The next step

This past Saturday I finally took the MTEL tests. A neck-breaking, eight-hour grind. Took the Communications and Literacy test -- reading and writing -- in the morning and Mathematics 09 -- grade 5-12 math -- in the afternoon. At Randolph HS, above. I thought I would finish the first test early and have time to cram a bit more before the math test. HA HA HA! I was the second to last person to finish the Comm/Lit test! Yep, I needed the full four hours. Open response questions, essays, writing -- they're not my strong suit. Still I think I nailed the multiple choice questions. The MTELs don't try to trip you up with trick choices, fortunately. At least I don't think they do...

After a quick lunch at the Vietnamese restaurant across the street, it was on to Round Two and the math test. In the lobby I bumped into a friend from Old Ship who was taking the test for Spanish. Indeed I'd estimate about a hundred test takers at each session. Lots of folks, mostly younger, mostly women, doing their best to become teachers in Massachusetts. I felt a connection to them. And respect for them.

I was the very last one to finish their test in my room. Not everyone was taking Math 09. There were folks taking Physics exams and Early Childhood exams, too. I'm sure other subjects, too. Anyway I spent too much time on a few of the multiple choice questions. I just had to solve all of them :-)! Alas I couldn't figure out one part of one of the open responses questions. Still I think I answered enough questions correctly to pass. Only need to get about 70% to pass. Think I passed Comm/Lit, too, but we'll see on both.

For now I'm done. What a relief! On the way back home from Randolph I picked up two tubs of Edy's ice cream and a box of cones. My family has been very supportive while I studied, cramming the last few days, and they deserved a treat. As did I ;-). Another way I'm rewarding myself is by watching Star Trek this week -- in IMAX, baby! Gonna drive all the way down to Providence, RI for that, this Monday. One of the benefits of being a man of leisure!


Of course, I still have work to do. From the advice of a kind professor I met, I'm planning to take at least one education course at a college. Many folks have said good things about Bridgewater State College. Eastern Nazarene is close by in Quincy. I'm excited to learn how to teach.