Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Sunday, April 27, 2008

C is for College (bonus letter day)

So, I'm trying to finish my last few days of April NaBloPo: Letters, with some suggestions I got from you guys. This question comes from Jana at Dress-Up and Diaper Changes:
I pick "C" for college. Tell us about your college experiences - wild parties,
dates gone bad, etc.


Not sure what you're expecting, but I lead a pretty boring life. Although you may have gathered that from my blog this far. ;) I'm a pretty laid back good girl...and I always have been, honestly.

I chose a college close to home. (I did look into a few Christian colleges that were a little ways from home, but I liked the program at the school I chose best.) Matt and I were already dating when I chose schools. I didn't completely choose my school based on being close to Matt, but it probably had a tiny bit to do with the decision. I knew it would be cheaper to attend there, because I had a good scholarship and I could live at home and commute.

I did get involved in some on campus activities (thanks to the prodding of a great friend [the one from Kindergarten I talked about here]) and I enjoyed it more my sophomore year. I think I just felt left out my freshman year since I lived off-campus. But ultimately I got started in the college newspaper, then ended up being an assistant editor and editor by the time I was a senior.

No wild parties. Sorry! Told you I was boring.

I got engaged and married and bought my first house while in college, but I'll talk about that more when I answer SaLy's question about my relationship with Matt.

I started out college as a Middle Childhood major (grades 4-9 with a concentration in Math and History). I quickly (after the first semester) switched the History to Reading. This was a new program the year I started college. The education majors in Ohio were divided K/1-8 and 9-12. When I started they had three programs PreK-3, 4-9, and 7-12. 4-9 picked two areas of concentration, and since that's the grades I was most interested in I chose that one. At the beginning on my junior year the education department director of my college gathered all the Middle Childhood majors and offered to grandfather us into the old K/1-8 program if we were able to get all the classes in on time. They were not quite ready for our program yet and thought this might help a few of us have a broader grade range if we wanted. Well, a close friend of mine and myself were both REALLY interested. That's the program I wanted in the first place (but the state had changed it's programs). So Jen and I switched together. Then we were Elementary Education majors with one concentration (mine was Math and hers was Science). I loved that program so much better, and that's the degree I graduated with.

That's all the excitement I had in college. I'm glad college is over. I subbed for one year right out of school (not many positions open then). Then I worked for a friend for a year (which is how I met Sarah). The next year I subbed again. And that summer I got pregnant (and had a few minor complications [that I'll tell you about when I answer Sarah's question]) and was only able to tutor. My teaching certificate is only good for 10 years. Before those 10 years are up I must start my Master's degree to keep it. At this point I have not taken any further classes. And for now I do not plan to. I have no desire to go back to college at this point in my life (nor do I have the time or money for it). We have considered home schooling (we'll see when the time comes). And I just want to be available to my kids as much as possible while they're young, even if we do put them in public/private school. So for the moment my sort of plan is to let my teaching certificate lapse, and then I may consider subbing for a while (in the state of Ohio, you can sub with a Bachelor degree...in anything) when the kids are in school. Maybe some day I'll go back to teaching full time. Who knows.

There, now you know my future career objectives too...if you can call them that.

6 comments:

Katy said...

I'm an education major too--but of a completely different color. 7-12, English. I've never actually taught that, though. Well, I did for three months, but that's about it.

I've got some college tales. . . maybe I should write about them. Of course, some things are best left in the past.

Saly said...

How fun! I've really enjoyed your letter posts!

Nowheymama said...

I've enjoyed these posts,too! I'm impressed!

Anonymous said...

After reading one of your posts a few days ago about how you and Matt started dating in high school, I realized how silly my letter selection was. But, thanks so much for doing it anyway!

I think it's really interesting that your license expires after 10 years unless you start pursuing your master's. I think that's a great idea. Texas only requires a certain number of continuing education hours to keep your teaching license (but I'm grandfathered out of that one so I can go back anytime - not that I will!).

Sarah said...

Interesting post! I only basically knew that you taught younger kids. Or rather, I probably DID know about the math emphasis from having worked with you, but had forgotten.

2Forgetful said...

Very interesting post. It's so common to blog about the present that I really like when people blog about past events.