September Update

Well, I've been back in school for almost a month now, and I'm very happy.
I'm taking a Bachelor of Education (After) degree course at Ambrose University College. A coupla years from now, if all goes well, I'll be a certified teacher in the province of Alberta.
Everybody at the university has been very nice. The professors have been supportive and at the same time challenging. It's been quite a change to go from lolling about the house surfing the net to cracking the books and taking part in classes again, but I think I'm starting to get a handle on the load.
The class is only 22 students. The university has capped admission at 25, I believe. I consider myself lucky to have been admitted, but the profs say they're the lucky ones, considering my experience.
There are four courses. One is about curriculum design, another's about the interplay of society and education, the third's about learning theory, and the fourth deals with our field experience. If it wasn't for the latter, it'd be tough going. Getting out to schools and watching professionals in the classroom reminds me of why I've chosen to pursue a career in education.
The past three weeks I've visited one school. Next week I'll go to a new one for three weeks (once every Friday), and so on. Next March we'll be at a school for a whole month, and that's when we'll actually get to teach a class or two. For now we're just observing.
I'm renting a basement about 10 minutes away from the uni, so the lack of a vehicle is not too much of a problem right now. It's great to be back in Calgary. It was always the place I thought of as home while I was away in Korea. So far the experience of being back there has been a pretty good one. The uni is on the western end of town, so I have to deal with spectacular mountain views, but it's a small price to pay, I think.
That's about all I have to say for now, I guess. I do want to get back to posting my old columns, both here and on What The Kimchi?, but all my time is going to be taken up with studying for now.
Take care.