Last week I totally flaked on making my post, for which I apologise. But dudes, I did a Triathlon that weekend! I’ll probably blog about it later, but for now…
I am a teacher. I stand in a classroom most days and teach pupils about History and Social Studies. I graduated Uni in 2006 - it’s been 11 years (!!!!) since the shoe was on the other foot on a regular basis.
Last year, in a fit of wild optimism I signed up to do a Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Practice (Digital & Collaborative Learning). This was a 32 week course, with 16 weeks spent commuting an hour away for a 4 hour class once a week.
Even as a teacher, when I am learning things all the time, I felt extremely apprehensive. I was out of the habit of learning in the formal sense, not to mention I hadn’t written a proper university level essay in so long! I was scared that my level of thinking wouldn’t be good enough - stuck thinking in terms and concepts for teenagers - and completely forgetting that I am both a nerd and a professional.
To my surprise, and also not, university courses have changed a lot since I was last there. Perhaps because of the nature of the course, the classes were much more interactive and thinking focused rather than lectures. Much of the time in class was spent on practical and fun activities, while out of class the lessons featured the usual lectures and readings. But I found I understood everything, even if I struggled at times with the academic requirements of marking schedules I didn’t fully understand and expectations I was unsure I could fulfill.
Thankfully, I had the support of good friends and coursemates. Despite suffering from depression over the course of the second half of the course, learning that my father had a terminal illness, and taking on a Deaning position at work, I pushed through (pushed deadlines) and surprised myself with an overall A- grade.
The challenge helped me solidify a few things - I knew I had been getting stale. It’s so easy to stagnate when you’ve been doing the same things year in/year out. It’s easy to let the day to day stuff sublimate your own interest and curiosity. And while in-service professional development can be inspiring it’s often a one off “Wow!” moment with nothing to back it up. Taking on a university course allowed me to add another qualification string to my bow, as well as giving me time, access, and - probably most importantly - inclination to read and think critically about the latest research in my area of interest.
This year I have decided to complete a Graduate Certificate in IT in Education to keep up with the changing curriculum. I am excited for this challenge. Having done the course last year I know, this time, that I am up for it.
The thing is, I have been incredibly lucky to be able to gain scholarships to do these courses. I know study “for fun” isn’t an option for a lot of people.
However, there are a wide range of free or cheap courses available from world-renowned universities. If you have the self discipline and inclination for study, Coursera is an excellent option, especially if you're learning for fun. Computer nerd? Yes. Mythology? Check Game Theory? They got you!
Is there anything you're looking to study this year?
Deanna x
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