One Week of Graduate School

I am so happy that I made the decision to go back to school for my master's degree in education. This evening I finished my first week of graduate school and I had a blast. I have met some great people from all walks of life. People that I have spent the week with and now many feel like old friends. I have learned more about Canada in this last week than I ever have before. Most of my class is from Canada and we of course talk about their country too since they will be teaching there.

My brain feels used this week. I fond myself striving in class to participate and make sure that I am challenged. Because we only have one class in each course each week our first day is a full day. We learned simple things like a better way to support a folded in half piece of paper name plate. We covered difficult topics like racism and sexism. We even discussed gangs. I loved every minute of each class.

I decided to go to Thailand in the summer and still audit the multicultural class so I don't miss out on topics that will effect me when I teach. Three weeks away from my children seems like something I would never do. This is the one opportunity I have to go to Thailand and it is something that is within my reach financially with the aid of student loans. In figuring out repayments the extra amount didn't change my payments more than we could manage so I am going.

I am tying my trip to Thailand together with my Wood Badge Scouting Project so my son's Cub Scout Pack during the year will correspond with students who are Cub Scouts in Thailand and learn more about their culture through letters. They will also make something for the Pack in Thailand that is Scouting oriented. I am looking forward to starting this multicultural program with my Cubs. This will be a year full of fun and excitement.

I am looking forward to next Tuesday when classes resume for me. Tomorrow I buy my books and I will have a heart attack at the prices. Then I can start my reading. I have homework already and am loving it. Maybe the fun will wear off soon. We have a lot of group papers to write and a new writing style to learn. Everything has to be cited and written APA style and I learned MLE style. That is the only thing that has me nervous. I can do it though.

This semester I will be placed with a school. We have 75 hours to complete in schools this semester. Next semester will be another 75 hours and we will have to write lesson plans and teach them. Then of course will be student teaching. By the time I graduate I will have a lot of experience and have worked in several school districts. There is noting slow about this program. We are going to be teachers when we graduate but we will have taught for hours before we graduate.

One week of graduate school is over. The countdown for this semester's end date has already begun. There is no time to pause, we all are going full steam ahead.