Who said you need a graduate degree to teach college?!??!?

I did. Or at least I thought you did. Maybe you just need a graduate degree to get paid...

Then again... maybe not.

Several of the Geology teachers are out of town for a GSA conference. They are only gone for about 24 hours, but it leaves a day where their sweet, innocent, introductory students have no instructors. As such, we (speaking collectively) the Earth Science Ed majors were offered the chance to fill in. That is a chance to jump at, though only two of us did.

Tomorrow morning I get to teach Honors Oceanography as well as a distance Survey of Physical Science class. I was really excited, until going over the power point presentations tonight and having my mind go completely blank about how to explain these things I know so well, or thought I did. Perhaps it was learning how to operate the distance classroom equipment that threw me off. Microphones, cameras, combined with the 25 students who will be right before me and the other 100 I won't be able to see - started to get the nerves running a little.

This will be the first time I've ever had a classroom to myself!

Oh, and as for getting paid? I'm not. Not really. And yet, I am. When Emily (the oceanography prof) asked me to take her class, she mentioned that they couldn't pay me because I'm a student. It didn't even occur to me! I was just happy for the opportunity. Instead, for teaching her class the department will buy me a textbook next fall.

That works out to be about $125 for 75 minutes of work. It's the highest salary I've ever had!!

Wish me luck, I feel I'm going to need it.