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About Me
- Dr. Cook
- I am an Associate Professor of English and Secondary Education at Rhode Island College, where I am also the Director of the Rhode Island Writing Project.
I am just enjoying the summer and being able to sleep in. Swimming and the beach is surprisingly relaxing (with four children) compared to last year. They are all at good ages for varying levels of semi-independence this year!!! As a result, we have been swimming a lot so far this summer. Our favorite spot is at the children's great-grandparents house on the Saquonnet River in Tiverton! I have been reading The First Days of School by Harry Wong and really getting a lot out of it. I also registered for the MTEL tests and am taking them on July 10th. I guess I should start studying. Any suggestions? My brother is graduating from Navy boot camp tomorrow so I baked him cookies and sent them to my family to bring up to him in Chicago. I am looking forward to my niece coming to stay in mid-July and to visiting Pittsburgh toward the end of July and into August. I enjoyed getting together with Jill, Kathryn, and Nichole Lanni the other day; but, I missed the rest of you. I hope we can all get together again sometime soon. How is everyone else doing?
ReplyDeleteTracy--I know Kathryn wants to take the MTELS, too. I designed the curriculum for the MTEL Preparation Workshops at UMass Amherst, and I would suggest taking them there if there was time, but there doesn't seem to be! July 10 is right around the corner! The MTEL is created by NES, so you might go to their site to see if there's a prep book for sale by the test makers themselves, as that's always your best bet (though my workshops are pretty good, too!). Also, you are a smart cookie. The Communications & Literacy Skills test is reading comprehension questions, writing an essay, writing a summary, and answering a bunch of "fix this sentence" short answer questions. For the essay, be sure to write a 5 paragraph persuasive essay. (What else are 5 paragraph essays good for?!) On the summary, be sure to use all your own words and to make sure that your summary is 1/3-2/3 the size of the original passage (the one you'll need to summarize). Silly things like this matter on the MTEL. Don't get me started about teacher tests!!!!! Anyway, I know you will do well on them Tracy. Plus, then you can report back to all of us about the experience! I miss you guys. Just finished teaching Summer Session I today and am now officially ON VACATION. I'll be AWOL for a little while as I scoop my brain back into my head. Hope you all are well! Peace--
ReplyDeleteDr. Cook-Thanks for the MTEL advice. Also, I did talk to Kathryn and let her know about the deadlines for taking the MTEL but she is going to wait until after student teaching.
ReplyDeleteI will certianly let everyone know how the tests were. I am not nervous about the test because it isn't like I have to pass it in order to be added to a class I need on the last day of add/drop or anything! This feels rather low-stakes compared to my past test-taking experience! I would like to pass it on the first time and not have to waste my $200.00; but, worst case senerio is still RI certification after student teaching and that is fine. I find out my score around mid-August so I'll let you all know. I may not even end up needing my MA cert. but having the option should help my job-search oppurtunities. I miss everyone too!
Well Dr. Cook, have a fun time now that you are on vacation! I hope your brain-scooping is successful and you make a speedy recovery!