I have no idea how long it’s been since my last post, but I know it was AGES ago.  Likewise, I have no idea what my last post was about, and probably should have looked before starting this one.  Regardless, it is officially update time.  As I know you know, I’m working towards my masters degree.  A Master of Art in Teaching Mathematics to be specific.  I also know you know that I took four courses during the summer.  I earned 3 A’s and a B in those courses.

During the Fall semester I took three courses.  I also decided to idly apply for long-term sub jobs.  I never dreamed I would actually get one.  Imagine my shock when a high school (affectionately called SHS) offered me a position.  I accepted because I need all the experience and letters of recommendation I can get!  This put me in a very interesting position.  I was now in school full time AND teaching full time.

I was a mess.  I considered dropping a class to make things easier, but my adviser wouldn’t let me.  Luckily, she was also my teacher for two of my three courses and was kind enough to give me extensions when I needed them.  That helped greatly with the stress.

The position at SHS started in the middle of October and was supposed to go until January or February.  The teacher ended up coming back earlier than expected (she had knee surgery) and came back right after Thanksgiving, making my last day the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.  On the one hand, I was sad to leave the students and the staff.  I felt right at home in SHS.  On the other hand, I was thrilled to be done early.  I had so much school work to catch up on and the stress was beginning to make me a crazy person.

I finished up the Fall semester with everything caught up.  I also found out that two education courses I took during the APB in 2008 will replace two education courses in the MAT.  The MAT is five education courses and six subject matter courses – for me that means math.  I’ve already taken three education courses, so that means that I’m done with the education requirements.  All I needed to do was get paperwork filled out and signed by the correct people.  Which has been done, but it won’t be processed until after the New Year.

This means that the struggle I was having about walking has been eliminated.  You see, graduate students have one commencement a year, in May.  I wouldn’t be finishing the degree program until the summer, so I was trying to figure out if I could walk without finishing and technically graduate in the summer.  Now I don’t have to worry about it!  Two more math courses and I will officially have my masters degree.

The new plan is thus:

Summer I 2011: EDMC 530 (A) & MATH 596(1) (A)
Summer II 2011: EDMC 531 (B+) & EDMC 532 (A)
Fall 2011: MATH 562 (A-) & MATH 582 (A) & MATH 596(2) (A)
Spring 2012: MATH 527 & MATH 596(3)
DONE

No summer classes like I thought.  I was anticipating taking three courses in the Spring and one in the Summer.  Now I don’t have to.  It’s super exciting.