Summer Classes

Many teachers would think I was insane for doing this, but I registered for 16 credits worth of summer courses. A lot of teachers just want to relax during the summer and want nothing to do with school or anything like it. I am an eternal student, so taking classes is something I always enjoy and look forward to. It will only take about 4 weeks to complete the 16 credits, so I will be working pretty hard during that time to get it accomplished.

Even though we are still not sure as to where we will be living come September, I have an agenda either way for taking classes.

I am registered for:

• Literacy Instruction/Special Needs
• Writing in Content Areas
• Teacher as Researcher
• Advanced Educational Psychology
• Reading Comp. In Content Areas

Two of the courses are web based, so that means I can complete the work at my own pace and do not have classes to attend which is nice.

If we stay in Portland, the 16 credits are the first 16 of my doctoral program which cover 10 Curriculum & Instruction credits and 6 elective credits. Also, I need exactly 16 credits to bump myself into the next bracket of the salary schedule in my current district which means a salary increase and that always helps!

If we end up moving to Germany, I am so eager to pursue my doctorate through PSU anyway that I am convinced the program coordinator just has to let me. I have mapped out a schedule of classes that allows me to do a lot of credits during summer sessions when I can return to Portland and bust my buns for several weeks each summer. I have contacted a professor from the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg and am going to meet him on Saturday to discuss how he might be able to mentor me in my research/dissertation stage of the program which I think will help to convince PSU that I am really motivated to make this happen!

Tomorrow we are having a meeting with HR to discuss some final issues regarding the relocation and I think after that we will be pretty much ready to make our final decision. I feel like I am living a double life of sorts because I have these dual scenarios of how my life will play out over the next few months. I am honestly happy either way things work out and there are aspects of both situations that I am excited for and aspects of each situation that I would be sad to forego. I will be very happy when our minds have been made up and we can move forward with our future plans!