...Bloom Where You Are Planted...

I was just looking over my e-portfolio on livetext.com because I have a job interview tomorrow for a position as teacher of English/Language Arts at Marlinton Middle school, and I realized that I hadn't blogged in over 6 months. What better time to post a new blog in my Teacher Identity Blog then the day before a BIG interview. I am very nervous about interviewing, but excited about the thought of maybe having my own classroom. I know that I have some competition, but I am confident that the Benedum Collaborative prepared me well enough to be the best teacher possible, after all I am a life-long learner and what I'm unsure of I will learn. I'm will bloom where I am planted....wherever that may be!

PLT-- A not so disaster, disaster!

On the evening of Janurary 14, 2011 I , the night before I was supposed to take the PLT, I accidentally set my alarm for 6:00pm instead of 6:00am, an action that I repeat often. Consequently, I didn't wake up until 7am which allowed me zero time to prepare myself like I had planned. Instead of waking up, getting a shower, sipping some coffee while reading over my study notes, and eating a nutritious breakfast, I had to run out the door without a shower, coffee, or breakfast with a stressed out disposition as opposed to a relaxed and prepared. During the last 10 minutes of the test I still had like 25 multiple choice and one constructed response left to do when I came to the realization that I had skipped a page on one of my constructed responses and didn't have a spot to write the last one. With only 10 minutes left, I had to write the last constructed response where I should have wrote the one that I skipped and crossed out all the numbers and wrote the correct ones. It seemed like I was having one bad luck moment after the other and for 4 weeks now, I have been stressing about my PLT score. I checked my score this morning and much to my surprise I have passed! I was so happy and despite all the bad luck I had that morning, I realize that I am still capable. :-)

First Week of my Last Semester...Check!

I know it's no longer a requirement for me to write in this blog, but to be honest, I kinda like it. So for all you followers out there who receive e-mail updates every time I add a new blog, I'm sorry! Anyways, It's official, the first week of classes has come and gone, and boy am I overwhelmed. Just as I always am at this time of year. Being bombarded with the stresses of every assignment that's due for the rest of the semester is overwhelming for everyone. Especially grad school students when they look through the syllabus and realize how much of their time they will spend reading! One professor actually said and I quote, "Don't stress out about the number of articles, they aren't very long. On any given week I'd say you shouldn't have to read more than, ahhhh 150 pages." HaHaHa! That's what I wanted to do right there in the middle of class, laugh one of those evil laughs like The Joker does. Reality Check, 150 pages is A LOT... especially when I'm supposed to read about that much for 3 other classes. I do like to read, don't get me wrong, however, that's not the only thing I like to do!
Next element of stress, the PLT, which I am taking tomorrow morning at 7:30am. I'll probably be the only person in the room that early in the morning, but I just want to get it over with. I've heard through the grapevine (I've never understood that expression) the it's the hardest test you will ever take. That's sure is scary because I've taking a lot of hard tests, and I'd say all these certification tests are at the top of the list. I also heard that my hand will most likely be tired at the end of the test. Duh, two hours of writing responses, sure thing my wrist is going to get tired. That's like doing 2 hours of cardio work, sure I'm doing to be out of breath! Actually, I've been procrastinating studying for this thing all day today, NOT that this is the first time I've studied cause it's not...I am just tired of it.
I should probably stop complaining now and finish with a closing statement about how proud I am of myself for making it this far in such a tough program and how excited I will be, and am, when I graduate with a Masters Degree! "Go Lisa, Go Lisa, Go Lisa, It's Your Birthday! :-)