Some days, the only reason I don't drop the education program...

I love love love my education adviser.  For the past few weeks, I have been extremely frustrated because my education classes have just seemed pointless and the professors teaching them have been annoyingly incompetent.  I go through phases of being glad I chose to join the education program and then switch to think maybe I made a bad choice because being a teacher is hard work and sometimes I feel like I can't do it.  I've definitely been in the latter phase for a while now.

Today I had to meet with my education adviser for just a few minutes to have her sign some forms for me.  Meeting with her re-motivated me a little bit.  I'm taking a class with her next semester, and as I was leaving she told me how she was excited for our class next semester, and she meant it.  I told her I was excited as well, and I meant it too.  I doubt she knows how much I meant it.  As I complete the work for my current education classes, sometimes the thing that motivates me is knowing that in a couple months I will be able to take another class with my adviser.

I respect this woman so much.  She's intelligent, she's caring, she actually was a teacher before becoming a professor so she has experience, she taught in the same type of setting I dream of someday teaching in.  She's opinionated and passionate, which some people don't like about her, but makes me appreciate her even more.  And she's just a nice person who makes herself available to her students without allowing them to take advantage of her.  (Unfortunately, and for some reason, she has a low rating on RateMyProfessor.com which upsets me way more than it should.)

I don't know if it's good to remain in the education program at my school just because of one professor, but sometimes I feel like she's the only reason I haven't dropped out of the program.  Regardless of how the program at my school is run, I still find education interesting and want to be involved in it, in some form.  But the the education department at my school is small.  Very small.  I have had more than one education class with no one else in it.  Just the professor and myself.  The first class of this type I had was with my adviser.  And while I was so nervous the first few weeks, I think the professor was too.  (She's a fairly new professor.)  But after a while, it got to the point where I enjoyed it.  I looked forward to every class meeting.  (To the point where I asked her to un-cancel class the one time she canceled it.  Because I'm possibly the strangest college student ever.  Which she basically said to me.)

The absolutely positive experience of that class may be part of what is making everything after it seem pointless and frustrating.  But I was reminded that I have more to look forward to.  My professor and I are in mutual excitement for next semester, (and there's a good chance that I will, again, be the only one in the class).  Now, I just have to get through the last few weeks of this semester, and then I'll be able to take a class that I am looking forward to more than I have looked forward to any other class, ever.  I know I'm holding my professor up to my high expectations, but they are expectations I formed taking another class with her, so I think she'll pass.