Hello all you teachers, future teachers, thinking-about-being-a teacher, moms, believers, and wanders that googled the best Chinese take out in your neighborhood and landed (by some quirt of fate) on my blog! Since this portion of the blog is about becoming a teacher, that's where I'll start.
I have completed my first two semesters of Northern Arizona University's block program. Now you're wondering, "Isn't NAU in Flagstaff and don't you live in Phoenix?" You're quick; you're very, very quick! I'm in a cohort program at my local community college just a few blocks away. I've finished Literacy Methods, Science Methods (sorry, Dr. White, but I didn't learn a thing!!!), Classroom Management (learned TONS, can't wait to try it out!) , Elementary/Middle School Psych (thank you Teeny Tiny Toni!), Elementary/Middle School Curriculum, Schools and Society, and a computer class of which I just can't recall the name. We've had delightful instructors and our program director truly cares about us and wants to see us succeed. On her caring alone, I would recommend this program. Dr. Nancy Duke is a loving person, but even more important, she expresses that love for her students. I've had practicum experiences in 1st and 3rd grades and this fall I'm headed to sixth grade. Should be GREAT fun!
Enough facts, let's talk about the deep stuff...
About three or four years ago, I came to the realization that if my wonderful husband of then seventeen or eighteen years were to die, I would not be able to support my children. Sure, I think I could find a job, but life would get very, very hard. Always before I thought I would move back to the mid-west if something happened to the big guy, but at that point the realization struck that my kids were too old to move; Arizona was their home. About that time, my two oldest kids were starting college (home school...we'll talk about that later). I realized that it was time that I could go back to college.
I started taking the actual education prerequisites that the would be required for admission into any program--such fun! And then I started looking at programs. ASU offered a one year bridge program that would have me finished by December, 2008. Tempting! I talked with husband, made plans, talked with friends, made more plans, talk to my mom, and made more plans. I didn't talk to God, however. A one year intensive program would have had me in a classroom 50 hours a week not to mention homework. You can do anything for a short time, right? God knows me better than I know myself. The very day I honestly began to pray about His will for my educational career, my dear friend came over with information about the NAU's distance program with a degree in Elementary Education. I knew He had opened a door.
Now, I've got one more semester of classroom time, fifteen last practicum hours, and at least the Professional Knowledge portion of the AEPA to take (I took the Content Knowledge portion this summer...we'll talk about that some more, too!) and then STUDENT TEACHING! It gives me goose bumps to think about it--the good kind AND the bad kind...
All my life I know that God has lead me. I know he is leading my through my education. I cannot wait to see what the semester holds!
I love quotes, and this one in particular: "A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary." (Thomas Carruthers)
I have completed my first two semesters of Northern Arizona University's block program. Now you're wondering, "Isn't NAU in Flagstaff and don't you live in Phoenix?" You're quick; you're very, very quick! I'm in a cohort program at my local community college just a few blocks away. I've finished Literacy Methods, Science Methods (sorry, Dr. White, but I didn't learn a thing!!!), Classroom Management (learned TONS, can't wait to try it out!) , Elementary/Middle School Psych (thank you Teeny Tiny Toni!), Elementary/Middle School Curriculum, Schools and Society, and a computer class of which I just can't recall the name. We've had delightful instructors and our program director truly cares about us and wants to see us succeed. On her caring alone, I would recommend this program. Dr. Nancy Duke is a loving person, but even more important, she expresses that love for her students. I've had practicum experiences in 1st and 3rd grades and this fall I'm headed to sixth grade. Should be GREAT fun!
Enough facts, let's talk about the deep stuff...
About three or four years ago, I came to the realization that if my wonderful husband of then seventeen or eighteen years were to die, I would not be able to support my children. Sure, I think I could find a job, but life would get very, very hard. Always before I thought I would move back to the mid-west if something happened to the big guy, but at that point the realization struck that my kids were too old to move; Arizona was their home. About that time, my two oldest kids were starting college (home school...we'll talk about that later). I realized that it was time that I could go back to college.
I started taking the actual education prerequisites that the would be required for admission into any program--such fun! And then I started looking at programs. ASU offered a one year bridge program that would have me finished by December, 2008. Tempting! I talked with husband, made plans, talked with friends, made more plans, talk to my mom, and made more plans. I didn't talk to God, however. A one year intensive program would have had me in a classroom 50 hours a week not to mention homework. You can do anything for a short time, right? God knows me better than I know myself. The very day I honestly began to pray about His will for my educational career, my dear friend came over with information about the NAU's distance program with a degree in Elementary Education. I knew He had opened a door.
Now, I've got one more semester of classroom time, fifteen last practicum hours, and at least the Professional Knowledge portion of the AEPA to take (I took the Content Knowledge portion this summer...we'll talk about that some more, too!) and then STUDENT TEACHING! It gives me goose bumps to think about it--the good kind AND the bad kind...
All my life I know that God has lead me. I know he is leading my through my education. I cannot wait to see what the semester holds!
I love quotes, and this one in particular: "A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary." (Thomas Carruthers)
