I was pretty grateful to Kristin and Jeff for setting up our last class the way they did. I liked being able to just sit back and listen to come insightful stories on the last day of summer semester. I really wasn't up to do any hands on activities or group work ... especially since I had been up so late the night before trying to finish all the comments we had due.
I really enjoyed listening to the previous MACers who spoke in my section (Cohort A). I liked seeing how diverse their eventual job positions were in. It seems like everyone took a different route and that was inspiring to see. I have a lot of questions and uncertainties with regards to where I want to work come next summer and I start looking for jobs. I have a lot of ideals when it comes to education and I feel that a lot of them are being tested or at least poked through this program. That's not to say it's a bad thing, just that I'm rethinking a lot of things about school, schooling, and teaching.
Before entering SecMAC the most experience I'd had with schools was my own education + any volunteering I did at my high school (after graduation) or the school my mom worked at. I did also volunteer here in MI after moving last year. All of the schools I've volunteered at though, are private religious schools and so in that sense my exposure to 'schools' has been very limited. I was hoping that through the MAC program I would not only get more exposure to public schooling, but also a better idea and appreciation of public schools.
What's happened though, is that my concerns about public schools have just increased and widened. I guess that's something I should have expected, but regardless it is making me rethinking where I want to work and what kind of teacher I would be. Seeing these teachers take so many different paths helped me think about my questions more thoroughly.
I also liked the fact that Kristin and Jeff combined our cohorts for the second section. I was a little sad at first when I realized we were going to be split, because I was hoping we would all be together for the last session. We didn't get a lot of opportunities to take classes together across discipline (I feel like I hardly saw the STEM people!) so it was nice to finish in the way we started the summer.
I really enjoyed listening to the previous MACers who spoke in my section (Cohort A). I liked seeing how diverse their eventual job positions were in. It seems like everyone took a different route and that was inspiring to see. I have a lot of questions and uncertainties with regards to where I want to work come next summer and I start looking for jobs. I have a lot of ideals when it comes to education and I feel that a lot of them are being tested or at least poked through this program. That's not to say it's a bad thing, just that I'm rethinking a lot of things about school, schooling, and teaching.
Before entering SecMAC the most experience I'd had with schools was my own education + any volunteering I did at my high school (after graduation) or the school my mom worked at. I did also volunteer here in MI after moving last year. All of the schools I've volunteered at though, are private religious schools and so in that sense my exposure to 'schools' has been very limited. I was hoping that through the MAC program I would not only get more exposure to public schooling, but also a better idea and appreciation of public schools.
What's happened though, is that my concerns about public schools have just increased and widened. I guess that's something I should have expected, but regardless it is making me rethinking where I want to work and what kind of teacher I would be. Seeing these teachers take so many different paths helped me think about my questions more thoroughly.
I also liked the fact that Kristin and Jeff combined our cohorts for the second section. I was a little sad at first when I realized we were going to be split, because I was hoping we would all be together for the last session. We didn't get a lot of opportunities to take classes together across discipline (I feel like I hardly saw the STEM people!) so it was nice to finish in the way we started the summer.
The last class was a gem. I hope that I can one day be as inspirational as our fellow MAC alum are. At the same time though, their stories are sort of scary. I hope that when I become a teacher I am not faced with as many trials and tribulations. I mean, applying to a million jobs and then being laid off is just depressing. It is a reality of this current economy and teachers are far less isolated than they once were.
ReplyDeleteI too attended a religious school and then a public school for high school. They are completely different breeds and I am certain teaching in religious schools is much easier. Still, I think the diversity at public schools makes them more interesting and rewarding. It is hard to decide though!