Wednesday, August 24, 2011

First Day of Classes - 8/23/11


OMG!  It’s better than I ever could have imagined!  I’m taking 3 courses and 2 seminars, except they’re all really seminars – a bunch of people sitting around a table talking about a common subject.  Four out of five are Intro courses – Intro to Doc Studies, Intro to Research in Ed, Orientation to the Math Ed PhD program, and a Research seminar (we’re preparing for a big meeting of the PME).  The final course is Larry’s Principles and Methods for Integrated Approaches to Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science.  We’re going to be writing Lesson Resources which is like very elaborate lesson plans.  I’ll be writing papers and/or making presentations in all of my classes.  The main emphasis of this semester is to focus on a research topic.  In addition I’m expecting to develop a support network and re-establish my writing skills (esp. citations).  I’ve got an entire 4 to 6 months to focus on only that.  What an incredible opportunity!  I am so glad I decide to partake in this little bit of insanity.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

My Schedule

I've got my schedule.  Classes on TWTh, starting at 3 or 3:30 and ending by 9.  It doesn't get any better than that!  Eleven credits all together - three courses and two seminars.  All education this semester, no math classes.  Lots of reading and writing I expect.  So far only one class has a required textbook but I can't afford it until I get my summer pay (which I'm still waiting for!).  But it'll all work out.

I also got groceries - what a workout.  Carrying stuff really winds you up here (over 7000 feet).  I've walked over an hour every day so far and I'm losing weight - but I don't know how much because I forgot to pack my scale (doofus).  Steak here is awesome and incredibly cheap (relatively).  There's no tax on groceries (not even soda pop) and there's no state income tax.  I love it!

Settling In

My apartment is adorable.  It's got one or two windows in each direction and I get plenty of natural light.  It helps that it's sunny nearly every day.  I'm in the basement and when you come down the stairs, there's a laundry area with washer & dryer.  A pair of french doors open into my living area.  It's set-up as an open doughnut, with the furnace and water heater in the hole.  First is living area, then you turn the corner onto the sleeping area.  Next is the sink and then the toilet/shower has doors to separate it from the open space.  Finally you come to the kitchen - a very nice open space with a built-in breakfast bar (chairs included!).  So actually it's Q shaped - the kitchen is the tail, and has 2 windows.  It's plenty spacious but a little light on storage space - I think I'll put up a spice rack on the wall and I'm thinking about a ceiling storage system for wine glasses - I don't have a lot of them, but they need to go somewhere.  The bathroom/kitchen area is tiled right on the concrete and the living/sleeping area is raised slightly and carpeted.  It's just perfect for my needs.  And then on top of everything - officially, I get the garage.  (My upstairs neighbors get the driveway.)  So there's space for my skis, camping gear, etc.  But I'm not buying anything new until my debts are paid off !

Financially I'm much better off.  I don't have internet or cable yet, and I'm not even going to look into it until the end of September.  I'll get paid once a month, Sept 30 through May 30.  I'll sock away 1/3 each month to cover the summer, but if I get summer work then I'll actually have some savings for emergencies.  In addition I should be able to put some money towards reducing my indebtedness.  I'm planning to check into credit counseling or bill consolidation.  If things go well and I'm able to teach in the summers, I might just be debt-free by the time I graduate!  Who ever heard of going to college to get out of debt?!?

Fortunately campus is one very short block from my place.  I met one of my upstairs neighbors on my way out this morning - Michelina.  They've a cute young couple, not yet married - she's an elementary school teacher looking for work and he's starting his Pharm D.  I offered garage space for storage & help prepping math lessons and asked if she'd let me come when they're going grocery shopping.  I think we're going to get along just fine.

I'm moving in slowly.  I walked to KMart yesterday for shampoo, laundry detergent & toilet paper.  It's about a 15 - 20 min walk.  There's a Safeway there also.  In the other direction is Albertson's - haven't done that one yet.  Tomorrow I'm doing official grad asst paperwork and meeting Larry to pick my classes.  In between I'm unpacking and organizing.  I'm hoping to have downsized enough that I'll be able to keep things relatively neat.  Having an office to go to will also help tremendously.

8/11/11; 3:25 pm Thermopolis Middle School


Slightly over half an hour to go till the end of today’s session.  I’ve spent most of the last two days writing up assessments (13 of them).  I need a lot more practice, especially on writing word problems.  I usually know what I want to ask, but I get stuck on inventing the situation.  I tend to just use the same things over and over again.  On the positive side, I am extremely adept with Word which helps a lot and makes everything look very professional.  The next step for me is to collect all the feedback and make the modifications.  Eventually I will have some undergrads to supervise, but for now it’s all me.  Actually I find it very stimulating. 

It’s wonderful to just sit back and listen to Linda and Larry talk.  I am immersed in the idea of teaching mathematics from counting to calculus.  They rattle off both the new and the old Standards of Practice off the tops of their heads – I’d forgotten they’d even been revised.  My brain is bursting and I’m so happy.  God, I’m a nerd!  Or should I say, Thank God I’m a Nerd!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

The Big Move

I am in Thermopolis, Wyoming, and I am completely exhausted, but I needed to make a post.  I have not posted all summer, because it was all about doubts, confusion, "when am I going to get my money," and general overwhelmingness.

I got in my Budget rental truck at about 4:30 on Sunday, August 7, which also just happened to be my fiftieth birthday (the big five-oh!).  It was such an awesome, freeing drive.  The best way to see Iowa and Nebraska is at night.  Ten minutes of either one and you've see the whole thing.  And what a wonderful opportunity to think!  I realized that I've lived my life along the I-80 corridor, from San Francisco to NY and many points between.  I wonder if there's a book in there somewhere.  OK - maybe too much time to think.  Anyway - I just drove straight through except for my 3 hour nap in western Nebraska when a major thunderstorm blew through, and I got into Laramie at 1 pm on Monday morning.

My new apartment is incredibly cute!  I've got to figure out how to take and post pictures.  I'll ask Gaby.  Anyway - it's got a kitchen, a living space, sleeping space, sink, toilet & shower.  Except for the toilet/shower, everything is open in a kind of doughnut shape.  The hole of the doughnut contains the heating & hot water systems for the house.  I've got the basement.  And I'm only a block and a half from the campus, 2 1/2 from my office.  Location, location, location.

I spent Monday afternoon unloading the truck and then I collapsed for the night.  I got woken by a phone call at 8am for an early morning meeting.  I was able to get there from a dead sleep in less than 45 minutes.  I couldn't help thinking, "This is where I belong."  Linda and Larry were discussing the agenda for the next three days and I understood every word.  Somehow talking about constructivism and modeling was perfectly natural.  I was actually able to participate and enhance the discussion.  I am exactly where I am supposed to be at this point in my life.  Wow!

And now I'm in Thermopolis.  I need to sleep because we start early.  And just to make life interesting - I've got seven tests to write tomorrow while also participating in the session.  There's nothing quite like hitting the ground running!