It's Official!

It is official that I have completed and passed all three of my Teaching Certification Exams as well as received my grades for the winter term, so I am officially moving on to my last term in the MAT program. I can hardly believe how quickly this year has gone and that in less than three months I will be graduating and have my Certification and Masters Degree. Now it is all about the job hunt and working with my students to prepare them for the Regents. Today I took my first step towards the job seach by attending the Education Expo down at the Empire State Plaza. There were approximately 25 school districts represented, both public and private. The majority were from the local area and NYS, but there were two schools from Maryland, one from Nevada and another from Alaska. It was a bit nerve racking, but I am glad that I was able to get a sense of what they were looking for as well as what job opportunities might be available this fall. Unfortunately right now, without the school budgets having been passed, many schools are unsure of what vacancies they will have and thus are not posting open positions. So I will need to keep an open mind on places and locations, which is okay for me, because ultimately I just want to teach and be able to work with the students.
   Currently in my internship I am teaching Human Reproduction, which has certainly been an eventful unit. My students are very interested and open to asking questions on just about anything. I was surprised by their enthusiasm and interest in the subject, but welcome the opportunity to have their full attention and to be able to answer their questions. It is great to see how comfortable they are with me by the types of questions they are asking. They are extremely curious and look to me to find the answers, which is quite rewarding.
   Other than that, not too much more to report. The spring term classes start next week, so I am relishing having my evenings free from class and grad school work, so I am trying to get ahead in my internship planning as well as catching up on life.
   For those that are looking to start in the summer, I highly encourage you to apply and choose UGC. It has been an amazing experience. You will learn so much about yourself, teaching and most importantly your students. The one-year internship has truly changed me in ways I never imagined and I do feel that I will be so prepared for when I have my own classroom hopefully this fall. The staff and Professors here are so  helpful and knowledgeable. Everyone is always willing to lend a helping hand or ear and help to make the busy year a little less stressful. If you have questions, comments, concerns, please post a comment and I would be happy to help!