Tuesday, November 02, 2004

random rambling...

As usual, I'm hard at work on an education project... (I'm assuming that I will never use it, although it would be nice if some of these things actually will go into use one day.) I think I've mentioned this before, but I'm in an unusual program where one works on their Master's while they are completing their bachelor's...So, oddly enough, I will graduate with my master's one semester after my bachelor's...(Yes, this is a large, accredited university--with a ranked program..not internet college or something) The reason for the existence of this program is that a master's degree is required to teach sp. ed. in my state, but there is also a large teacher shortage for sp. ed....The reeeaaally cool thing is that I pay undergrad. prices for almost all of my grad. classes...the bad thing is that I do a lot of practicum experiences, etc., that I might have been able to get paid for anyways, had I just gone into teaching regular ed. first--which I would be doing right now, had I not taken the odd route...Plus, it's always weird to tell my family at holidays that I technically don't have my bachelor's degree yet, even though I have about half of a master's...:)--Perfectionist, kick-my-own-butt-me, of course, wants to complete every imaginable class available before possibility of jacking up any other human beings.

I say all this to mention that I think that, aside from my sp. ed. classes, teacher education is much like a religious cult....at least at the land from which I hail...Please excuse me while I go pray to the dean of elementary education...Really, though, it is absolutely maddening. There is just no room for personal space whatsoever.--Also...education, I love...however, I am frequently told of my need to be an upstanding example in my community, so that the people who see me out will not think poorly of a teacher...Holy cow, that drives me crazy...I will be an example of what IIIIIIIIIIIIII think is exemplary, however, if we apply the faye rule of thumb, we will see that my example of anything is usually not consistant with that of the norm...That's just me.

Hopefully, the "real world" will not be as cultish as the experience in which I currently take part.

Yesterday was my little brother's birthday...He has cerebral palsy and is nonverbal, so we didn't talk...but, I'm going to Dallas to visit him in two weeks. :)