Total Breakdown! Would appreciate your words!

[SiobhanMarie]

Hello all! :waving:

I hope that you are all well!

I must tell you, that I have not had a very good start to my semester back in the school of education at my university and was hoping to sort of vent here and perhaps gain some support and inspiration again.

It all started off weak with my enrollment. First I had difficultly in actually choosing the courses that I needed to do, it was sort of a turning point in my studies and I kept going back and forth between a few things. Once uni had begun, I had attended my first lecture which was awesomely inspiring and I had an interview to start some volunteer work at a local hospital school to help gain a little more experience for the practical side - and it was all looking really well!

I was ill in the second week of classes and couldn't go, and when I got to my classes in week 3 I was devastated to sit in my class and listen to my peers call each other 'spastics'. Gah! What kind of a setting is that? I realise that I am in a different mind set to a lot of the other 20 year olds around, however to me, even joking, that language is not funny at all. On top of that, the tutor was sort of heckling at me for not being prepared when I couldn't access any of information online because of some sort of problem, that I had lodged a request for assistance with but that still wasn't helping while I was struggling. Also, I have had struggles with the education school not assisting me with other enrollment earlier on in the year, plus when I contacted lecturers of two classes that I couldn't access the work online for, one didn't respond and the other made me to feel stupid, suggesting things that I had made clear I had tried.

So I ended up so frustrated, I dropped my education classes. Once I had done that, my lecturer had replied to me again telling me my issue was that I wasn't enrolled, even though my problem was before I had dropped those courses, thus, enrolled at the time.

All in all, I still do want to do education, but perhaps I am not ready? Could I find another way of getting into it? At the moment I am completing subjects in the human services degree, which was part of the dual degree with education that I was enrolled in previously. Perhaps I should continue with these classes first and seek further education in teaching after? I would love to hear some feedback or advice... because there aren't too many people around me that I can really ask for help or guidance at the moment!

Thanks muchly!

Siobhan :)

[Boxcar]

I can understand needing to ask for help and guidence. I'm hoping to get some of my own answers this afternoon...

I became a teacher in an alternative way. My degree is in Early Childhood Development. I chose not to get an education degree for several reasons. First, I didn't want to teach the upper grades. Second, I didn't feel the education program was a well-run or supportive one. Many students did end up switching programs at my university.

I really like my degree because it opens more doors than just teaching. Also, I can easily TTT to become a teacher with a license if I so desire. As for teaching, I can teach at any center - including Head Starts. I can also teach kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade. In a praochial, private, or alternaitve school, I have even more options. Public schools won't let me teach elementry school (not counting K) without a license. However, I could take Praxis and get one rather easily.

I don't think this was a bad route for me to take in the US. Things are probably slightly different for you. I'm quite satifisied with my decisions.

My main thing is to consider your age group. High school and middle school will probably be the hardest to teach at with an alternative degree. There seems to be many more laws dictating who can do what at these levels.

So, I don't think taking a different path is wrong. It really does work out for some people.

On another note: Does your school have a staffed computer lab? When I have troubles with logging into online content or using it, I go there and have one of the people there help me. You'll be face-to-face and harder to ignore or brush off. It may be that your professors are not that technically savvy and just don't get it.

I'm sorry things aren't going well. I hope they get better.

[David]

Perhaps it might be an idea to continue the courses you are doing at the moment and start the education courses again next year. It's hard to believe adults behave in the way some of your peers and lecturers behaved. If you really want to be a teacher don't give up just because of the people you've had to deal with so far. Good luck.

[SiobhanMarie]

Thanks guys!

Boxcar, I'm not sure what TTT is, but I can definitely see the variety of options available to you! I think I was hoping for something similar or to discover something else, and I was also hoping that undertaking a dual degree or primary education and human services in child and family studies would be similar in ways.

David - I was quite shocked too, that even though it was in a social sense, I don't see any appropriateness to behaviour like that for any reason. Thank-you for your words!

I've struggled a fair bit with the school of education at my campus! Perhaps I'm just not into the same mindset as my peers and teachers, but it hasn't been easy for me to 'fit in' and get into the studies. I am confident that I would like to teach one day, which is why I thought that maybe I'm not ready at my present time... however I figure that the best way to gain experience is by doing.

On an up side, I begin volunteer work at a hospital school on Friday, which I'm excited about. I really see the potential in education to be a preventative measure in educating society for the future, not only academically but in general life and what it has to hold, so I really do hope to get involved and find my niche.

[Boxcar]

People can be icky. I've been in classes where I really didn't like the students. But I'm not at school to make friends. If that happens, it is awesome. If not, I do my work and get through. Group projects can be portioned out and contact with people you don't like can be kept to a minimum. Teachers are another story. You've got to get used to them because they may be replaced by bosses, supervisors, principals, ect. with the same attitudes and flaws.

[coolhandluke]

I remember those days. This too will pass. It is definitely worth it in the end. Keep plugging along. It goes quickly.

[Brit]

Sioban,

Teacher's college and teaching are two separate things. You're not required to like the schooling. Your enjoyment (or lack thereof) of the uni courses is not a reflection on your ability or readiness to teach.

Where I am, it's general knowledge that teacher's college is a hoop to jump though; it doesn't prepare you adequately for the job, it is a lot of busy work, and it's expensive and generally an administrative nightmare. but you have to do it to get where you want to go.

It sounds to me that what you're frustrated with isn't teaching, it's the red tape at the university -- two totally different things. Take a deep breath, make a plan so that you can finish the courses you need for your teaching degree, and put your jumpin' shoes on. Jump through the hoops you need to jump through so that you can get to where you want to go.

[SiobhanMarie]

Wow, thank you so much Brit, that is exactly how I feel and I'm glad that it's not necessarily the industry but a couple of obstacles. I feel like I don't have support in that area of my studies, which is really difficult for me to get through at the moment. It's too late to transfer again into the education subjects of my dual degree, but I am still really keen to get into that field. Thanks again everyone - I really appreciate this forum!

[hweber]

Good Luck Siobhan, let us know how your studies are going. When will you get back to the ed classes?

[SiobhanMarie]

I wouldn't be able to start education classes again until first semester of uni next year... around March 2010. It's a bit of another delay, back into the first year subjects for a third year, but I was just going to see how this semester goes and do some volunteer work while I have the time - perhaps that experience may give me a little bit of credit.

[Feybie]

Siobhan, where in Australia are you studying?

I'm from OZ too!

[SiobhanMarie]

Hi Feybie! I'm at Griffith Uni, in Queensland. Are you near by?

[SiobhanMarie]

Hey everyone!

I did some volunteer work at the Mater Hospital Special School in Brisbane, Australia today and it was just so amazing! Of course, it seems a challenging position but what's life without a challenge anyway?!

I just wanted to share my enthusiasm to be in that classroom today and the diversity and the helpfulness of the other staff was awesome. I really, really look forward to the practical side of my studies!

[hweber]

I am glad that it went well for you today, and hope that it continues to do so.

[Ironmary]

That is fantastic!!

I was reading your first message about your classmates and tutors and classes. I went through something similar. When I first started taking education courses, the 1st and 2nd year courses were quite awful! I did not enjoy them. HOWEVER, that all changed when I started taking the 3rd and 4th year. They were much more interesting and all the little teenie boppers who were around disappeared and it was only those who were truly interested in education where there.

Keep at it! I know you will get through it!!!

[SiobhanMarie]

Ironmary,

Thank-you so much! I hope that the people who are really dedicated will stay and the other's will drop off, it just wasn't an awesome environment at all. I hope to continue! I love being able to come to this site and just get some advice and knowledge from other wonderful professionals!