Educational Update

Last year I completed a Masters of Science in Education with an emphasis on Reading. In other words, I got a masters in reading. It was a big accomplishment as a mom of five working full time. I'm usually not one to brag about my accomplishments, though I did share my feelings on this blog. That was a year ago and I'm still proud of my degree.

Well today came the cherry on top. In order to received a state endorsement as a Reading Specialist, not only did I need to complete the masters program but also two years of full-time teaching. Since I started the program while working as a substitute teacher and finished it during my first year of teaching, I had to wait an additional year in order to meet the years of teaching requirement. Last month I finished my second year of teaching. Yesterday I went to the university and turned in my paperwork. Today I got an email from them saying they entered the information on the state's website, and all I had left to do was go online and pay the fee.

After doing just that, I sat and stared at "Reading Specialist" that was now included in my list of endorsements. My hubby came by and I said, "Look! I'm officially a Reading Specialist!" with tears streaming down my face.

There were so many times I wanted to give up. More times than I'd like to admit. I'm thankful for my husband, my children, my classmates, professors, friends, coworkers, and even sometimes strangers for encouraging me on my journey. It wasn't easy, but it was definitely worth it!