Blah.

Today I've felt terrible. Thank goodness I didn't have to work or be anywhere. I'm lounging around in my yoga pants and trying to get a leg up on my homework which overfloweth. After our face-to-face class meeting this week, I found out that my videoed book talk is late (even though the professor e-mailed me saying that it wasn't due until next week). Normally, I would freak out about this, but I've decided to take it all in stride. I'll send it in when I get it done tomorrow and I'll be sure to copy her e-mail just in case. And, if she still decides to take off for tardiness, I don't care. This class (or should I say, the class schedule) has been so confusing, I'm no longer striving for perfection.

I do, however, admit to being a little panicked. My family is supposed to be out of town this weekend, so I'm not sure what that means for the homework I have left to do. I know I can get some of it done on Sunday afternoon. I plan to carry my laptop with me, but I will have limited internet connectivity. I'm a little overwhelmed right now, I must admit. Homework is piling up as is the laundry and I have several obligations (one is an article I am supposed to be writing for a major trade magazine plus I'm supposed to be designing several pages for a photo directory in addition to all the "regular stuff" I'm a part of). I'm trying to keep my eyes on the prize: the cruise that my husband is taking me on for our 10th anniversary (that we celebrated 2 years ago) and as part of my graduation gift. I can't wait until April!!!

Teacher Certification

After anxiously hovering about my mailbox for the past few weeks, I finally received what I'd been waiting for: a letter from the State Department of Education.

I had applied to participate in alternative teacher certification. In order to do so, you must have an undergraduate degree in a a corresponding certifiable subject area and working experience in the field also.

When I first headed back to school and decided to pursue journalism rather than English Education, my plans were to eventually try to take part in the alternative certification process, though honestly, I thought I would work work on the staff of a publication of some sort before doing so. Honestly, my field is not a high-demand subject area, especially for most rural schools so I didn't think that being certified in that area alone would be especially helpful.

Then, I enrolled in grad school and put myself in the position where I had to be certified before I could graduate from the program. I quickly put my resume and application together for the Alternative Certification Program, then waited by my mailbox for about four weeks.

I'm so happy to report that I have been accepted into the program, I only have to take six additional professional education hours in addition to passing my certification tests and I can get my initial certification in both journalism and/or speech/drama/debate. Once I complete my graduate studies , I will also take the test to be certified as a librarian. As you can see, this provides several opportunities for me.

I've been spending a lot of time as a substitute teacher in our local school system and I feel increasingly comfortable there. There has always been an adventurous streak in me that wanted to have an unusual or unique job. Sure, it'd be really cool to be a freelance journalist who travels to all corners of the earth gathering news, meeting people and taking photos of exotic lands, but it's not very practical when you have kids to raise or if you actually enjoy hanging out with your husband or if you like being part of a community.

I guess I've come to realize that family and community are two of the most important things a person could have. School systems are rooted in community, or at least in all the places that I've lived. And really, are there many jobs that are better suited for family life? Top it off with the chance to influence and possibly change lives....what could be better?

Stop the Clock!

Time is a mystery to me. When I was commuting to school three times a week this spring, I felt like there was never enough time to get things done...yet, I still managed to work, minimally keep up with housework and shuttle my kids to their activities. So far this semester, I only go to class once a week (and not even weekly, at that) and I am working less than usual. In fact, I have not actively been booking photo sessions at all lately. Yet, I feel even MORE pressed for time. I can't figure this out. Surely I don't have more assignments than I did when I was taking 18 undergrad hours. Maybe my classwork is more time intensive? Whatever it is, I sometimes wish I could stop the clock for a few hours to play catch-up. Whenever things get rushed and crazy, I find it even harder to concentrate. I find myself hopping from one activity to another without wrapping up the first (that is why I am blogging in my sweaty work-out clothes rather than taking a shower).

But the fact is, time marches on and so must I...

The Homework Commute

Just when I thought I gave up commuting to class, now I find myself commuting to finish homework! Today, I visited my alma mater (hee hee--that sounds funny) and spent three and a half hours in the library trying to finish my latest assignment for my Reference Materials class. I drove over thinking that I'd be able to complete two weeks worth of homework in one visit, but it was just wishful thinking. I wasn't even able to finish all of this week's assignment. It was worth the trip, though. As much as I love modern technology and the internet, sometimes there's just nothing better than using a real book for research.