Bring It On. The Internship. Not the Movie

As of today, I have completed my first official week as an intern! Let’s hear it for 34 year old interns! Woooo! And where am I interning: At a school, to help achieve my ultimate goal of becoming a High School English Teacher. Which granted, isn’t everyone’s goals, but it’s mine and that’s what’s important right now: me. (This is my blog. Want to make it about you? Write your own blog!)

This wasn’t always my goal, even when I was in school. For a brief period, I debated switching my program and becoming a college professor. I even got accepted into the English Program, and all it required was for me to sign on the dotted line, but after some pesky life events, I decided to continue because what I want to do is teach, and I’m tired of delaying. (Remember what we talked about on Monday? Carpe YOLO, which would have been a better title.)

Being an intern is interesting, especially at this age when I’ve been working for a good portion of my life, and I’ve been a working professional for this portion of my life. I mean, at some point you don’t think you’re going to be interning ever again, especially for zero pay and college credit. The plus side: intern-teachers aren’t expected to bring coffee and hang out while the important stuff is going on. 

I have to admit, this is one of the more scarier things I’ve done. As I’ve mentioned: I was comfortable. I was able to relax; I had a decent job that paid well, a cool office, people that I worked with were pretty cool... I really could have survived for a long time as a Government Contractor, and not had to even once deal with not having a full time job for five months. But we return to that idea of comfort.

Once again, I’m sort of posting a “signpost” for myself for me to look back upon at the end of my internship in a few months. I always think it’s interesting to look at how you feel when something starts vs. how it ends. Hopefully I’ll have a whole new perspective on things when all of this is over (I feel that if I don’t, I may have failed a little bit..) So, what do I hope to get out my student teaching internship:

1. The feeling that I made the right decision. Going back to school was a HUGE leap for me. It’s kind of blunt, particularly since I know that a few people have dropped their internships halfway, but I really hope that I making the right choice here. Look, this isn’t dipping your toe into a new career, deciding you don’t like it, then jumping out. This is a HUGE CHANGE that alters everything.
2. An appreciation of what I’m doing. I think that’s important: To truly appreciate what you do. We all have jobs but do you appreciate it? Is it what you want to do? Or are you just there for a paycheck?
3. Survival: The next few months are going to be tough. Long hours, classes, research papers. Imagine you’re in high school, and your after school job is more school. That’s what I’m going to be doing. 
4. A license. This is seriously it, people. This is what I’m going to be doing.
5. An end to the, “Is that what you want to do?” jokes. Seriously. They’re not funny anymore. I’m not in it for the money. I’m obviously in it for the mad respect I’ll get, especially from the politicians who are constantly commenting on teachers what with their vast education experience. 

I’m hoping for this to be an interesting experience. I don’t use the word “rewarding” because I kind of feel it’s overused. (Like “shaming”.) I mean, the ultimate reward is going to be finishing up. I want this to be interesting. I want this to be eye opening. I want this to go well, so I know that I can do it.

Here we go... 

Boo-ya.