, then tackling it all tomorrow. Maybe tonight I’ll sit around and read weight loss supplement reviews. I’m so tired I haven’t been able to exercise and am starting to get a little soft. Time to shape up. I’m off to get something to eat then collapse into bed…..

Really!!  I have about 10 posts banging around in my head but I just don’t have the time to sit and write them.  I did install live writer on my netbook so that I could write a post whenever I found a few minutes.  Of course, I haven’t had a chance to use it yet but I will.

Teaching is hard, hard work.  They say teachers are not paid enough and I always thought they started out okay, not great but okay.  I was wrong.  Teachers do not get paid enough, at all.  It is really hard tiring work.  You’re on stage all day, then have to work at night to figure out your performance for the next day.  It’s tough.  You’d think they’d at least let you take Gatlinburg vacations when you wanted. But, yeah, no!!

Okay, I have to shower and get ready for today’s show

I did not realize I haven’t posted in a week. Where have I been?? Oh, that’s right, working. I’m a teacher. It’s been a good week and hopefully it will keep up that way. I find myself in an interesting position. In companies I’ve worked in I’ve been one of the most technologically talented people. I’m the one doing things others haven’t even heard of lately. Now that’s not the case. The tech guy at school has found my blogs. I don’t know which one, I could figure it out if I went through my posts but that’s too much work So I’ve been found out. I hope I didn’t write anything I don’t want them to read, but I don’t think I did. I pretty much know this is out there and while I’m pretty open, I do use some restraint.

Anyway, I see to find myself immersed in technology lately. I’m taking a technology class for teaching science. I’m taking a professional development course in school that’s about using technology in the classroom. It’s everywhere. I’m wouldn’t be surprised if there is some custom software we are going to use.

The really funny part is that I’m at one of those points where I want nothing to do with technology. I want to just sit on the couch and not touch the computer. But, that’s not going to happen anytime soon. I have to finish up a couple of classes at HPU and then start another. Ugh!!! I so want to be done with my masters.

Next Tuesday I embark on my new career.  It’s so very exciting and scary at the same time.  It’s something that I’ve thought of doing for years and now to be facing the moment is so incredibly exciting.  I’m on the verge of a big change and I really can’t wait to see what the future holds.

I had wanted a laptop for a very long time and finally bought myself one back in September 2008. Then the weekend of July 4th I bought myself a netbook. Then I was issued a laptop at school. I now have 3 computers (1 desktop, 1 laptop, 1 netbook) that I own and 1 that I use for teaching. I have a stand with them all lined up charging and you’d think there were a bunch of computer users in the house. There’s not. Just me……

Anyway, the big day is Tuesday and I’m gearing up for it. This weekend will be busy making sure everything is ready…. Now it’s off to school for an all day meeting.

since I posted??   How exactly did that happen?? I’ve been updating my other blogs and really thought I had posted here a couple of times.  That’s how tired I’ve been.  I was busy helping rescue some dogs and cats from a hoarder.  I wrote all about it over at Feather, Fur, and Fins you can click the link and read all about it.  It was an exhausting couple of days and now I have a bit of a headcold.  So that’s where I’ve been for the last 8 days….

Today I started my teaching job, though today was teachers meetings.  Tomorrow is more teachers meetings.  Monday is orientation and classes start on Tuesday. Today and tomorrow we are doing all the paperwork; parking permits, AFLAC, health insurance – but Blue Cross North Carolina is not one of the options, grade books, attendance books, etc. I’ve started yet another blog that is specifically devoted to my teaching career. I know that the first year of teaching has a steep learning curve and quite frankly I don’t want to forget any of this experience. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for so long and to finally have a job doing this is so exciting, I want to track the whole experience.

I will be more timely about posting here. I really thought that I had……

Well, that’s not technically true but I’m going with it for now.  I’ve explained before that to be a teacher you have to take a series of tests that start with math, reading, and writing; next is content knowledge so they know you are master of your subject; then there’s pedagogy which shows you know a little something about teaching; finally is the principles of teaching and learning which is basically adolescent psychology.  I took the final test on June 13th, the principles of teaching and learning, and was pretty sure that I had bombed it.  I just got the results and I was wrong.  I passed with a fairly high score. Yikes!!!  The good part is that I no longer have to pay $90 a pop to take these ridiculous tests.  The real final hurdle will be completing my thesis….  Now I have some cleaning to do…..