End of the Semester

So now I am finally coming to the end of the semester, at least the end of the classes I am taking. I am a substitute teacher and high schools are still in session for about another month.

The best way to sum up the end my schooling, especially my second Bachelors, is relief, I am ecstatic to be finished. I took one semester off between my degrees and it was glorious, I worked full time and got to know a lot of people and I got to know the city I was living in much better, which was great. I knew going back to school would be rough, but I would get through it and I practically have. Monday I take my finals (which are not finals that can be studied for) and I am finished! Ok, so I have to student teach in the fall, but that is much different than taking classes. It will be a very busy time, but I am very excited for it.

Sometimes you enjoy what you are doing while you are doing it, other times you enjoy the end result more than the process. Taking classes for my teacher's license is an example of enjoying the end result more than the process. This semester I have learned a lot of valuable things however.

For example, my last thing to finish is my final IPA (Integrate Performance Assessment), this is something used in a foreign language classrooms. A framework that ACTFL promotes. Basically it consists of three steps (which happen to be the three modes of communication). First you do an interpretive activity, then you move onto an interpersonal activity and finally and prepare a presentational project. For my class we have to write three IPAs. The first two I did with a partner and the final one I am doing on my own. We did one on nutrition in Spain vs. nutrition in the United States, looking at the food pyramid and la rueda de los alimentos. Then we did one on telling bedtime stories. Now I am working one one about immigration. This one I am doing for a German class, so I am focusing on Turkish immigration to Germany and comparing that to Hispanic immigration to the United States. Both countries encounter similar problems such as disdain towards the newcomers, finding ways to integrate them into society and the education of the immigrant children (amongst other issues as well).

Well, I better get back to finishing up that project, especially since I have a fun filled weekend of visiting with family and friends. :-)

Till next time...