Telling people that you are going to change your life plans can be very awkward.
While some people are understanding, while others might feel betrayed and abandoned.
For example, last year, when I was working at Ala Moana Macy's, I decided to switch positions WITHIN THE SAME STORE!
While some were understanding, others acted as if I decided to work for a rival company. Nevermind that I Was Still Working In The Same Store! Just doing a different job, that's all! Some people just can't handle other people moving on, no matter how minor the change.
Now my new announcement is a lot more life-changing than that!
It might shock some people, might disappoint some people!
I am changing some of my long-term goals!
Some changes in my life will be made.
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First some background! I have been working as a substitute teacher since 2005. It's been 7 years. A good adventurous job where you can be teaching at different schools, different grade levels and different subject, sometimes all in the same week!
However, it is not the most profitable job (especially this time of year)
Because I have worked best with upper elementary students (grades 3-5), I decided in 2010, that maybe I should pursue a degree in elementary education.
I contacted the University of Hawaii (where I got my bachelors in sociology) and also the University of Phoenix. The UH College of Ed program was a more daytime oriented program, University of Phoenix was a night school program in which you take 1 class a week. I decided on the University of Phoenix (UPhx).
I started the UPhx master's program last October.
While I have been enjoying most of my classes, and did well academically, I began having second thoughts. With all this discussion about full-time teachers having to do countless hours of grading and lesson plans, and record keeping, I kept asking myself "Is This Something that I Really Want To Do?"
Being a substitute teacher, sure you have to deal with the kid's craziness, but once 3pm comes around I'm Done for the Day (special exceptions if something went really wrong today and the admin wants a meeting on the issue. But that's rare)
But becoming a full-time teacher will mean I'm Nowhere Near Done at 3pm! Lesson plans (which you would have to modify for different students, some of whom need extra assistance that the system won't provide), grading papers, paper-work, IEP meetings, committee meetings, etc, etc.
Am I sure I want to do all that?
But the last straw was this UPhx class entitled RDG 530 wanted us (the students) to find a kid to tutor with LAS T MINUTE NOTICE, and have to do so many sessions with so little time to do so!
Couldn't they WAIT until we do Student Teaching for us to do that?
And now that I mentioned Student Teaching, do you know how that works? You do about 4 months in a class, you stay in the school ALL DAY WITHOUT GETTING PAID FOR IT! To add insult to injury, one of the UPhx upper-staff suggest we NOT have a paid job while we're doing Student Teaching! (because we also got to do lesson plans, grading, etc) And they only told us that a week before our first UPhx class! They should have told us before we officially enroll in their program!
Am I sure I want to do all that?
I told my academic advisor, Ray Chun, that I will drop the RDG 530 class for now, and I had concerns about UPhx giving us last minute notices on the class requirements, and my concerns about whether I'll be able to do the un-paid Student Teaching. Mr Chun was like "you should've known, blah,blah, blah!" It was like being told "too bad, this is what we do, get with our program"
That was a month ago!
This month, I made it official --- I Am Withdrawing From The UPhx Masters in Elementary Education Program!
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I did contact the UH College of Education program earlier this year (while I was already enrolled at UPhx). They mentioned that their students are assigned to observe classrooms and student teach at certain schools.
You would think they assigned the students do observations and Student Teacher at schools near UH-Manoa!
Noooooooooooooo! Those who are enrolling in the next cohort are required to do observations and Student Teaching in West Oahu school complexes (ie Pearl City, Waipahu, Nanakuli, Waianae)
But UH-Manoa is in East Oahu! As far as I'm concerned, providing Student Teachers for West Oahu schools should be UH-West Oahu's responsibility! Otherwise, why have a West Oahu campus if they're going to force East Oahu residents attending UH-Manoa to do observations and student teaching in West Oahu!
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So what to do, what to do, what to do?
Maybe I should become a librarian!
I did some work as a student helper at various libraries during my under-graduate years at UH-Manoa! I worked 1 semester ( my 1st college semester Fall 1999) at McCully Library, 2 semesters at UH Hamilton Library(Fall 2000, Spring 2001) , and 2 FULL YEARS at the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (June 2002-August 2004) and I did one semester as the student-librarian for the UH Marine Option Program (my last undergrad semester - Fall 2004)]
That was all student-helper work!
To become a full-time librarian, you need a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science.
When I got my bachelor's degree from UH in Dec. 2004, I wanted to take a break from being a student. I didn't want to go straight into graduate school!
But now, I think it's time to go back!
Time to go back to UH-Manoa, a campus I loved so much!
Time to go back to UH-Manoa, which unlike UPhx, has a REAL College Atmosphere with big libraries, eating places, athletic facilities (and teams), a BIG Campus Center, green lawns, ponds, bike paths, and all this cool stuff that UPhx doesn't have (Being that UPhx is just a few floors in a corporate building in downtown)
Time to go back to UH-Manoa, where I can just walk to school!
And Time to go back to work in the libraries.
I loved visiting libraries as a kid, I loved working as a student helper at the libraries, and I still love visiting libraries.
It's time for me to pursue a full-time library career!
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I have talked to one of the higher ranking staff members at UH-Manoa's Library and Information Science (LIS) program about enrolling in their program.
The earliest I can enroll is in Spring 2013.
Nothing is official yet! I still have to complete forms, get recommendations, etc.
But I am planning to work towards becoming a librarian! :)
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I still plan on sub-teaching for a while more. I'm definitely planning to do so for Fall 2012 and am planning to do some of that on the side as I'm pursuing my LIS degree.
But I AM DONE with pursuing a career as a full-time teacher!
I am DONE with University of Phoenix.
That might hurt the feelings of those who invested in me at UPhx. I did enjoy many class discussions there! I enjoyed using their computer room. I did learn many new things! I was finally able to learn power-points and adding graphics to my blog because of UPHX.
And do I have to give a shout-out to the Tech Queen Jade Shiroma and the Security King William Uepa! Good people, and I do feel bad if they feel abandoned by my change of direction.
I hope the staff and the students don't take it all personal!
But it's time for me to move on!
It's time for me to re-adjust my goals and start working towards my new goals.
