Regular or Decaf ?

So the person I contacted seems to be a coordinator for the school, not the teacher I will be working with. So far I am the only student who has reached out to her. Apparently there are several grad students in her 'group' and she wants to meet with all of us at one time. Makes sense I suppose, but why should I have to wait if other people don't contact her promptly? I should be used to this by now. The pace of the education world is decaffeinated. I am still a double espresso.

Tonight we had a guest speaker in my Human Rights class. Her name is Cheryl Baldwin. She founded a non-profit group called Camp Hope for Girls. The group mentors impoverished teenage girls currently in Rwanda and Mississippi. Ms. Baldwin is currently looking to expand into New York City and Canada. It was refreshing to hear from someone who works in education and is clearly not decaffeinated. She is making a difference in the world and it's inspiring. Imagine if all educators had that kind of passion?

Field Work Placement

I finally received my field work placement packet. I will be observing in a high school in Queens. I am so excited! I can't wait to start. I have contacted my teacher/mentor via email and I hope she gets back to me today.

Responsibility in the Classroom

As the semester progresses I am learning some very valuable lessons. First off, life in academia is a lot different than the world of business. When I was employed and working on my MBA things were much different. Many of my professors were successful business people. They were organized and transparent-in a good way-They posted all of their course work (syllabus, power point presentations, notes, ideas etc) online before the semester even started. You knew exactly what to expect and could plan accordingly. They read their emails promptly and answered. They not only gave you their office phone number but their cell phone in case of emergency (i.e. you would not be making tonight's class). They also took your contact info (home, office cell and personal email because the school's email wasn't always reliable). Education professors are a different breed.

Since I started my Master's in Education a year and a half ago, only ONE professor has posted any course information online. Almost none utilize technology. No smart boards, no timely emails, no over head presentations. Just lecturing and handouts. One professor had jury duty and missed several classes without even notifying the whole class what the heck was going on. We would all show up on time for class and wait around to see if she (or any professor) would show up. After 2 missed classes she managed to email some of us (not me) to let us know what was going on. This made me very angry to say the least.It also gave me food for thought: If education professors are allowed to behave so irresponsibly is it no wonder the teachers they educate go out into the workplace and behave in the same manner?

A few days ago, a new movie "Waiting for Superman" was released. The movie is about the state of the education system in America. I haven't seen the movie yet but it seems that it's about the plight of charter schools. Parents in poor neighborhoods do not want their kids to attend public schools because of the failure rates so they turn to some successful charter schools such as the Harlem Children's Zone founded by Harvard educated Geoffrey Canada. It paints a very positive light on Charter education: no unions to deal with, longer school days and a longer school year. I know there are some great public schools out there. Unfortunately most of them are in richer neighborhoods where there are high taxes to support school districts. What little I have seen of the movie makes me like charter schools and makes me leery of the teacher's unions. They seem to protect the problem employees. I know this was the case when I was a union employee in another industry. I came to work every day, did my job (and did it well), only called in sick when I was sick and held myself accountable for my work. The union seemed only interested in saving the jobs of the idiots who didn't want to come to work in the first place. It was frustrating and sad. To think that children's lives are being affected by such shenanigans makes my stomach turn.

I have already made up my mind as to what kind of teacher I will be regardless of where I get to work. I will work hard and be honest. I will do everything in my power to understand my students and how they learn. I will then determine the best way to teach them so they understand. I know it won't be easy. Some parents will not be on board. I may have little or no support from my administration or peers. Somehow I will make it through because my students will be depending on me.

Fall Semester

I am so grateful school has started. Since I was laid off in July I have been kind of miserable. I miss the routine of work and for the first time in my adult life being unemployed has been a challenge. My first class was last Thursday. I have class again today and on Mondays. I am hoping these three classes plus classroom observations will keep me occupied and fully engaged until Christmas break. Sadly I did not pass my last certification test. I am scheduled to retake it on October 30th.

I truly love this time of year: the beginning of school and the fall weather starting to creep in. The stores are filled with back to school supplies and Halloween decorations. Later this week I will unpack my own fall decorations and start the fall cleaning and organizing at home. The cooler weather makes working around the house enjoyable. I love opening up all the windows and breathing in the cool crisp air.

I few months ago I read an online newsletter from the school district I attended as a child. My sixth grade teacher passed away last May. She was a wonderful woman and I contacted her over 10 years ago via email. I asked her advice about switching careers and she told me to go for it. To be honest I was surprised she even remembered me. She said she had moved from teaching sixth grade to reading. There was (and still is) a big push for reading specialists and she felt like it was time to try something different. She said she loved teaching and enjoyed hearing from former students. I told her she made a difference in my life and I thanked her. Sixth grade was a rough year for me. My parents were in the middle of a nasty divorce and life at home was chaotic. She was so supportive and really helped me come out of my shell. Her classroom was a safe haven from the drama of home. I can only hope and pray my classroom will provide such solace.

Pink Slip

I received bad news at work last week. My job is being eliminated as of July 23. I am feeling a plethora of emotion. I have been planning to get away from Corporate America for years but I was hoping it would be on my terms. It's a bit sooner than I wanted but it will be all right. I have three courses this fall and student teaching in the spring. I am excited for the opportunity to be a full time grad student and not have to worry about work. I want to give my undivided attention to the last year of my teaching degree. Thankfully my severance package and unemployment benefits will help with the bills during this time period. God willing I will get a job by next fall.

I found a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt today: "The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for the newer and richer experience." I think this will be my new mantra.

The hardest to learn is the least complicated

I successfully completed the ATS this morning. I was feeling a bit crappy but made it through. I am still trying hard to understand the meaning of these certification tests. Some of the questions are just bizarre. I know that there has to be some sort of centralized testing for teacher knowledge and basic understanding, I am just not sure what. The two tests I have taken so far really don't do anything to prove that I am worthy of teaching adolescents. I personally think extensive on the job training would be more helpful. I worry about the young people - 20 somethings- who have grown accustomed to not having to interact socially. Think about it: how are they going to communicate effectively with students? I see so much texting that I often wonder if people even talk any more. Colleges should offer a social interaction course for teachers. You know, how to talk to students, parents, administrators etc. Nobody teaches you that. Just a thought. My next certification exam is July 17. This one will be on content. I hope it has something of substance or at leats makes me think.

Moving right along...

Tomorrow I will be taking the second of three exams I need for my teaching certification in New York. It is the secondary ATS-Assessment of Teaching Skills. Thankfully it is a morning appointment. I am a morning person and hate sitting around waiting. Honestly, I am just looking forward to finishing already. I know these tests are important but they are stressful. Not the content, just the whole "formalized test" thing" sitting in a big auditorium, the clock ticking, proctors watching. I always seem to finish early and the content isn't too difficult. It's just the atmosphere. It brings back horrible memories of high school regents exams. I promis as a teacher I will do everything in my power to help students to not be afraid of that type of testing process. I know all the steps: get plenty of sleep, eat breakfast, get to the exam site early, etc. It's still not a pleasant experience.

My 17 year old cousin is graduating high school next week. Today was her last official day of school. She just called me to tell me how sad she was and how she cried as she said goodbye to her favorite teachers. I can honestly say I had not thought about that as I work towards becoming an educator. How would I handle saying goodbye to my students as they graduate? I am a big mush and would hate to have them see me cry but I think it's almost a given. I saw many of her teachers tear up during an award ceremony last week honoring seniors with their end of year awards and scholarships. Educators have so much responsibility. To actually complete your instruction and help a student graduate must be the biggest thrill. It's bittersweet, but it must also give a teacher such a sense of accomplishment knowing they did something that truly mattered.