Monday, January 27, 2014

Introductory Blog

This blog is starting as an assignment for my last class scheduled in graduate school before I become a bona fide teacher.  I am a non-traditional student, at least that's what I tell everyone.  It's true though.  I started out college, many moons ago, thinking I wanted to be a nurse.  When after one year my grades didn't reflect that process, I needed to rethink what I wanted.  I started by having a family.  During that time I worked on my Associates Degree and finished with a degree in Disabilities Services.  That seemed like a good start.  I had been teaching by that point in many different areas.  I was a swim lesson instructor, a coach and taught for the Red Cross.  Teaching seemed natural.  Still I slowly progressed into a Bacherlor's Degree in Sociology.  That doesn't get a person many places other than a true understanding and now I have found it most useful. 

When my family broke up I was left with a couple of degrees that didn't do much and no job.  I started working in the school district as a paraprofessional in a Behavior Focus classroom.  I finally found something I loved.  So I started by part time to get my education degree and found I needed a Master's to do that.  Being a student for so many years has only taught me that it is indeed possible to teach an old dog new tricks.  I will be graduating from college, figuring out my life plans, at the same time that my oldest graduates high school and starts to figure out his. 

I'm hopeful that I can share a bit of insight with my life experiences.  I'm hopeful that I can gain even more from the students that I share classes with and the students that I will one day teach.

M