Well, I didn't want to, but now I must...
Allow me to explain,
The Admissions Office recently became aware of a certain accomplishment of mine that I wasn't really talking about. However, they feel it might help you future Mounties if I blow my own horn a little. So, I guess I'll tell you the story, but I also wanna explain why I wasn't really into tellin' anybody, yet.
As it turns out, I might be smart or super lucky because I achieved a crazy great score on my Praxis tests. In case you didn't know, Praxis tests are like SATs, only for teachers. You have to take two different sections; the first is just basic reading, writing, math, called the Praxis I. The other one is the Praxis II, which tests your content knowledge in your field. You have to score well on both tests before you can be a certified teacher in the keystone state.
I took both tests. The Praxis I was more tricky than hard. I got done with everything pretty quickly, so I had time to go back and look over a lot of my answers. That was really helpful in the reading section and I was able to gut my way through the math. All those numbers still make me nervous.
The thing that helped me the most was I had gone to the website and took the practice tests. That's also where I found the "sample" essays for the test. There was a list of 75 questions and I went through the night before and thought up some details for each. Luckily, I got one of my favorite questions in the booklet. "Should teachers be required to take foreign language credits in college." I smoked that question. Thanks to Dr. Rutledge, I can come at a question like that from a couple of different angles. I got above average in all categories. Go me.
The second test is the one that people really dread. 130, 140ish questions across the different subjects within your discipline. I should explain at this time that I am unbeatable at Trivial Pursuit. I don't know how all that stuff gets up there or how it comes back out, but I am pretty well versed in just about all the main Social Studies subjects... and what I didn't know, I reasoned out. Like I said, there's a lot of luck involved.
I got a package in the mail from ETS( Praxis jerks) and it says that I have scored in the top 15% of people that have ever taken the test. Really?
I've told a few select people, but I really haven't been broadcasting it like a normal person would. Thing was that when I started student teaching, I went way over the kids’ heads right away. A few days later, my co-op and I were talking about how to reach the kids and I told her about my Praxis score. She just off-handedly said that the tests don't really measure teaching ability. I know she didn't mean it, too, but it kinda made me see that score as a handicap. People always talk about teachers that are really gifted knowledge-wise but can't instruct a class for crap. I didn't wanna be that guy.
So there, check out the big brain on this guy. Look what learning at Mount Aloysius can do for you. Now, make us happy and come for a visit to the Mount. I saw big piles of you potential Mounties on campus today. Good night, I'm goin to bed!
I am so smart! I am so smart!
DePiro Rules!
