Back To Crazy–How I Didn’t Miss You

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

Well, the new semester is back in full swing and it already has me completely over scheduled.  How does that happen not even a week into it?  My calendar is quickly running out of white space.

I have to say, I really did enjoy my break–although I spent most of it working, it was nice to not have to leave the house to get work done.  It was also nice not to have papers to grade.  Can you believe, I already have grading to do?  I know.  What am I thinking, giving them work already.  I have had one student in my online class actually ask me to reconsider the amount of work they had to do during the first week of class.  Thank goodness it was an email and she didn’t see me laughing hysterically.

I am sure things are only going to get crazier as my research study picks up, the class that I am taking actually starts and my hubby quickly tires of me being over scheduled.  Ah, the glamorous life.  It almost makes me miss waiting tables…almost.

Operation Bikini In Hawaii–Week 2

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 5 Comments

Well, this past week had been much better–weight was dropping off pretty good–but then I met Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Caramels and ate the entire box as I sat on the couch the night before my LASIK surgery.  But, I am still down about 6 pounds and well on my way to my goal of losing 50lbs before Hawaii.  I just won’t buy any more chocolate caramels from Trader Joe’s.  But they sure are awesome.

If anyone out there has an iPhone or iTouch and is trying to lose weight-I totally recommend the LoseIt app and if you use it we can be friends–and see each others progress.

On other notes–LASIK went well.  My eyes are still hearing healing, but overall, I am still totally happy that I can see without glasses.

Can someone please tell me how to keep my daughter from sticking her hand into her poopy diapers–especially at bedtime?

Utter Devestation

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

I have lived through a 7.0 earthquake in California my hubby lived through the 89 earthquake in –and that experience cannot for a second compare to what has happened in Haiti.  This is a horrendous tragedy.  If you are looking for ways to help–click here.  I am keeping everyone effected–the millions effected–in my thoughts.  My worries about my LASIK today seem small compared to the struggles and tragedy faced by those in Haiti.  Everything I worry about in my life today seems insignficant compared to what has happened to a nation that only less than 2 years ago–faced 4 hurricanes.  If you can help Haiti in anyway please do.

It Really Is All About Politics

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

Public education is what I’m talking about today–I know…surprise, surprise.

In my current position as a charter school liaison–which means that I work with and oversee the charter schools that my university sponsors–I have a new appreciation and apprehension and repulsion at the politics that guide and determine what happens in education.  Politics rules it all–it really is less what you know than who you know.  Often all it takes is a call to chancellor from someone with political ties and then things happen.

My office is getting a new charter school proposal to review this week–the deadline for submission to the state is mid February.  It also take a long time to review a charter proposal and this one is going to be tricky because it is for a school that specializes in Autism–which is really topical right now–there are many laws, etc., that have to be met regardless.  I am irritated, as I hate having to do something.  This is one of those things that we are going to have work with and make sure happens regardless because of the political pressure that would be put upon us if we didn’t do it.  UGH!

Tired Of Being A Student

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

I know that no one is making me go to school.  It is something I have chosen for myself and I am proud of my accomplishments.  I was the first in my family to get an advanced degree and will be the first with a PhD and chances are good that I’ll be the only one in my family to have one–until one of my kids decides that they to want to avoid those irritating student loan people.

The problem with being a student is that I am old.  I want a career–I am done with jobs.  Because that is all I have right now–jobs.  I don’t want to teach English at the community college level for the long term.  This summer could very well be my last semester doing that.  I enjoy supervising student teachers and that certainly is closer to what I want to be doing with the rest of my life.  But I am tired of explaining to everyone that I am a student.  It wouldn’t be bad if I had a full-time job that I did and when folks asked what I did, I could tell them.  I just feel that I am at the place in my life when I should have a career.  Let me rephrase that–where I WANT a career.  I want to be working full-time somewhere.  I want to be making money and not having to work 3 jobs to make ends meet with private school tuition and debt payments.

I want to feel like a grown-up and right now I don’t.  I spend much of my time with students and young students.  I have approached my boss about turning my assistantship into a full-time position.  It is something that desperately needs a full-time person doing it, but I am ready to be working towards something.  Now this is also not my dream job, but it is an administrative position that will certainly help me later on if I ever want to work in university administration–say being a Dean of something.  It is academic enough that I will have time to research and still publish and do some of the other things that are important to me–supervising student teachers, etc.

I plan on finishing my course work in the Fall of 2010 and then it is just comps and dissertation.  I look to graduate in December 2011 or May 2010. I know that is still a long way away, but it is so close to the end that I can taste it.  I am ready to be the teacher and cease being the student.  I am ready to move on with the next phase of my life that seems to be happening even though I am still stuck in this student phase.