My mom just left after being in town for a few days- she vacuumed, mopped, cooked, entertained, gave me rides when my car broke (ug), etc... and so today NJ and I both needed something extra fun to help take away the sting of the Granny-Letdown-Effect. So, I brought out the new 124 dinosaur sticker stack!!! Sure, the red dino was decapitated almost immediately and the green lost it's tail soon after, but I'm just so excited that NJ has finally reached the age where stickers are fun! I know, it seems little and silly, but I was a big fan of stickers as a kid- my sister might even say I was obsesive, or compulsive, or maybe just cruel (but that's another story entirely). Now, I once again have a great excuse (as if scrapbooking wasn't excuse enought) to buy cheap, fun stickers and stick them all over!!!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Stickers
My mom just left after being in town for a few days- she vacuumed, mopped, cooked, entertained, gave me rides when my car broke (ug), etc... and so today NJ and I both needed something extra fun to help take away the sting of the Granny-Letdown-Effect. So, I brought out the new 124 dinosaur sticker stack!!! Sure, the red dino was decapitated almost immediately and the green lost it's tail soon after, but I'm just so excited that NJ has finally reached the age where stickers are fun! I know, it seems little and silly, but I was a big fan of stickers as a kid- my sister might even say I was obsesive, or compulsive, or maybe just cruel (but that's another story entirely). Now, I once again have a great excuse (as if scrapbooking wasn't excuse enought) to buy cheap, fun stickers and stick them all over!!!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Professor Update
It's really very exciting! I've always wanted to teach- I can remember all the back to elementary school- we were learning about addition and subtraction and I was able to help my friend understand and she said to me, "you should be a teacher some day." Ok, so maybe I should choose my careers on the advice of a 1st grader (is that what grade you learn addition and subtraction?), but it always stuck with me.
Later in life I learned how little teachers are paid (my mom was a teacher) and decided to go into a more lucrative field. However, I never lost that desire to teach. When I got my first real job after college at a big corporate headquarters, I found that I really enjoyed giving training presentations and teaching people about the management systems we were helping them implement. When we had our annual conferences, I always complained a bit, but really I loved getting up in front of several hundred people and telling them and the latest environmental regulation or how to use the new software we were providing for them.
I can't quite put my finger on what it is about sharing knowledge that I get a kick out of. I think it must have something to do with my sister. I can remember when all her unsolicited "worthless tidbits of information," as I liked to call them, annoyed me to no end, but I soon came around and now agree with her that "there's no such thing as worthless information." Now, I just eat it all up. I love listening to NPR and reading The Economist (when I can get my hands on a free copy- it's way expensive!). I'm also enjoying this article I have to read as 'homework' for my how-to-be-a-University-of-Phoenix-professor class. It's about how students learn, whether knowledge is socially constructed or discovered.
I hope I enjoy teaching as much as I plan!
Later in life I learned how little teachers are paid (my mom was a teacher) and decided to go into a more lucrative field. However, I never lost that desire to teach. When I got my first real job after college at a big corporate headquarters, I found that I really enjoyed giving training presentations and teaching people about the management systems we were helping them implement. When we had our annual conferences, I always complained a bit, but really I loved getting up in front of several hundred people and telling them and the latest environmental regulation or how to use the new software we were providing for them.
I can't quite put my finger on what it is about sharing knowledge that I get a kick out of. I think it must have something to do with my sister. I can remember when all her unsolicited "worthless tidbits of information," as I liked to call them, annoyed me to no end, but I soon came around and now agree with her that "there's no such thing as worthless information." Now, I just eat it all up. I love listening to NPR and reading The Economist (when I can get my hands on a free copy- it's way expensive!). I'm also enjoying this article I have to read as 'homework' for my how-to-be-a-University-of-Phoenix-professor class. It's about how students learn, whether knowledge is socially constructed or discovered.
I hope I enjoy teaching as much as I plan!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
NJ's First Air Show
B took NJ to the Air Show today!!! It's something B used to do with his dad and since NJ LOVES anything that flys, I knew they both would really enjoy it. According to B (I stayed home and took a nap- no need to interrupt father-son time!), NJ was really interested in everything and was really taking in the crowds and all the sights to see with the vendors and such. I'd really love to include a pic here of NJ at his first air show with his daddy, but daddy only took pictures of airplanes... silly daddy.
Friday, March 13, 2009
UofPhx Update
I heard Wednesday that I passed the interview/audition for the University of Phoenix! Yay!!! Now I just have to take their 5 week, one night a week (traditional UofPhx style) faculty certification course. The next course starts march 23, but I'm not sure if I can make that one... So I guess it's all in God's time.
Yay!
Yay!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Professor Abels?
Several weeks ago I sent my resume to the University of Phoenix with the thought of becoming a professor. In some ways it seemed like a long shot, but in other ways it seems like the most natural thing in the world!
When they emailed back asking me to come to their assessment I decided I should think about it. How much out-of-class time does it take to teach a class? Do I have that time? (Will anyone take me seriously?) Will teaching be as rewarding as I hope or is it like most jobs: there's a reason they pay?
Honestly, I really really love my Realtor work. Real Estate is interesting, every thing's tied to it, I get to work with people... it's a lot of fun! Do I really want to take time away from that and away from my son to teach? Fortunately, UofP is all evening classes, so, since NJ goes to bed at 7 every night, being gone one evening a week from 6-10 isn't so bad. In some ways it might be an ideal job! I have ALWAYS loved teaching in any fashion....
After some time letting it marinate in my mind I decided to go for it. On Monday (the RSVP deadline) I realized that the assessment was actually on Friday! eak! Well, I RSVP'ed for the assessment and went about getting ready. The assessment involved a 15 minute presentation on a topic related to
the subject you want to teach, a "leaderless group activity," and a two page "analytic writing assignment" to be turned in on the day of the assessment. But first I have to fill out the formal on-line application. So, I started with that and found that I couldn't get past the first step because they required 15 graduate level credits in the subject you were interested in teaching... Well, my MBA was pretty well-rounded and there isn't any subject (except maybe the generic "management") that I have 15 credits in. So, I promptly sent them an email, on Tuesday, withdrawing from the process. I was disappointed, but a little relieved too- after all, that paper and presentation were going to be a lot of work and I have a pretty hectic week.
Then on Wednesday, I got an email back saying that I had misunderstood the requirements on the website, that I was eligible, and they would like me to come to the assessment. I tried to tell them I would have to wait for the next one, but they weren't thrilled about that. Then, my sister stepped in and convinced me to just go for it: "what's a little 15 min presentation and a 2 page paper?????"
So, with less than 48 hours to prep, I went for it. Honestly, once the presentation was created, I couldn't imagine what I would change if I had another month to prepare, so I guess it worked out. Plus, they gave me an extension on the paper until Sunday night, so really it wasn't so bad. I knocked that out during NJ's nap today (what a wonderful baby to choose today to take an extra long nap!). So now I guess we just wait and see what they think.... Friday's presentation seemed to go well and the leaderless group activity was painless, so.... time will tell...
When they emailed back asking me to come to their assessment I decided I should think about it. How much out-of-class time does it take to teach a class? Do I have that time? (Will anyone take me seriously?) Will teaching be as rewarding as I hope or is it like most jobs: there's a reason they pay?
Honestly, I really really love my Realtor work. Real Estate is interesting, every thing's tied to it, I get to work with people... it's a lot of fun! Do I really want to take time away from that and away from my son to teach? Fortunately, UofP is all evening classes, so, since NJ goes to bed at 7 every night, being gone one evening a week from 6-10 isn't so bad. In some ways it might be an ideal job! I have ALWAYS loved teaching in any fashion....
After some time letting it marinate in my mind I decided to go for it. On Monday (the RSVP deadline) I realized that the assessment was actually on Friday! eak! Well, I RSVP'ed for the assessment and went about getting ready. The assessment involved a 15 minute presentation on a topic related to
the subject you want to teach, a "leaderless group activity," and a two page "analytic writing assignment" to be turned in on the day of the assessment. But first I have to fill out the formal on-line application. So, I started with that and found that I couldn't get past the first step because they required 15 graduate level credits in the subject you were interested in teaching... Well, my MBA was pretty well-rounded and there isn't any subject (except maybe the generic "management") that I have 15 credits in. So, I promptly sent them an email, on Tuesday, withdrawing from the process. I was disappointed, but a little relieved too- after all, that paper and presentation were going to be a lot of work and I have a pretty hectic week.Then on Wednesday, I got an email back saying that I had misunderstood the requirements on the website, that I was eligible, and they would like me to come to the assessment. I tried to tell them I would have to wait for the next one, but they weren't thrilled about that. Then, my sister stepped in and convinced me to just go for it: "what's a little 15 min presentation and a 2 page paper?????"
So, with less than 48 hours to prep, I went for it. Honestly, once the presentation was created, I couldn't imagine what I would change if I had another month to prepare, so I guess it worked out. Plus, they gave me an extension on the paper until Sunday night, so really it wasn't so bad. I knocked that out during NJ's nap today (what a wonderful baby to choose today to take an extra long nap!). So now I guess we just wait and see what they think.... Friday's presentation seemed to go well and the leaderless group activity was painless, so.... time will tell...
