So about two weeks ago I went to Albuquerque to take a test because I have this idea that I’d like to be a teacher in New Mexico one day. It could, I suppose be a simple and clean cut proposition, but remember this is me we’re dealing with. I’ve managed to turn a simple trip to Albuquerque into a massive Homerian (Simpson, that is,) undertaking. Still, the story is worth telling because it has everything to do with where my head has been, and why I haven’t been writing so prolifically these past few months. Ok, ok, why I haven’t written jack shit since I can’t remember when.
To be as succinct, as I can possibly manage, the story of why I went to Albuquerque begins about a year ago during my 2006 visit to the US, wherein I decided that what I really want to do with my life is to become a “real” teacher in an American public school. Throughout the past year I considered the problem of how to get certified to teach in the US when suddenly, with the help of a friend, I hit on the idea of trying to get into an alternative licensure program in the state of New Mexico. Up to that point I had been considering several different geographic locations and routes to certification, but when I heard about the program in New Mexico, something just clicked.
I ran with that idea for as long as I could, being so convinced that I was taking the right course that I talked about my plan as if it were a done deal, and neglected one small detail. That is, I forgot to check whether I was actually eligible for the program. It logically follows that this would not be worth mentioning had it not turned out that I am in fact, not eligible. Oops, my bad.
Frustrated, but determined–to borrow a phrase–to find a new way forward, I reevaluated my plans and decided first to drop the “alternative licensure” route and pursue teacher certification through somewhat more traditional means yet still aim for New Mexico. Secondly, I decided to return to Korea while I work on getting my education and financial duck lined up in preparation for my big move back to the states.
Perhaps it would make sense here for me to mention that the main thing holding me up is that I don’t have enough English credits in my background. Funnily enough, tt turns out if you want to be an English teacher you have to have spent some time studying English. Go figure. My French major (je ne sais pas pourquoi) plus some decisions of a decade earlier, left me a few credits short of the “highly qualified” requirement. As of right now, I am registered to take some English courses by distance learning from a university that I shall not name for the time being.. Since I can do the coursework anywhere I want–that is the whole point of distance learning after all–it just made sense to go back to Korea where I have a large circle of friends already established, and where I can work less than six hours a day, earn a full-time salary and live rent-free.
By the time all that fell into place however, I had already signed up to take the NMTA, a basic skills test required of anyone who wants to become a teacher in the state of New Mexico, and which is actually a pre-requisite just to get into the teacher education program I want to enter. So I decided to just go ahead and get it out of the way right now. It also wouldn’t be a bad idea, I figured, to at least go check out the place where I was planning to spend at least three years of my life, and hopefully longer.
On September 7th, with a rented car and a reservation at a national motel chain that must waste a lot of electricity, what with their leaving lights on all the time, I arrived in Albuquerque.
I’ll not say much about the city of Albuquerque right now. My judgments about Albuquerque are probably unfairly influenced by my feelings about Portland. I think in time I could develop quite an affection for Albuquerque…but I didn’t have strong feelings about the place on first glance, not like I’d hoped I would.
As for the test itself…it was mostly ok. There was a lot more algebra on the exam than I expected. I got bogged down on those parts and then had to hurry through the essay at the end. In retrospect, I should have concentrated on writing a good essay, since writing is my strength, and then gone back and just guessed at the math questions, since my chances of getting the correct answers would probably have been about the same, if not greater.
When the test was over, I had a minor panic attack in my rented car in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart near just down the block from the testing site. I guess it’s good that I managed to have the attack after the exam, and not during. Looking back now, I guess I probably did ok, but I won’t know if I passed the test until early October when the scores are released. Until then it’s a waiting game, which I don’t worry about too much, unless I think about it, like right now for instance.
The rest of my summer played out in a similarly murky fashion, but that will have to wait for another time…but not too long, I promise….
Oh and, for those who have kept checking the BoB during this long dry spell…Thank you, I do appreciate it.
To be as succinct, as I can possibly manage, the story of why I went to Albuquerque begins about a year ago during my 2006 visit to the US, wherein I decided that what I really want to do with my life is to become a “real” teacher in an American public school. Throughout the past year I considered the problem of how to get certified to teach in the US when suddenly, with the help of a friend, I hit on the idea of trying to get into an alternative licensure program in the state of New Mexico. Up to that point I had been considering several different geographic locations and routes to certification, but when I heard about the program in New Mexico, something just clicked.
I ran with that idea for as long as I could, being so convinced that I was taking the right course that I talked about my plan as if it were a done deal, and neglected one small detail. That is, I forgot to check whether I was actually eligible for the program. It logically follows that this would not be worth mentioning had it not turned out that I am in fact, not eligible. Oops, my bad.
Frustrated, but determined–to borrow a phrase–to find a new way forward, I reevaluated my plans and decided first to drop the “alternative licensure” route and pursue teacher certification through somewhat more traditional means yet still aim for New Mexico. Secondly, I decided to return to Korea while I work on getting my education and financial duck lined up in preparation for my big move back to the states.
Perhaps it would make sense here for me to mention that the main thing holding me up is that I don’t have enough English credits in my background. Funnily enough, tt turns out if you want to be an English teacher you have to have spent some time studying English. Go figure. My French major (je ne sais pas pourquoi) plus some decisions of a decade earlier, left me a few credits short of the “highly qualified” requirement. As of right now, I am registered to take some English courses by distance learning from a university that I shall not name for the time being.. Since I can do the coursework anywhere I want–that is the whole point of distance learning after all–it just made sense to go back to Korea where I have a large circle of friends already established, and where I can work less than six hours a day, earn a full-time salary and live rent-free.
By the time all that fell into place however, I had already signed up to take the NMTA, a basic skills test required of anyone who wants to become a teacher in the state of New Mexico, and which is actually a pre-requisite just to get into the teacher education program I want to enter. So I decided to just go ahead and get it out of the way right now. It also wouldn’t be a bad idea, I figured, to at least go check out the place where I was planning to spend at least three years of my life, and hopefully longer.
On September 7th, with a rented car and a reservation at a national motel chain that must waste a lot of electricity, what with their leaving lights on all the time, I arrived in Albuquerque.
I’ll not say much about the city of Albuquerque right now. My judgments about Albuquerque are probably unfairly influenced by my feelings about Portland. I think in time I could develop quite an affection for Albuquerque…but I didn’t have strong feelings about the place on first glance, not like I’d hoped I would.
As for the test itself…it was mostly ok. There was a lot more algebra on the exam than I expected. I got bogged down on those parts and then had to hurry through the essay at the end. In retrospect, I should have concentrated on writing a good essay, since writing is my strength, and then gone back and just guessed at the math questions, since my chances of getting the correct answers would probably have been about the same, if not greater.
When the test was over, I had a minor panic attack in my rented car in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart near just down the block from the testing site. I guess it’s good that I managed to have the attack after the exam, and not during. Looking back now, I guess I probably did ok, but I won’t know if I passed the test until early October when the scores are released. Until then it’s a waiting game, which I don’t worry about too much, unless I think about it, like right now for instance.
The rest of my summer played out in a similarly murky fashion, but that will have to wait for another time…but not too long, I promise….
Oh and, for those who have kept checking the BoB during this long dry spell…Thank you, I do appreciate it.
Labels: The life of Brian, travel
Last night I ran a mile.
It's not the first time I've done that. When I went to college in Idaho I had to run a mile and-a-half within a certain time; something around 16 minutes. It was actually a requirement for graduation. Well, it was part of a phys-ed course that was a graduation requirement, and the running thing was required to pass the course, ergo... I put off taking the course until the very last term I went to that school. Even the math requirement came out ahead that time. But the point is, I did it, and actually sort of enjoyed it.
During the past two years I've run on the treadmill at various times, but found running on pavement too arduous and painful due to a bone spur in my right heel. Last summer I tried to go running with a friend of mine in Tucson, and was left nearly crippled afterward.
My heel seems to have finally healed, thankfully. About a week ago I went out for a walk, more or less as an excuse to get out of my parents house for a while, and found that I felt like running. The "adult living complex" (trailer park) where they live has wide, flat empty streets that are perfect for an evening run. I probably ran between half and three-quarters of a mile that time, and could have gone further except for the cramps I was getting in my side. In the morning to my surprise, although I had numerous muscle aches in my legs and abdomen, my heel was fine. There was no pain whatsoever.
I meant to get out and run again right away, but it took six days before I finally did. Maybe that's not such a bad thing. In the mean time I drove my (rented) car around around the trailer park and figured out a route that equals roughly a mile. so last night I went for it. As I approached the place where I had stopped the previous time, I found I wasn't cramping up this time, but was having trouble taking deep breaths. (cursing myself once again that I started smoking again.) Getting to a mile wasn't all that hard, and I could have gone on in fact, but I guess running to the point of collapse isn't the point is it?
So in my mind I'm already picking out my shoes for next year's Boston Marathon, but the reality is I should just try to run one more mile. Maybe I will do it today, maybe I will wait till tomorrow. Maybe a day to recover is not a bad idea.
It's not the first time I've done that. When I went to college in Idaho I had to run a mile and-a-half within a certain time; something around 16 minutes. It was actually a requirement for graduation. Well, it was part of a phys-ed course that was a graduation requirement, and the running thing was required to pass the course, ergo... I put off taking the course until the very last term I went to that school. Even the math requirement came out ahead that time. But the point is, I did it, and actually sort of enjoyed it.
During the past two years I've run on the treadmill at various times, but found running on pavement too arduous and painful due to a bone spur in my right heel. Last summer I tried to go running with a friend of mine in Tucson, and was left nearly crippled afterward.
My heel seems to have finally healed, thankfully. About a week ago I went out for a walk, more or less as an excuse to get out of my parents house for a while, and found that I felt like running. The "adult living complex" (trailer park) where they live has wide, flat empty streets that are perfect for an evening run. I probably ran between half and three-quarters of a mile that time, and could have gone further except for the cramps I was getting in my side. In the morning to my surprise, although I had numerous muscle aches in my legs and abdomen, my heel was fine. There was no pain whatsoever.
I meant to get out and run again right away, but it took six days before I finally did. Maybe that's not such a bad thing. In the mean time I drove my (rented) car around around the trailer park and figured out a route that equals roughly a mile. so last night I went for it. As I approached the place where I had stopped the previous time, I found I wasn't cramping up this time, but was having trouble taking deep breaths. (cursing myself once again that I started smoking again.) Getting to a mile wasn't all that hard, and I could have gone on in fact, but I guess running to the point of collapse isn't the point is it?
So in my mind I'm already picking out my shoes for next year's Boston Marathon, but the reality is I should just try to run one more mile. Maybe I will do it today, maybe I will wait till tomorrow. Maybe a day to recover is not a bad idea.
Labels: The life of Brian
