End of the ride.... ALMOST

Okay, I couldn't even keep up with how fast my dream of teaching feel to earth.
First let me say I got all my paperwork done ON TIME thanks to my girl Gianna. She was a dream! And really good at her job. BUT... what happened was this... I am at my aggregate limits... which I kinda said over and over again. This isn't a problem usually but I also just bought a car which ends me getting a quick educational loan from .. ohhhh... anywhere.
So there was no way I could start school without a cool 8 grand in my pocket and well, I didn't have that.
Additionally the CSET was stressing me to the maximum. I have another blog starting on my health issues generated and exasperated by my stress. Yeah that test took me there. Sooo now I will take it when I can handle it.

So I said ALMOST ... what did I mean... well I found out I can still teach on a ONCE IN A DISTRICT LIFE TIME emergency credential IF I take the CSET ... so yes I do plan to eventually take this test and pass it... so have it in my arsenal if in fact I'm called on to fill a vacancy that I have been subbing for long term and the school wants me to stay on. I can then teach for a YEAR in that district as a salaried teacher whoohoo! I'll do it. That way it goes on my CV as having been a REAL TEACHER and hey If I can do that all my districts that's like 9 years hahah. I could leave that and become a principle haha. That would be a hoot... going from sub to principle. haha Even I'd have to question that one.

SO what's next... well I'm back to applying for colleges. I really would like to move forward with my teaching career. With my PhD, teaching at a college was always my dream and well, I think it's time to get back to that one.

Soooo I'm sorry this blog came to a quick short down and dirty end... but it did and the all came down to MONEY.

HOWEVER I do have some awesome study guides, and flash cards that will help me be a better sub in the end... which is what it's all about for me these days... being a MASTER SUB... and ending up on preferred list of EVERY district out there hahaha...

I feel like the fastest draw in the west.. only I have lesson plans that I whip out in a flash hahahahahhaa.

Okay, well back to tending to my health and I'll talk about that in the following blog.

Next Steps... and its another BABY ONE. yikes.

I am INCHES from Phase two now. BUT still kinda stuck in first STEPS. They are seriously baby ones. I feel like progress is slow as cold butter in a tube.

I ordered all my flash cards for studying the Social Science CSET... ( I ordered, AP US and WORLD History and the CIVICS that folks news for citizenships - total cost was under 100 bux for all) yeah I gave up on the English CSET for now. I did speak with someone who recommended I buck up for that at a later time but for now I just needed to pass ONE of the CSETS out there to get in the program. I can dig that. So I have a friend who LOVES history and is willing to quiz me on the stuff so it's all good. I'll go with History.

Here is how I see it, with the English Test (which is admittedly challenging) they get the information from WHO IN THE WORLD KNOWS WHERE I mean it's not really contained information. So my thoughts are this: they can grab ANY great literary writer and ask you questions about them... too much ... just too much! I mean maybe they will use just what is covered in the schools or California Standard but who can say... the practice test was like.. WHOA out there.

The Social science test on the other hand, US History, World History, Civics... all  contained in ONE text book that I can borrow from the school or ANYWHERE and get the same names same general line of study... no NEW information or UNHEARD of players involved... nothing OBSCURE... it's in there! So I just borrowed a few older editions from one of the teachers I know and there is my study guide book.

So the only DOWNSIDE is that with that, I have to get a Social Science credential and I have to INTERN as a Social Science teacher and that isn't as WIDE OPEN teaching position as English teacher, for jobs.
Nonetheless we are in a crisis... so I'm not concerned.

Besides, HR and the school will use me where they need to and these folks in HR can make job magic happen if they need to... I believe that. PLUS, later I can take the English exam (I test better when the stakes are not as high) and add ONE more class to my curriculum and get a credential in English as well. I want to add in Sign Language as well and maybe SPED... the latter is a HUGE commitment that I'm not sure I want to take on.

As I mentioned before ... or I didn't but anyway, I am doing this (becoming a credentialed teacher) for my ministry and the more I take on the less time I'll have that outside obligation. So I need to stay VERY focused right now and only take on what is NEEDED to accomplish my real goal - the ministry.

The real CHOOSING time will come in the fall when I start my internship. So, if I manage to get in an ENGLISH CSET by then - then we'll play the game and dance the dance but for now.. I'm focused on Social Science and it is what it is.

THEN came the interview... The school rep calls you and ask you things like "why do you want to teach" "how would have handle this situation or that situation." I guess I nailed that one because she told me over the phone I was recommended highly. Wish I had had those answers a few years back when I applied for an internship - they sent me rejection letter like 6 weeks after not even SORRY that I wasn't accepted haha... but I actually FELT differently this time than I did then. I FEEL like a student of teaching now ... not a student of learning.

So yeah, I made it through that and then I got the YAY you're in... ALMOST ...letter - screeech.

What now? Oh we still have to do the Financial Aid dance and get the OFFICIAL transcripts in. HEY I got real grumpy on that part. I hate sending for transcripts they are expensive and take forever to arrive.

... what's this?

Now they go digitally to the school of your choice in as much as 24 hours or 3 to 5 days as in the case of the SLOW school where I got my BA? They are only 5 bucks? Or 10 as in the slow school? YAY ME. Easy Peazy..

So yeah on Monday which is pay day I will get the other two sent over and call it a DONE ENROLLMENT packet... and await ANOTHER you're in ALMOST letter.

Okay... then MAYBE I will be moving onto PHASE TWO finally...Picking classes and the financial AID package. THEN I will be in.. I think.

Then I can start bucking up for test day!

I plan to register for the test during winter break. Starting with World History and CIVICS... now this is unless the US History gets less muddy for me then I will do the two histories together and save the CIVICS for last...

More to come on that...

Look ma I'm ALMOST a real teacher now. hehe.

November 4th. 

Yes, I do have updates. 

I missed the open house last week BUT the school where I will be attending ALLIANT UNIVERSITY is great about filling in the voids where they exist. My wonderful admissions advisor.. and hey I like her job. I was an admissions advisor for a "WILL NOT NAME" school and man I nearly had a nervous break down with all the stress and push push push they put on me... not my gal Gianna... I literally have to hunt that child down to talk to me. I prefer it that way. PLUS when I do finally catch her... she's got answers. AWESOME.

Okay so anyway... I spoke with her and HER supervisor today on a conference call. I had a list of about 7 sticky wickits and yes they answered them all BUT not all the answers where what I wanted to hear. I wanted to hear that life was gonna be really easy for me during this process but... of course... it's not. 

STEP ONE:

Enroll... NOW. 

I wanted to enroll later. BUT in order to save me some money - which is another IMPORTANT factor, I need to enroll... NOW. Okay okay... I'll do it. BUT of course I have NO MONEY to enroll... again - Gianna is gonna try to fix that. LOVE IT. Helpful and I give a big HIGH FIVE star to ALLIANT on trying to make the impossible - possible. 

In order to finish my Preliminary Credential on time I need to start January 24th and then do my preservice hours (160) during the summer. ALL of this will be online. I can work with that! SO why didn't you want to do that Michelle. Wells Bells... I have not completed my CSET testing (4 TEST MANNNN) and I won't be finished prior to school starting... well unless I WANT to be finished by January 24th. WHICH now I think I NEED to be just so that I can get my results back faster and not have studying for them on my plate WHILE I'm trying to get coursework out of the way - and not while I'm adjusting to being back in classes... online at that.

So I will call Gianna back in a couple of weeks or so and hold her hand or better said... have her hold mine - through the enrollment process... WHICH will probably include some transcript action and that dreaded 4 page biography thingy, and all that other good stuff. I really would like to have a couple of classes taken off my plate from PREVIOUS coursework. So, I'm hoping my transcripts can make that happen.

NEXT STEP

I called financial aid... right?? HECK YEAH... no I haven't even enrolled but I'd like to have a CLUE how I'm supposed to pay for all this Jive.

Okay another GOOD thing is that I DO qualify for the TEACH GRANT... YESSS... pumping my fist like I just scored free tickets to a rock concert! It's not a TON but it is ONE free class per semester... and um YEAH I could def use that. 

He also said IF I go ahead and go for the M.ed. I'd get access to the grad plus loans... okay sure yeah I'll go for it because it's a Master's GRAD PLUS and not a Doctorate Loan... I can work with that but definitely. AND it's only 3 extra classes... that I can take all at once ONLINE... BOOOYA'LL and all while I'm working as a teacher (dancing some funky chicken type moves around my living room).

NOW the next thing is the BITSA(sp) um my CLEAR credential... well that's gonna be coming up sooner than later so I'm gonna be looking in to that like within the next month or so. 

SO where are we....?

We are freakin' out. 

I have to study for the CSET to be taken and hopefully passed by April but I do have until AUGUST at the latest... but who wants to wait until the last minute... biting NON existent nails to the quick.. NOT MOI. 

My question is this... will my online classes drive me BACK to having an online LIFE (i.e. facebook) DOUBT IT... because I 'virtually' don't have time for it. I'll be having a REAL TIME life which was - so - absent during my doctoral journey. This go round, I'm working as a teacher, I'm going to be in the ministry at least part time, studying for my ministry FULL TIME, I'm DOING classwork  full time, I'm planning my student lessons, oh and (slapping my head) I've actually made friends and have a LIFE now... derrrrrr. What a busy little BOOMER I am. I'm not quite an official senior yet - thus I can still call myself just a Boomer - I mean I only get 10% off at SOME places on some Tuesdays and well... ya know what I mean.

BTW, amidst it all, I’m still planning to go to NY on a tour in 2017.

So okay, life is starting to sound pretty doggone exciting. I'm so WITH THAT.

More later. 

Becoming a REAL teacher

Interestingly enough, I've been 'teaching' in K-12 schools for almost 4 years now  - longer if you count my writing and my ministry (but that's another subject and probably will never be a blog), nonetheless, every time I enter a class the children will ask, "Are you a "real" teacher?" my first thought is to respond in a wildly offended manner "Hey I AM a REAL TEACHER now sit down and shut up and learn!" but... after taking a few training sessions in, and really listening to the 'best practices' on answering the inquiries of 'children', I knew my initial response was not quite the 'restorative' route.
Soon time went on and the students and their questions "...if you're a doctor why are you a sub," and "why aren't you a real teacher," those types of questions just became a way of daily life for me. I never felt downhearted or ... worse. I still wake up all perky and ready to go and wondering who I will teach today. I know it sounds corny but I really do. I wonder which grade I will encounter and who will be in that class that I may actually 'instruct'.
Over the years (my four meager years) I've learned which grades I dread and which I embrace. When I lovingly refer to them as the BIGS and the LITTLES... K-6 being the 'littles' and after that, those older, being the 'bigs', I often decide on what kind of day I will have accordingly. Middle school is a class all it's own. It is so appropriately named 'MIDDLE' school because it's so in the middle of road between those I might want to embrace physically and those I might embrace intellectually ... so I guess I will call those children.. THE MIDDLES.
I think if I were really YOUNG and full of ENERGY I would take on those Middles with a BIGGO MISCHIEVOUS GRIN... ready to get down and dirty on their level and just... do the doggone thing... but I'm not young and surely not filled with energy so.. um. NO. Give me Seniors or give me... shoot just give me a third grader. Seniors are ready to LEAVE school and move on with real life and so they are usually pretty compliant or at least able to be reasoned with. They seem to understand the repercussions for their actions, even if they choose to ACT they are ready to face that tune. Third graders have just finally figured out what school is all about and either they want to be there or not. I can work with that. No more that that "Bump Bump Pa Bump Bump ... stuff..." it's all about, "Look here, you don't need a buddy to go the bathroom, you should have brought your own pencil and NO you can't have any water 2 minutes after recess... sit down or get out." Okay, so I'm still working on that SOFT touch hehe.
I was nervous at first about posting a blog about my new journey, as many teachers seem to lose their jobs over what they put in social media... but trust me... if I get so angry at my day to where I might say something so awful regarding a child, I won't say it. I won't say something I will regret. I will just not blog that day or week or month... however frequently I post, and I SURE won't tell anybody how I really felt that day. Sheesh...
This blog is mostly to go through the steps I'm taking to become a credentialed teacher at this point in life and in California. The hoops albeit fiery, seems doable, even at my age. I'm not to keen on that CSET but that's what's next. I made it through the CBEST in tact and I shall pass the CSET... all three parts of it... eventually. I'm in the process of looking for a nice study guide as we speak.
I'm 56 and a PhD who is now going sort of backwards to get a Masters in Education (or just a credential if the classes burn me out before I complete the entire 40 units. It only takes 31 for the credential). It should be an interesting adventure.
Stay Tuned...

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