How long has it been since you had to hand in an assignment for a course? A decade, perhaps? Maybe more? It has been just over 10 years for me. I remember thinking, at the time, that I would never be a student again; that this was the end of higher education for me; that I had finally reached the pinnacle of my education. I have 2 bachelor degrees and a diploma hanging on my wall. (Actually they are collecting dust in a box in the attic, but I digress). What more could I ever need? I am more specialized than necessary. But now I see that I was wrong. I was so young then, ten years ago, in my early my thirties. How could I have known what lay ahead for me?
I know that my job as a Kindergarten teacher is wildly important and, on a daily basis, I can see the results of my efforts as students grow and become more independent. I hear from amazed parents who can’t believe the learning that takes place in my classroom. Yet, occasionally, I catch myself thinking that there has to be more to my career than this. I have tried to imagine what else I could do, yet I find that I am too specialized to do anything else. How could I transfer these skills? Sometimes I put the nagging voices out of my mind and I simply enjoy the abundant life of endless possibilities that my job provides. Why change anything when you have everything?
Yet I have settled onto the idea of passing on these skills to the young, new teachers who are coming up the ranks. A faculty advisor with a department of education? An instructor at the college or university level? Yes, that is my path. But in choosing this path, I determine that I will need to go back to school again. Both SFU and UBC recommend that you have a master degree in education to take on this role. So, here I am, having hit the ‘submit application’ button on the UBC website. What have I done?
that’s awesome!! and it sounds like it is a great decision for you. Good luck with your studies… Are you going back full-time or online/part-time?