New Challenges, New Goals, New Year

So the second half of the school year beckons in a couple of days' time, and I'm bracing myself for it. Looking at my students, I've seen some semblance of academic growth on their part but I still shudder in fear at the thought of them taking the iLEAP in April. Sure, I know a lot of it is out of my hands and chances are they'll do just fine. I assume that this is how parents think when they look at their little offspring, but considering I'm nowhere near being a parent, I'll just assume that.

Regardless, 2010 looks to be a year where I get to consolidate my career as a teacher and really begin moving forward. Apart from any unforeseen circumstances, it will be a great year for be being a teacher. Here's my goals for 2010:

(1) Finish off my Teaching Certificate

Yes, I'm one of those pesky Alternate Certification folks, and I have twelve class hours to go. Six hours get knocked out this spring in the form of Adolescent Psychology and Testing and Assessment, and the Summer will see me kill off the two literacy classes. By this time I will have finished the necessary time served to get an exemption from the state to bypass the internship/student teaching requirement. No more looking behind my shoulder, tenure beckons!

(2) Start up that Educational Technology Add-on

OK, so this one is a bit of a gimme, but I'm enrolled in the state's EIT course on technology integration due to me being a Web Administrator. I was apparently lucky to get in, but after looking at the coursework it looks to be some easy fun in terms of looking at technology in the classroom and how to use it. The class I'm enrolled in is the one that is given the least, so completing the other two whouldn't be hard, and when I am done with it, I get an add-on to my certificate in Educational Technology, along with 135 CLUs Yipee!

(3) Start my Master's Degree

This one is dependent on me finishing my Alternate Certification classes, but if everything finishes on schedule, I should be starting on my M. Ed. in Gifted Education this Fall. Considering at time I have an almost fanatical devotion to gifted kids, this was a no-brainer.

(4) Teach Social Studies (Finally!)

I probably don't have a lot of control in this, but I'm tired of teaching ELA. You would have thought those perfect Praxis scores would have impressed someone by now...

I could go on and on, but I won't now, because Share Fair is tomorrow and I'm presenting on Web 2.0. I'll post the recap tomorrow. Until then.