Huh

So the end of the semester is upon us. Kelly told me the other day that he has been dreading this period since Christmas. Last night I turned in one humongous project and Tuesday I'll turn in another. When I'll find the time to work on that one...? Who really knows? Tonight I have a meeting for this summer institute I'm doing and on Saturday morning I have another meeting for the same thing, followed by a full shift at the shelter. Maybe I'll start it - and hopefully finish it - Sunday. Right now it's just like one thing is stacked on top of another...and another...and another...

In other news, I think I may get my gifted education endorsement. Evidently, there isn't a GT program in Boise at the secondary level. Well, there is, but it's new as of this fall. And there are no gifted English teachers. I heard a lecture last night on gifted students and it was like my professor had done a case study on some of the intricate parts of my personal life and delivered a three and a half hour lecture on me to my class. So I talked to him about it and he told me about the developing GT secondary ed program here in Boise. I've been worried about the job outlook lately, because English teachers are a dime a dozen in this country. I've tried to do things that will set me apart as an English instructor and I've tried to make friends with some influential English teachers in the valley, but there's only so much I can do - especially when it comes to the matter of basic job openings. BUT...if the gifted program is only now being started at the secondary level - and I'm talking differentiated instruction, not just lame old AP classes - and there are no English teachers in the field yet, then that looks really good for me. I used to think that I wanted to teach the AP classes, but then I realized that AP classes are lame. You just give everyone a lot of work and expect that they can perform like college freshmen (so that when they really are college freshmen their composition teachers can think "Oh, great, this kid thinks he knows everything. Fun.") and prepare them to take a test. Wow. Plus, in order to teach the AP class you have to put in your time - which means that I won't see that class until I'm 50. People want that class because it's easy to teach. I have decided that I don't want that at all. I don't want the easy class where all students need is academic support and college guidance. I want my students to challenge me. For that purpose, I have been thinking about perhaps getting my special ed endorsement. I like the idea so much of differentiated instruction and keeping everything straight and giving each individual kid exactly what he or she needs to succeed in school, my class and life. But my life feels like time moves slower when I work with kids in special ed. I have the know-how and the patience and the drive, but I think that time actually slows to a barely beating pulse. I just never really knew until last night that AP and GT were two totally and completely different things and how exciting working with gifted ed could be. Actually, the concepts of working with special ed and with gifted ed are the exact same - as are some of the methods - just the pace and work load are different, really. I'm going to be in touch with my professor and try to observe one of his classes at the elementary level before making this decision, but the more I think about it, the more excited I get. The problem that has been in Boise, and the reason our GT program is just now developing, is that there is very little government funding for gifted education. Kids in special education cannot do mainstream work, so their parents have thrown fits about it and gotten specialized instruction. The problem with the gifted community is that they CAN do mainstream work, even though it is severely below their intellectual capacity, so they don't pose a problem. It's odd to want a higher, more stimulating challenge. And by gifted programs in Boise, I'm talking six year olds who attend junior high. Like I said - truly gifted. IQ of 140+. Plus, what adult wants to provide funding and programs for some first grader who can tell them more than they ever wanted to know about nuclear fission? Adults have this weird pride thing that they just can't get over sometimes. I see this as something that could be such fun and could really be challenging in a number of different ways. *sigh* That's a lot of random thoughts. I'm still looking into it. Right now I feel a little overwhelmed about it.

When I worked last I had one of our residents tell me that he may be in my English class next semester. He's getting his GED this summer and since he's so young and is hispanic and part of DHW he can get a ton of scholarship money. I really, really like this kid and it felt good that he remembered that I teach English 101 and that he would at least consider wanting to be in my class.

I need to get working on my lit review. I hate doing lit reviews. But first, I need to go eat the yummy-smelling breakfast Kelly is making me. You know, even though he says he has been dreading this time of the semester, he has been great with support and helping me and bringing me snacks and tea and reminding me that it's almost done and that the semester is almost over and that this is all worth it. Without him, I would probably be a basket case. People say that marriages have a high percentage of failure while one spouse is in graduate school (I want to say it's somewhere around 80%, but I could be making up that statistic), but I don't see that happening with us. Rather, graduate school is strengthening our marriage and the love and support and appreciation we maintain in our marriage.