Hold on thight this information might save your life.

That is what the fight attendants should say as they do the demo. I've flown a few times and information on how to put on an oxygen mask is pretty boring. Yet if the airplane were to crash that boring information might save my life.

This is how I feel about all the education classes I've had to take as a teacher. Boring classes - yet I learned some information that "saved my life" or in less dramatic terms makes teaching easier.

When I was in college I accidentally got a degree in Vocal Performance instead of Music Education for various reasons that I can't remember anymore. I was lucky enough to find a teaching job with out a teaching certificate but I've had three years to get certified through the Alternative Route to lisencure that Utah State office of Education offers. I'm almost finished. I've filled my summers and evenings taking 15 credits of education classes entitled:

1. Literacy Strategies
2. Special Education
3. Transition to teaching
4. Survey of learning and teaching Diverse Populations
5. Classroom Management
6. Testing and Technology

I have to admit Education classes aren't the most exciting classes I ever took. Most of the teachers were good but it is hard to teach someone to teach. Also they had to present a lot of information in a short amount of time. And to top it all off Education classes have a reputation as being boring. And they are. They REALLY are. yet at the same time I did learn things that have made me a better teacher.

School is off to a great start this year. Some of that is because this is my FOURTH year teaching (I'm a senior!) but some of that is do to the boring information that saves my life.