There is no denying that I will be sad when Taylor leaves for basics. I am trying to come to terms with the change, and I know that I will obsess about what he is doing, his safety, his happiness, and all those motherly things we begin worrying about as soon as the nurse hands us our child for the first time. I will drive myself insance worrying unless I give myself other things to focus on. With that in mind, I registered for my first Doctorate classes today. Just call me Doctor Todd.
Teachers love school. It's one of the reasons that we teach. We get to explore our favorite subjects every single day while learning new information constantly. What better way to occupy the mind of an educator than to educate her? There are issues with this plan, of course. One, I am already in a state of exhaustion most days just from my teaching duties, so to add hours of research and classwork on top of that may be a bit much. I want to be tired enough to sleep and not lie in bed awake at nights worrying about bumps in the night. I do not want to be so tired that I cry at the drop of the hat or am so ill that I am hateful to my students. Two, educators normally get paid more the more educated they are. The state superintendant of education wants to put into place a plan that would end this practice. Teachers would be based on the performance of their students with no relation to their education level. (The whole debate about paying teachers based on student performance is a whole other discussion, but just compare it to paying dentists based on the number of cavities their patients have...) Zais' proposal means that I am going to go into debt for a degree that probably will not benefit me financially in my current job. Luckily, the point of the degree is the knowledge gained and the distraction from worry. Plus, it will be extremely cool to be Dr. Todd. I believe that is worth a little exhaustion.
A plan is slowly forming here though this blog... I am going to go to school, write Taylor daily, Skype when I can, go out with friends, stay active in my church, and pray more than I ever thought possible. It is all going to be okay.
That is so exciting! I can't wait to address you as Dr. Todd. I hope I have enough life left after my kids are grown to go back to school, too. :) Go you!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the kids while they are young. It goes sooo fast... What will you study when you go back?
ReplyDeletei'm so proud of my cousin...Dr.Todd...i know it's going to be quite an adjustment when Taylor leaves for basics...just remember if i can help you get through a rough patch i'm here for you...
ReplyDeletecharlene
Dr. Todd :)
ReplyDeleteu r surrounded by a loving family of friends, students, & ur own family. U r also a strong, independent lady who can do abnuthing she sets her mind to. We love u & r here for u. :D
Dr. Todd I must disagree with you on 1 point. I am a school teacher and I have not enjoying getting back into school. i am much better in front of a class than sitting in a desk. Love the Blog and have been reading since day 1. I will come up with a name for those that were there in the humble beginings. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteJosh Christopher
Thank you, Josh! You know that you have loved every class that you haven taken with me!!!
ReplyDeleteGetting paid based on student performance. So that means, I guess, that the best teachers who SHOULD BE teaching the lowest students will avoid them like the plague?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately. However, if the GREAT teachers understood that by working with the lowest students and meeting them where they can learn, they will benefit. If a student's scores were low and then you were the teacher who figured out what worked for them, your performance would be recognized based on higher test scores. Plus, everyone's scores go up becasue the school's scores go up. I like to work with the lower kids too because there is nothing like seeing the spark in their eyes when it really clicks. For those students, it is about learning the material... not just the grade.
ReplyDelete