It seems to me that being a certified teacher in the State of Washington requires alot, especially one who already has a Bachelor's degree. Over the summer I took and passed the WEST-B entrance exam. Then there's the required measles shot. It had been over 20 year since my last shot, so I had to get one. Of course, there was the dreaded math placement exam, which I got only a 16 out of the required 20. I have to retake the darn exam at the Universtiy of Washington (parking is a pain!). Another exam, the Sexual Harassment exam was another one to take to be in the program. Reference letters, transcripts, financial aid were all the icing on that cake. Just going through all of that -- the acceptance phase -- was insane, but it was well worth the ride to get my foot into the program.
I am enrolled in the Teacher Education Outreach Program (TEOP) at Western Washington University under Woodring College of Education. The program is also conveniently located at other sites. Everett Community College (EvCC) is one of them. It's closer to home and I work right on EvCC's campus. Absolute convenience.
My initial intent to work at EvCC was to gain some insight into their ECE program and share that acquired knowledge with adults at a college facility. But...and I say this with a big BUT I was starting to find my love in elementary education once again. That infatuation was set on by being my son's volunteer teacher in his classroom every Friday as an Art Docent. The children were absolutely amazing! There were no kids to chase around, no diapers to change. They were NOT babies. They were self sufficient beings that were eager to learn more -- academically. It definitely hit me hard in the heart.
The fall quarter has ended about a few weeks ago. The perks about working where I'm at now is that I'm on the college's school schedule. When the college kids are on vacation, so are the employees at EvCC. I'm on vacation. That explains why my Prologue is super long. I had all the time to sit down in front of my PC to get it all down.
Before the quarter ended, I had my very first interview with my supervising teacher about a week and a half ago. She's the person who will be in charge of my practicum. I was very nervous, but I really like the school setting. It's in the vicinity of my neighborhood. The school looks quaint and not to mention huge! It's a three story building with classrooms that are far apart, but you can actually see inside each of the classrooms (it's obviously a liability-thing). It is a beautiful school. I was very impressed. The supervising teacher turns in her report about me to the principal and they will both decide if I'm the "right fit" for her and the school.
I am holding my breath and I can't wait to find out. If I get accepted, this will be my chance of a lifetime for that change I've been waiting for all my life.
So, while I'm waiting for that email, call or whatever, I am working on registering for my classes. Today, I visited a loan officer at my credit union to find out if I'm elegible for a student loan. It's a private loan. The FAFSA application does not start until January 2010 for 2010-2011, and I can't afford to go fulltime for the winter quarter. I have, therefore, decided to go with a private loan. The only disadvantage is getting a co-signer. I have one in mind, but that means asking for alot of personal information. It sucks, but I hope my elected co-signer will accept it.
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