Fall 2021 Update

I finished my MA in Teaching Science Education (Secondary) or MATSES in May. In July, I was hired for a part-time teaching position that started in September. I am teaching 2 periods of Physical Science to 9th and 10th graders. I continue to sub in the afternoon as jobs come up as well. 

2021 Update

 I am still working on my MATSES (Masters in Teaching Science Education: Secondary). I finished all of my non-student teaching related courses (but one, and I just finished that this week) in the first five months of last year and then I took a 5-month term break to make my last university term align with student teaching this spring. While I was on my term break, I took and passed all of the content tests that were required by my university, the state, or both. I took the West-B Reading, Writing, and Math tests. I also had to take two different biology content tests-Praxis Biology and NES Biology. I did the science tests back to back over two days on a weekend. That was fun.*** 

I'm subbing again this year, spending most of my time so far in 3rd and 5th grade. School here is on an A/B face to face schedule, with alternate Wednesdays. I've had long(ish) term placements (10-15 days). I like being in the same class every day. But my subbing days are done for a few months. 

I start my student teaching on January 11 and it will last for 12 weeks. Once I am done with that I will need to submit and pass my edTPA before I can be licensed to teach secondary biology. My program end date is May 31. Lots to do, but I am almost done! Then, do I get to write MA squared after my name? 

2020

I started an online program on January 1st, 2020 to earn my Master of Arts in Teaching Science Education (Secondary). Since I took so many science classes in my undergrad, I had quite a few of the required prerequisites already completed for this program. It will take me about a year to a year and a half to finish and I will have my certification to teach science to middle and high school students. In the meantime, I am working as a substitute teacher for our local school district.

Graduation Day!

Yay, I did it! 

MA in Anthropology from WWU

We didn't get a photo of me being hooded. That's okay. I had a moment back in the hall waiting for the ceremony to start. The organizer asked me if I planned to have someone from my department hood me, but no, there was no one there. It should have been Joan. 

Accepting my diploma cover from the university president. 

Goodbye bone lab. Thanks for everything, Joan.

Me and my old man outside the Anthro building. 

Thesis Defense Update: I passed!

When I last posted, my thesis defense was scheduled for February 20th. I should have updated before now, but this is a hard time of year for me. It's been just over a year since my mom died. 

My youngest son and daughter traveled to Bellingham with me to attend my defense. The rest of my family was unable to attend for various reasons. My husband got to sit through my defense while I practiced at home though. If anyone wants, I'd be happy to run through it for you. Or you can read it and ask me questions. Or I can bury in the deep recesses of my brain with the rest of the stuff I want to forget about. 

My defense was held in the bone lab, which was hard for me. This was the first time I'd been back on campus since my committee chair died. I got teary when I saw that Joan's office is occupied by someone else, but being in her lab was like she was there with me. I know she would be proud of me.

So, onto the defense itself. I passed. I was super nervous at first, but once I stopped trying to read my notes and talk at the same time, it got better. The question and answer session with the audience was fun and the private "grilling" from my committee went well. 

Thanks to everyone who attended and celebrated with me after! 

The next day, I made the revisions suggested by my committee and got the required signatures. One of the suggested changes was to my title. (I will post a link to my thesis online if anyone wants to read it. If you do and you happen to find an errors or typos, don't tell me. There's nothing I can do about it at this point and it will drive me mad.) 

I took the signed pages to the grad school office for the dean to sign and my kids and I made the drive home. It's a good thing we left when we did. It started snowing again the next day and the pass was closed for awhile. 

Once I got home, I uploaded my thesis as a PDF to the college's special collections site. The grad school made some suggestions for revisions and it was then that I noticed that my signature page had a mistake. I had to get it resigned and my lovely former lab partner and superhero Hayley took it to the grad school for me to get signed and then took it to the printer to get printed and bound. I have to get a copy made for the college's library. I am waiting for copy services to get back to me on that. Once that is done, I am all done and I graduate on Saturday. 

I swear my entire thesis experience has been riddled with speed bumps. But, I did it. 

Thesis

I have so much data and a ton of other questions that could be explored using it. I feel like I shouldn't walk away from it, but I am not planning to go on for my PhD at this point. Maybe someday. 

Thesis Defense

Yep...

Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson