accepted into Master's program (Salamanca, Spain)

mountainman · Post by **mountainman** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 12:09 pm

Woohoo ! A week and a half ago I got accepted into a Master's program at the Universidad de Salamanca . It is a great college in Spain where I go to study for my Masters degree in Spainish. I wanted to go this route rather than do the "administrator" way that most teachers go. It is better IMHO to have the degree in Spanish since I don't intend on going into admin in the school systems.

Here is a little virtual tour of where I'll be studying for 5 week this coming summer: http://www.usal.es/webusal/visita/

I can't wait ! I'm excited.

Immortal · Post by **Immortal** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 12:15 pm

congrats man!!!!

hurray1!!!!

I'm still working on my degree then hopfully be as fortunate as u are...

so excited for u..

mountainman · Post by **mountainman** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 12:40 pm

Thanks Immy. I am psyched to do this.

Also, looking at those photos of it (2nd link), I am going to take SO many photos there. It looks like a very photogenic place.

w00t !!!

I need an SGnet shirt before I go. heh heh ...

Annalysa · Post by **Annalysa** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 1:21 pm

Thats awesome congrats

SeedOfChaos · Post by **SeedOfChaos** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 1:33 pm

*LOL* Studying in Salamanca? Gonna have a hard time finding the time to study...

mountainman · Post by **mountainman** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 1:44 pm

Originally posted by SeedOfChaos
*LOL* Studying in Salamanca? Gonna have a hard time finding the time to study...

Is there stuff to do ?

I am going to be in class for 6.5 hours per day, 5 days per week. Although that translates to 17.5 hours per day that I won't be in class (not counting weekends).

SeedOfChaos · Post by **SeedOfChaos** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 1:51 pm

If you're into nightlife, you're gonna love it... parties without end, especially in the summer.

Prey521 · Post by **Prey521** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 2:32 pm

Congrats man, here that Spain is a beautiful country, full of carnal sin, but a beautiful country!

What's your GF think about it? She for it? You takin her with you?

mountainman · Post by **mountainman** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 3:01 pm

Originally posted by Prey521
Congrats man, here that Spain is a beautiful country, full of carnal sin, but a beautiful country!

What's your GF think about it? She for it? You takin her with you?

Hey Prey. (LOL... I'm a poet and I didn't know it.

)

My wife (of 2.5 years

) thinks that it is a great idea since I can get my master's degree in a short amount of time (10 weeks across seas) and that means a great pay raise at work.

So... she's for it. She'll probably come over after it's over so we can travel through Spain for a couple of weeks.

Illini25 · Post by **Illini25** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 5:23 pm

WOOOOOT!!!!

WTG Brandon! Sounds like your going to have a great time PLUS get your masters in spanish. Im jelious!

hehe

Chris

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 6:43 pm

Very cool. congratulations.

mccoffee · Post by **mccoffee** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 6:48 pm

it would be better if u solved the all the worlds promblems but hey it's a start

No for real Congrats

Joint Chiefs of Staff · Wed Feb 19, 2003 7:41 pm

WAY TO GO BRANDON!!!

Those little pieces of papers from a degree goes a long way.

Let me ask you something. Is it true that most school systems will not hire a teacher with a masters due to the amount of wages they will have to pay? But...if you get your masters after they hire you they have no choice to pay you the wage increase.

Rumor or not?

mountainman · Post by **mountainman** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 7:49 pm

Thanks everyone for the kind words.

I am really happy and cannot wait to get started. It is going to be a VERY tough challenge, but it'll be worth it and the knowledge and experiences I'll gain will be invaluable.

JCOS - School systems definetely would rather hire a teacher with a BA and have them work on it while they gain more experience. OSU here in Ohio has a Masters program along with their teachers education, so they graduate with Masters. I've heard of some of them having problems with it and some people drop out early and go somewhere else so they'll only have their BA.

Joint Chiefs of Staff · Wed Feb 19, 2003 7:54 pm

Originally posted by mountainman
Thanks everyone for the kind words.

I am really happy and cannot wait to get started. It is going to be a VERY tough challenge, but it'll be worth it and the knowledge and experiences I'll gain will be invaluable.

JCOS - School systems definitely would rather hire a teacher with a BA and have them work on it while they gain more experience. OSU here in Ohio has a Masters program along with their teachers education, so they graduate with Masters. I've heard of some of them having problems with it and some people drop out early and go somewhere else so they'll only have their BA.

Thanks for answering the question. Well, at least you get to keep your job right? I remember you mentioning in a thread about layoffs.

thechemgeek · Post by **thechemgeek** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 12:27 am

congrats.

when you graduate....we'll have to get each other something....since i graduated from Salamanca High School....in Salamanca, NY

hahah....

City of Salamanca, NY

and my own personal Salamanca Alumni Website!

mountainman · Post by **mountainman** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 6:12 am

Originally posted by Joint Chiefs Of Staff
Thanks for answering the question. Well, at least you get to keep your job right? I remember you mentioning in a thread about layoffs.

Yes, I get to keep my job and all that. They can't really cut the Spanish program (right now) since the enrollment is so high and there are only two of us. They cut people like math, English, and social studies since there were 5-6 teachers for each. The other teachers are going to have some high class numbers though.

They just did a revote for the levy and it failed again... this time by 6 votes.

Anyway, it should be a good time.

RoundEye · Post by **RoundEye** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 7:34 am

Way cool :2cool:

A trip to Spain and a masters. What else could a man need?

Oh, I know, how about a parachute and an airplane?

mountainman · Post by **mountainman** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 7:52 am

Originally posted by RoundEye
Way cool :2cool:

A trip to Spain and a masters. What else could a man need?

Oh, I know, how about a parachute and an airplane?

LOL Thanks a lot Roundeye !

It really is a great experience. It'll be a helluva lot better than taking night classes for 3 years during the school year and summer. I don't know if I could do that.

Parachute ? Airplane ? I'm there !!!

My parachute: http://www.skydivewings.com/docs/container/index.html & http://www.icaruscanopies.com/main.htm

The airplane : http://caravan.cessna.com/

koldchillah · Post by **koldchillah** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 3:51 pm

congrats man!.. My wife did a summer in her junior year in Madrid while she was going for her BA (I met her the week after she got back). She has an uncle there and absolutely LOVES Spain. I'm sure you will too...

what grade/level do you teach?

The school system in Florida is all screwed up.. My wife teaches 7th grade geography, has now for 3 years and she has a BA in Sociology making 30,000/yr. If she gets her teachers certification then after 3 more years she will get tenure. If she goes for her masters, her salary will only go up to 31,500/yr!!? (not really worth it for teaching in Florida) There is such a shortage of teachers here that they continue to offer her extensions on getting her teacher certification since she is still out of field.
To top it all off, wonderful Jeb Bush thinks that the best way to get smaller class sizes is to spend more on building schools, but discontinuing annual teacher raises in order to pay for some of the expansion. Brilliant isn't it? Lets make people not want to become teachers even more so we can build more schools and have even more of a teacher shortage..

I wish you the best on your endeavors!

mountainman · Post by **mountainman** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 8:54 pm

kold - sounds like your wife has a pretty good deal with the tenure. Here in Ohio, if you get your Masters you get a great raise. I think the highest my salery can go up (now) is $55,000 after Masters + 15 or 30 and then like 20 years. That'll be different when I'm there, but that isn't too bad.

I teach HS Spanish. (Spanish I/II)

koldchillah · Post by **koldchillah** » Fri Feb 21, 2003 1:29 am

Originally posted by mountainman
kold - sounds like your wife has a pretty good deal with the tenure. Here in Ohio, if you get your Masters you get a great raise. I think the highest my salery can go up (now) is $55,000 after Masters + 15 or 30 and then like 20 years. That'll be different when I'm there, but that isn't too bad.

I teach HS Spanish. (Spanish I/II)

not bad at all.. my wife laughed when I told her you can make UP TO $55,000 in Ohio.. We've got teachers down here in florida with masters & two bachelors and 20+ years experience and they are only making 37/40K in elementary & middle.. its HORRIBLE!.. Education is lacking in many areas down here.. its unfortunate for the kids.

HS Spanish sounds cool. My wife wants to teach that, if a spot becomes available.. All she has to do is go take a spanish education course and she'll be certified in spanish.. Its her native language so no biggie there..

Docsta · Post by **Docsta** » Fri Feb 21, 2003 1:41 am

adios amigo...congrats

mountainman · Post by **mountainman** » Fri Feb 21, 2003 6:19 am

Originally posted by koldchillah
not bad at all.. my wife laughed when I told her you can make UP TO $55,000 in Ohio.. We've got teachers down here in florida with masters & two bachelors and 20+ years experience and they are only making 37/40K in elementary & middle.. its HORRIBLE!.. Education is lacking in many areas down here.. its unfortunate for the kids.

HS Spanish sounds cool. My wife wants to teach that, if a spot becomes available.. All she has to do is go take a spanish education course and she'll be certified in spanish.. Its her native language so no biggie there..

Man, that pay rate really sucks. At least down there you don't have to worry so much about "when bad weather hits" and things like that. You guys have year-round skydiving weather. *drool*.

Where is your wife from ? That is pretty cool that it's her native language. It would be neat for those students to have someone like that... especially with all the Cubans.

And thanks Doc.

koldchillah · Post by **koldchillah** » Fri Feb 21, 2003 9:28 am

Originally posted by mountainman
Man, that pay rate really sucks. At least down there you don't have to worry so much about "when bad weather hits" and things like that. You guys have year-round skydiving weather. *drool*.

Where is your wife from ? That is pretty cool that it's her native language. It would be neat for those students to have someone like that... especially with all the Cubans.

And thanks Doc.

LOL.. year round skydiving weather.. I know of a few places around here that take people up too... not me though..

My wife was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.