Monday, January 14, 2013

School

Who, the kids?  No me!  I'm back at school and at times wondering why I was crazy enough to take on yet another task.  But I've had one class and I love it.  So how did this all start?

I've been wanting to go back to school for some time, but with being out of the country for a while, that was put on hold.  Carl and I have always talked about taking turns and since he was the last student in the household, it was time for me to go back.

Then I had a conversation this past summer with a friend I went to university with years ago.  She gave me some good advice and pointed out that all through my career as a teacher, it seemed I was often put into similar positions; positions that were involved with resource or transitional students.  She encouraged me that in order to make myself more marketable and also to pursue what I seemed to be groomed for, I should enroll to complete a certificate specializing in Special Education.  She didn't think I would take her up on her advice, but I did.

The class I'm taking, Promoting Positive Behaviour, is just once a week, but definitely a graduate level class.  Lots of on-line discussions and post, lots of reading and a student behavioural and assessment plan.  My other colleagues come from a variety of backgrounds and different stages in their teaching career, so I don't feel oddly unique in my situation.  The plan is that each session I will take a course and though I have nine years to complete it, I want to be well on my way to complete it in the next few years.  I may think I'm superwoman at times, but realistically I don't know if I can juggle going back to teaching, co-managing our busy family and trying to finish up courses.  Something would suffer.

Anyways, I may not have as much time to blog or you may find me here more often as I procrastinate!  Either way, it's going to be a good semester.  One quote that our professor left us with that has me thinking and may get me to reflecting here is,

 If you punish a child for being naughty, and reward him for being good, he will do right merely for the sake of the reward; and when he goes out into the world and finds that goodness is not always rewarded, nor wickedness always punished, he will grow into a man who only thinks about how he may get on in the world, and does right or wrong according as he finds either of advantage to himself.  
- Immanuel Kant 1724-1804




1 comment:

Laura Thiessen said...

I've been struggling with that quote exactly in my own experience raising children. I want them to know WHY we are encouraging certain behaviors, and I want him to WANT to behave well...congratulations on entering school! again. :) You ARE superwoman and you'll do great. You are going to be thinking great thinks!