I PASSED!!

I know you've all been on the edge of your seats awaiting the results of my MTLE.

Well, the wait is OVER.

I PASSED!! (obviously you figured this out from the title)

I am so excited about it.

My scores aren't terrific, or anything to brag about, but I PASSED and that's all that matters.

Here's a little more info...

FIRST, I was tested on my pedagogical knowledge. This was broken into 2 subtests.

Here's a breakdown of what the Performance Indices mean...

I did much better on the 2nd than the first, which means...

Maybe I won't be the best teacher, but I at least I'll be ethical and know what to do & where to go to find ways to improve myself as a teacher.

SECOND, I was tested on my knowledge of Social Studies. This also was broken down into two subtests and covered a wide variety of subjects.

No big surprises here. I've never been good with Economics - and it shows.

Now, I'm off to study for my US History final. It will finish off all my content courses.

After that I have two weeks to work on my online portfolio.

AND THEN ... and all-out break in January before I student teach.

Thanksgiving 2011 #13 - Phew!

Sorry, I missed over a week of posting my daily gratitude. I should be better this week leading up to Thanksgiving.

Today, I am thankful to completing my MTLE.

Source

It was four intense exams.

My head was swirling after I finished.
Mostly I had a headache.
There was a bit of relief, but I think that won't really come until after I get the results in a few weeks.

If I don't pass, I probably won't be able to student teach.

I had to do a lot of guessing, but I'm hoping my guesses were at least mostly correct. :)

Tech Tuesday: Flashcard Machine

Here's a great online tool I found -- especially for the end of the year as finals are approaching.

Flashcard Machine

This is great for students, teachers, or really anyone who wants to create nice and easy flashcards. It's free to sign-up and use.

• You can create all kinds of flashcard sets.
• You can study multiple sets at a time. For example, if you'd created a set for each chapter or unit, then you could combine them to study for a comprehensive final.
• You can collaborate with others in creating and/or studying your sets.
• You can include images and audio.
• Sets can be printed for offline studying.
• You can search the public flashcard database for interesting topics to expand your knowledge base.
• There's even an ipod app.

Let me know what you think about this site. Would you ever use it or suggest it to a student or teacher you know?

Journal Topic: Did you have a favorite subject in school? One you dreaded?

When I was in 7th grade, my favorite subject in school was Choir; however, my favorite teacher was Mr. Schmidt who taught Social Studies. I know this to be true because it was written in my journal. (Upon writing this post, I checked to see if he was still teaching in Alexandria; he is. I remember his wife had a baby the year he was my teacher; the baby came really early, I want to say 2 1/2 months?)

For the most part, I remember really enjoying school although I didn’t particularly have a favorite subject. Now that I really think back on it, I think I usually enjoy Math and Social Studies over other subject. I really did not like English class—especially if literature was involved. This might seem odd, since I loved to read (and still do!) growing up. I disliked having to be told what to read and when to read it. When I remember this, it seems almost laughable that I first thought I wanted to be an English teacher.

Seeing that one of my favorite teachers was my Social Studies makes me very pleased with my decision to switch over to a Social Studies licensure. I actually really do love learning about history and the world we live in (geography).

Since I mostly really enjoyed school, it was usually specific teachers that I disliked—not the subject. Recently, I’ve read over a few of my journals/papers I’d written in junior and senior high. It would seem like I enjoyed teachers who were more structured and tough; I didn’t like teachers who were too lenient.

Exhilaration

Yesterday, I taught for the first time in a high school.

I was SO nervous!

BUT...

when I stood up and was teaching and interacting with the students, it was exhilarating!

Of course, I still have a lot to learn to become a great teacher, but I could see the beginnings. Plus I had a wonderful dialogue with my St Thomas supervisor. She helped me recognize my strengths. We talked about things I would do differently. It was very, very helpful...and just the confidence builder that I needed.

This experience combined with what I'm learning in my courses is making me even more excited about my future career.

(My lesson was introducing an Urban Geography unit to a class of 9th & 10th graders. I taught my lesson twice.)