As you may have noticed, my blog has a new name, reflecting my current direction in life. After all, unless I do something so extraordinary that the state of Kentucky confers its highest honor upon me, I will probably never be a colonel (at least, outside of a cosplay or fandom context). And except for changing planes in Louisville once, I have never had any association with that great state, so it's unlikely to happen.
I can, however, be a professor. As of this fall, if all goes well, I will be. Concurrent with my Masters degree I am completing a Community College Teaching Certificate. I have been approved for a teaching internship and have only to be placed with a local community college and teach one course under supervision. Achievement unlocked!
It was always my goal to teach, and eventually I do want to teach at the college level full-time. In about 10 years I will be eligible to retire from my current employment. The economy being what it is, I don't want to be dependent upon my retirement benefits alone. So, I will take a page from my father's book and move on to something that I know I will enjoy and which will allow me to have a comfortable existence in my closer-than-I-would-like-to-admit old age.
Part of the application process is to get letters of recommendation from previous faculty. I always feel nervous about asking. I've asked three of my instructors and have gotten one positive response (I'm not sure of the others said no or just haven't seen the message yet). I don't like asking anyone for anything--I try not to impose upon others and when I do ask I feel embarrassed forever afterward. And yet to get to where I want to go, I need to ask, and keep asking.
So now among my many other plans this summer, it looks like I will be drawing up a lesson plan for whatever class I intend to teach (I'd like to teach basic statistics but there are any number of business classes I could teach as well).
And more to the point, I need to take the advice of a coworker of mine many years ago: in order to be accepted in a role, you have to put yourself out there in that role. Which is what I'm doing right now. I'm taking a minor step leading towards many more significant steps in the relatively near future.
Wish me luck! I'm going to need it!
