Teacher Certification Process - Classroom Observation - 60 hours

First of all, thank you to everyone for their recent kind and supportive words.  I cannot tell you how much it means to know that people are rooting for me.

Last night was my History of NJ class and all I can say is that my professor seems to have a skewed idea of how much time we each have to put into this one class.  But I shall get it all done one way or another.  Additionally she is a big fan of extra credit essays and I have a list of topics she threw out there last night to occupy me for days and days.

Today however is a big big day here in Training to be a Teacher.  Today I get my first experience in a grammar school classroom.  Today I start my 60 hours of classroom observation and I am very very thrilled.  Of course I am also a nervous wreck!!!

I will be observing a 4th grade classroom and have already spoken with the teacher to whom I have been assigned.  She seems incredibly sweet and honstly willing to do anything I need to have a good semester.

She also told me that her classroom is inclusive and has some children with disabilities ranging from ADHD to autism.  As a result her class is smaller than average, having only 20 students.

I hope to get back here over the weekend to let you all know how everything is going in more detail and to let you know how I enjoyed (survived?) my first day of school.

Mama Kelly

soon to be known as “Mrs. D”

Fall Semester Has Begun - I Want to Run Away

Well I knew I was overloading myself this semester with 3 classes on top of classroom observation and working full-time.  I hemmed and hawed about only taking 2 classes but in the end, since my classroom obv. time does not give me credits, decided to buckle down and go for broke.

Now that I have received all of my class syllabuses (syllabi?) I am thinking that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

My Spanish class is supposed to be “online” and was supposed to start just over a week ago. Instead the professor dragged his heels and didn’t even communicate our course requirements to us until yesterday and has yet to make our class “available” on the online server.  He has also indicated that coursework is to be done in a workbook, and then either scanned and sent via email, hand delivered, or sent via postal mail.  He also expects us to attend “conversation meetings” on campus or meet with an assigned parter once a week (in person or over the phone).  Additionally tests need to be taken in person.

I am wondering if this person understand what an “online class” means?

My History of NJ class professor is …. well …. possessing of unrealistic expectations.  The 15 week class requires 8 books and multiple homework assignments weekly.  An example is my first week’s homework assignment:

• read 85 pages on The Indians of NJ
• read 20 pages on The Pine Barrens
• write a 300 wd “journal assignment”
• do some map browsing to select one
• write a 150 wd. map-study

In addition to the weekly course work there is also the semester’s paper (brief … only 2 pages but high expectations on content and research) to be worked on as well as a 7 page summary and analysis of a 209 page book.

This is not a core class, it is a throw-away requirement course. 

I am wondering if perhaps this prof. has us confused with someone else. 

My American Literature professor seems to have a good grip on things and I am much more comfortable with her work load.  The main issue here will be a paper doing a poetry analysis on a 20th century poet.

It is going to be a long, busy and hard semester.

I hope I can keep my head above water and hold on to my 4.0 GPA.

 Wish me luck

Mama Kelly

Mama Kelly

It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead

I am mostly dead … I mean mostly done with the semester. 

Human Geography

I still have to watch videos and do some reading.  Then I need to take the essay portion of my last exam in the course.  Once I do that its simply a matter of waiting for the grades to come in for that as well as an outstanding paper.  If I understand the grade calculation correctly I should only need to earn 20/40 points on the test to get my longed for “A”.

Cultural Anthropology

I have to fill out the study-guide (and obviously study it) for my last exam which is being given on Tuesday.  That’s it.  Everything else is done, done and done.

Computer Literacy

I have 2 last tests to take Thursday night.  I also have a homework assignment to do so that I can play around in Excel.  The later will probably involve my going to school on Monday night to make use of their computer lab as my laptop lacks Microsoft Access. 

Next semester is going to be even more difficult and trying.  But, hubby keeps telling me that he believes I can do it, so I will have to trust his judgement and tell the little voice in my head that doubts so much to shut up and leave me alone.

Mama Kelly

Semester is Winding Down - Preparing for the Fall - Overwhelmed and Overwrought

Well it’s almost over and I am so grateful I could cry.  I have one more class in Cultural Anthropology, 2 more in Computer Literacy, and my last unit to do for my online Human Geography class. 

I would have to completely bomb my remaining tests in Anthropology and Geography in order to get anything less than an A.  I am pretty certain of an A in my Computer Literacy class as well. 

Next semester will see me dropping my hours at work down from 45-47 hours a week to 36-40 so that I can do my 60 hours of classroom observation.  Additionally I am taking 3 classes again — 1 on campus and 2 online.  I will be taking Spanish 1 and American Lit via my home PC and taking History of NJ Wednesday nights from 7-10pm.  It will be a long long semester.

I have no idea how close I am to finishing my associates degree and transferring to a 4-year school to complete my bachelors.  I have yet to order my transcripts from when I attended The College of NJ way back when.

Hopefully I will obtain those over the course of the next months and be ready to prepare my Spring ‘08 semester with a clear end in sight.

Wish you all well

Mama Kelly

I Think I Can - I Think I Can -

Oh Sweet Gods it has been a busy week!  However, I am well on track with the end of the semester looming ahead.

Starting Thursday evening and ending at 6pm today I have managed to accomplish:

• reviewing 2 chapters in Human Geography (the European and Russian Domains) and watching 3 hours of film
• taking 14 pages of typed notes on above material
• fixing (finally) a formula in Excel that was failing to do exactly what it was supposed to, despite it having been provided by the professor in my Computer Literacy class
• composing and emailing formal interview questions to Lady Rose for a cultural anthropology paper I need to write.
• writing a 3 page compare/contrast paper using 2 brief ethnographies as source material (awaiting grade)
• writing a 4 page paper on the One-Child-Policy of China for my Human Geography class (awaiting grade)
• taking an hour long multiple choice test in Human Geography (received 48/50 points)
• taking an hour long essay test in Human Geography (awaiting grade)
• filling out 97% of a 6 page study guide for an exam tomorrow in Anthopology

I am just a wee bit fried around the edges.

After a brief break to prepare, serve, and eat dinner I have to fill out 2 more blanks on my study guide and then I also want to try and work on a brief PowerPoint presentation as my professor has asked me to spend about 15-20 minutes in front of the class to talk about the Wiccan faith, seeing as that I practice it.  I also want to gather some tools, as my professor requested that I bring those in as well.

Tomorrow I will be studying my course material in between telemarketing phone calls and fretting about my presentation.  Wednesday I need to review for testing in my Computer Literacy class and do any final tweaking to a project I am handing in.  Thursday I take 2 tests in my computer class.  And then the cycle starts up all over again.

What’s left?

• Human Geography: 4 chapters which deal with the regions of Asia need to be read and have notes taken on the content
• Human Geography: 7 videos (about 3.5 hours of content) have to be watched and have notes taken on the content
• Human Geography: 2 tests (1 multiple choice and 1 essay) on above material must be completed by 7/29
• Cultural Anthropology: paper based on interview
• Cultural Anthropology: brief “article review” (to be assigned)
• Cultural Anthropology: reading and study guide for 4th exam (7/31)
• Computer Literacy: reading, studying, and practice tests for remaining 4 tests to be taken, 2 a week for 2 straight weeks ending on 8/2

I am still holding on to the potential of “straight A’s”.  I will keep you posted.

Mama Kelly

Pulling Out So Much Hair I May Just Go Bald

What can I say …..

I am getting to the crunch-time of the semester.  I have papers (yes thats right plural) to write and many tests to take in the next weeks.  I am so grateful for the end of summer session on the horizon I could almost cry.

I have yet to register for (or even choose) my classes for the Fall.  I am worried.  I will still be working full time as well as doing 60 hours of classroom observation, but as the later doesn’t provide credit I want/need/should take actual classes as well.

I am leaning toward 2 classes, and while I still have a couple of education classes I can take, I am leaning toward a History class and a Literature class that correspond somewhat.  I did this when choosing my current courseload and did find it helpful when certain topics, themes, or concepts were presented in both classes.

I am also considering taking one of these classes online, but I am still undecided.

So far I am holding an A average and I am hopeful to leave the semester with a 3.7 or above.

Not much else is new.

Mama Kelly

Testing Testing - One Two Three - I’m Beginning to Hate Human Geography

Well, I took my Unit 3 exams in Human Geography today.  I have so much data in my head relating to the African continent that my head is still spinning.  I don’t know if I will ever take 3 courses over the summer again.  It is so compressed (taking a 15 week class and squeezing it into 10) that it is a near constant effort to stay on top of everything.  Luckily my grades are good (so far) and even if I don’t hit a 4.0 I am hopeful of earning a good GPA.

I read and studied, and I only earned 41.25/50 on the multiple choice portion.  Unfortunately, the Unit’s “key concepts and terms” in my study guide where not all that helpful, despite my taking about 4 hours alone to take typed notes on them.  I really hate it when a professor/teacher gives you a list of “the most important concepts” and then tests you on everything but those concepts.  I mean, seriously, what was the point.

The videos were helpful, but I needed to have taken more thorough notes on them as the first portion culled statistics from them.  Unfortunately there is no way to simply pause and play on the online video viewer which makes pausing to take said notes annoying at best.

I am more confident about the essay portion of my test than I was this time last week.  I feel I covered enough of the bases to earn high marks and hopefully pull my total grade up to a high B, if not a low A.  And I still have my second paper to write which can feed in up to 25 grace points for the semester.  However, I am already done with the unit which my other paper choice (Maori and modern tattoos) and therefore can no longer do a paper on the region.  So I need to choose a new topic.  I am leaning toward a paper on the One Child Policy in China.  The main reason is that it will enable me to bring in Foreign Adoption and thus use some of the same research in my Interview project for Cultural Anthropology where I am interviewing Lady Rose on being the mother of a child of disimilar ancestry.

After a brief break,  where we will be reorganizing 2 bathrooms in the house, I plan to dive into my Cultural Anthropology assignments so that I can be on track for my goal of “taking off” the whole weekend from Friday 7/20-Sunday 7/22 for the Harry Potter book release.  

Off to declutter

Mama Kelly 

Losing My Marbles - Losing My Mind - Striving to Study all of Mankind

I have spent the bulk of my “homework time” in the past 2 days studying for my next unit test in Human Geography.  I have taken page after page of typed notes on the Sub-Saharan Africa, Northern Africa, and Southwestern Asia.  I have watched an hour of course video that is so packed with info (and annoyingly has a format that does not allow an effective pause) that I kept have to stop and add to my notes.

While I earned a “high B” on my last exam I am determined to earn a “solid A” on this one so that I can maintain my A average and hopefully leave this semester (from hell it is I tell you) with a 4.0. 

I am about 97% done with my project in Computer Literacy project and am finding that my only stumbling block is tweaking a formula that (while provided by the instructor) doesn’t quite work 100%.

My goal is to wake up in the morning, watch another hour of video (while sipping coffee), and take the multiple choice portion of my exam.  Then I plan to go through some of the topics highlighted in the unit overview for about an hour before starting the essay portion of the exam.  While these tests are open-book/open-note they are strictly timed and so I have to be somewhat of a bitch when someone wants my attention during those times. 

It never fails.  No one talks to me or needs me for hours … but put me in front of my computer with a timer counting down the minutes remaining in my test and

the kids will start screaming right outside the screen door to the backyard

the kids will start asking me questions about lunch, snacks, or the nature of the Universe

my father will decide its the right time for small talk

my husband will want to engage me in conversation

Somehow all of them fail to notice

the glazed (crazed?) look in my eye

the frantic typing, textbook flipping and note reading

the vague muttering to myself that erupts when writing an essay

the hands making the universal waving gesture for “GO AWAY”

Additionally, my plans tomorrow (and late Sunday) include working on my Cultural Anthropology class.  I need to fill out a study guide ….. and study it for an exam on Tuesday (I earned 100% on the previous exam).  Additionally, I want to complete a reading assignment and typed Q&A to hand in and also start working on 2 short papers that are due in the upcoming weeks.

 

Color me Crazed

Mama Kelly

 

PS

Hugs and kisses to SkyWindows for linking to my humble site and letting me know that SOMEONE reads it.

PPS

Remember to check out my primary blog, 2 Witches

I Don’t Want to Work, I Want to Bang on the Drum All Day

I spent about 3 hours so far today on college work. 

I spent about 2 hours on my online Human Geography class taking a 2 part test (1/2 multiple choice and 1/2 essay).  I earned 45 out of 50 points on the first part and will have the second grade within a few days I am sure.  Additionally, I got my grade back on last weekend’s paper and earned 23/25 points.  So far I am earning an A in the class a fact which causes my eldest child (age 12) to accuse me of having school “come easy” to me.  Let me say here and now that this is not easy and boy oh boy do I wish I had done it right the first time around and earned my degree in my early 20s.

I also spent about an hour on my assigned homework in Cultural Anthropology and plan to work on next week’s assignment after dinner.

On the bright side my Computer Literacy class is not meeting for 3 weeks and the take home assignment we were given to work on during that time will take me a couple of hours next Monday evening in the computer lab.  Additionally, the tests that were scheduled for this past Thursday were resceduled for when we get back.

My plan right now is to still go to the campus on Thursday nights and use the extra time to get ahead.  My goal (geek that I am) is still to be able to take the weekend for the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows “off”.

Tired, Grumpy, and Brain-Drained

Mama Kelly

One Test Down - Three to Go

I am feeling rather naughty right now as I am trying this entry from the relative solitude of the college’s computer lab instead of heading immidiately home.  Why am I doing this you ask?  Because I can.  LOL  Actually I came in to do a practice test for the lab portion of thursday’s computer literacy test and this is my reward for a job well done.

I finished my cultural anthropology exam and overall I am confident of an A.  As the bulk of the grade will be based on multiple choice and true-false questions I feel that I understood the material well enough to get the grade I want.  However, I am prepared for a low A, or high B if I missed a couple of questions or totally blew the 2 essay questions.  I will know next week for certain.

In other news I received back 2 assignments which each earned 25/25 points.  So far I am earning full marks on the work I am handing in which is good because he just assigned a paper, bringing this course’s total up to 2 and this semester’s total up to 4.

Color me stressed.

Tomorrow will be spent reviewing for Thursday’s tests in Computer Literacy and then the weekend studying for and then taking my second exam in Human Geography.  Luckily as the later is an online class it is primarily “open book” but in order to quickly find the information you need you really do need to have read and studied the material as the test is timed.

In the rest of the news, I am going out with some girlfriends on Friday evening and am working on Sunday (for OT this time) so guess how I will be spending my Saturday …. again.

I really need to try and find the time in the next couple of weeks to try and get a leg up and get ahead on the remaining papers (and other assignments) as I already have plans to go out on July 11th for the premeire of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and plans for the release of the final installment of the Harry Potter novels — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — and I will be darned if I will let disorganization stand in my way.

In the meanwhile I am heading home earlier than anticipated this evening which is always a good thing.

A tired and fuzzy-brained, 

Mama Kelly

PS  information related to the Pagan celebration of the Summer Solstice can be found on my other blog, 2 Witches