I'm going to take a moment to go into more detail about the current classes I've been taking. I am currently enrolled in Instrumental Analysis (Chemistry) and Fundamentals of Teaching Students with Disabilities. I find both interesting but I cannot wait until I have finished both of them.

The main idea behind Instrumental Analysis is that I get good experience using numerous instrumentation and spectroscopic devices. This includes Infrared, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and several others. The general idea behind the class interests me but the quirks of the professor and his teaching methods really weaken that interest so much that getting through the class often feels like a chore. I can forgive the professor's intermittent use of deodorant and his thick Ukrainian accent. What I have a hard getting past is his confusing laboratory manual and insistence that we learn how to use a machine by being shown only once the exact mouse-clicks to press to get the machine to run. His course syllabus requests full professional reports for each lab but then tells you never mind, just show him the numbers. If there is one thing that I've learned about this class is that collaboration with other students is the key to getting a good grade. So far I've supported and have been supported by my fellow classmates as we struggle through this confusing and convoluted course.

My Teaching Students with Disabilities class is at the other end of the spectrum. The teacher is easy to understand, the classwork is fairly simple(so far) but it's unclear as to what I'm supposed to be learning. The structure of the class is very nebulous and the teacher believes in keeping the class open and free to change. She even suggests we do the same with our classes. I'm not about to agree with that because while we're adults who act responsibly and maturely, our students will still be kids. Also, I will need to make 10 hours of observations in a classroom as part of the coursework. This is going to be very difficult for me since I work full time. I also need to contact a school but I have no idea how to go about it and I do not know any of the schools in the area. I'll have to write a paper as well as create a power Point presentation on some learning disability. I think I am going to do autism but since I'm still confused about this class, I haven't gotten anything set just yet. This class is one big "?"

So that's what I've been trudging through right now school-wise. Feel free to respond!