on leaching, I mean tearning, ... wait

Teaching and learning! That's right.

Goodness gracious, I am so swamped in learning theorists and critical analysis and EALRs! My Master in Teaching program is so full, so fascinating and so exhausting. We are 42 students, 4 professors and 6 weeks into Fall term. I have digested well known theorists such as Piaget, Vygotsky and Skinner, and lesser known authors like Barbara Rogoff and James Zull. I am writing a synthesis paper that combines what I've learned from all our readings and it takes up most of my thought power to compose. It's extremely satisfying, but limited to an intimidatingly mere 12 pages.

Other assignments include practice lesson plans, teaching lessons to the rest of the class, visiting schools, and examining Washington state standards for content knowledge. The state standards come in neat little packages of acronyms, like EALR (Essential Academic Learning Requirements) and GLE (Grade Level Expectations). The best part is that since I am getting an elementary endorsement (which is K-8 in Washington) I have to be able to teach every content area through 8th grade. Our professors like to say we elementary endorsements are 'true renaissance people.' I think we're just crazy. I've been able to keep my head above the workload so far, but it's to the point where I am looking forward to Thanksgiving break so I can just stay home and do homework instead of go to class. (almost)

I'm very interested in the technology and research part of the program. I think I like the technology because it's easy to me, but the research is just plain fun. I haven't picked a topic for my Masters Paper, but I think I want to focus on Kindergarten and either literacy or storytelling. The paper has to be written using peer-reviewed articles, so I don't get to do any research myself... but I hope to someday.

It's satisfying to finally be learning about what I'm most interested in, and it's also intimidating to think of all the high level reasoning and time this program asks me to invest. As a friend said to me today, "If it was easy, everyone would have a Master's."