What I Learned in School Today; or, Someday Your Kid Will Talk to You About What Happened in Class

Of the eight people at my table in Dilemmas of Teaching and Learning, not one had watched the Salt-n-Pepa Show. Who are these people?

They are my (clearly tasteless) Masters in Teaching classmates.

Some of you know I'm in grad school, some of you know I'm at UW, and some of you know I'm planning on being a teacher. (Did you notice those comma splices? I broke grammar rules because I thought it sounded better. Oh, right there, too! I didn't put a comma between the two independent clauses because I wrote it how I'd speak it! I JUST DID IT AGAIN! Incredible. I read a chapter about this today.) What you may not know are the fascinating details:

• The University of Washington Masters in Teaching Program is a 5-quarter program.

• It's freaking awesome.

• I started two months ago, and I will graduate with a teaching certificate and Masters degree in March of 2009.

• That means I have the summer off to make money, go on wild adventures (Ireland? IMAX?), and reread The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

• Two of my three classes had snack sign-up sheets.
• Tomorrow is my day.
• I made pumpkin bread.

• We are a cohort of 60ish students, meaning our whole group starts and finishes together, and we're taking all the same classes at the same time. It's really adorable.
  

• My cohort is made up of strictly secondary ed students. Those sweet elementary folk are in another program. I met three of them. They exuded patience and understanding.

• For several weeks a quarter, we hang out in Seattle-area schools instead of attending our normal classes. The mornings are early, but I end up laughing even more than usual. This may or may not be related to sleep deprivation.
  

• We student-teach next Fall, but I'll spend at least six weeks in my assigned school (T.B.D.) during the next two quarters.
  

• Some of the future English teachers and I are going to Big Time Brewery after class tomorrow.

• We read a lot. A lot, a lot. And I love education, so I don't slack on the assignments like I did during my undergrad. Not that I did that, I mean. (This was like my millionth sentence fragment of the entry, but remember how I am above grammar now? Remember that?)
  

• I bet this list is getting really hard on the eyes

• I'll stop now and write in paragraph form, but only because I care about you.

• But not so much that I won't add this one last point!
  

After spending three weeks at Mountlake Terrace High School (amazing assemblies!) and two at Skyview Junior High (funniest kids in Pacific Northwest!), I've unofficially decided I want to teach eighth, ninth, or tenth grade English. No matter where I end up, though, I will find a way to wear silly hats at least three times a month.

Hope that helped, you filthy animal.

Ate Half a Pomegranate Today,
KJW