Hi, everyone! My name is Jonathan Weber and I am currently living in Lancaster/Palmdale, California (about an hour or so outside of LA) and teaching 7th Grade ELA and Creative Writing. Before this, I lived and taught in mainland China for seven years, but have made the transition this school year back Stateside.
I started the MET program exactly a year ago and this is now my 8/9/10th course in the MET program. If all goes smoothly, I am looking forward to graduating in May. I’ve taken ETEC 511, 512, 531, 530, 532, 540, and 565 already and am taking 500 and 510 together with this course. I’ve found three courses while working full-time to be a master’s class in juggling and time management, but possible!
Although my focus has always been in English, I’m very interested in STEAM and the possibilities that exist when learning becomes cross-curricular and the boundary lines that separate subjects fade away. Hopefully, throughout this course, I will find more and more ways to make that happen and to help support our small middle school staff (5 of us!).
When I’m not checking things off my MET to-do list, I enjoy reading, writing, photography, and anything to be outdoors. I’m including two pictures: the first, my little pup Oliver who just turned two. He accompanies me everywhere and will probably be by my feet with most posts I make, so it seems fitting he should be included. The second is from a recent trip up the coast in our new car that is part EV, as one of my new hobbies is finding free places to charge! 😉
Looking forward to learning with all of you this semester!
Jonathan Weber
Nice to “meet” you, Jonathan! You’ve made good time getting through the course work! I took a little longer, but like you said there has to be a balance to everything! Oliver is adorable. It’s always good to have a companion while working through course work. My doggo is a chihuahua who likes to curl up in a blanket beside me on the couch while I work on the laptop.
Looking forward to working with you this term!
Hi, Tracy!
It has yet to be seen if this pace is “ambitious” or “crazy.” Talk to me in a few months for my final review. haha
Always nice to have a furry friend to accompany you through those late night readings and postings!
Here’s to a great semester!
-Jonathan-
Hi Jonathan,
I admire that you are able to do three MET courses at the same time – I struggle already with one course at a time :-)! In any case, I am looking forward to work with you,
best regards,
Elske
It’s definitely not for everyone, but I’ll make it work for three more months. I started this pace when I was teaching in China, and, with the time change and long New Year’s break, it was much more sustainable. Here in the States, it involves a lot more of locking myself in a room and keepin’ that nose to the grindstone until everything is done. But, there is a season for everything!
Looking forward to learning with you this semester!
-Jonathan-
Hello Jonathan, nice to see you again!
Love the pic of Oliver, he looks very loving and cute. I’m sure he appreciates the recognition of his ever-present moral support in your educational adventures! 😉 Looking forward to learning with you this course.
Jan!
So nice to see you here again! Is this our third class together (or more?)?
You gotta give credit where credit is due!
Can’t wait to read your in-depth posts again this semester.
-Jonathan-
Hey Jonathan!
I am looking forward to joining EV crowd and working with you this semester! Our Middle School has also been working to incorporate more interdisciplinary and problem-based learning. It has been challenging so I would love hear any bits is wisdom you gain from this course.
Cheers!
Gordon
Hi, Gordon!
The EV crowd is the place to be! So far, we’ve driven over 2,500 miles and paid less than $100 in gas, so, that’s a testament in and of itself, not to mention trying to do every little bit to save the planet.
I’m sure we’ll learn a lot from each other as we progress through the course.
-Jonathan-
Nice to see you again Jonathan. Neat that you are back in the states! Why did you decide to transition back?
Cheers,
Kari
Hi, Kari!
After so many years in China, it was time to come home and be closer to family. I kept my eye out for jobs that would fit and found this one in a nice school district close to my sister, so decided to jump on it! So far, so good!
Looking forward to another semester with you!
-Jonathan-
Nice to see your name on the course roster again, Jonathan!
Hope you’ve had a restful month recharging from your previous three MET courses 🙂 I’m looking forward to more insightful conversations and postings in ETEC533.
Congrats on almost being finished- you’re nearly there!
Hey there, old partner! Glad to have the chance to work with you again!
I hope you are also rested and ready to go! This semester looks like it may take some stamina!
-Jonathan-
Hey Jonathan, props to you for working your way through the MET so quickly. I’ve just taken one class per term and found that to be plenty between work, coaching and trying to have some fun on the side. What kind of teaching did you do in China? I’ve heard great things about some of the international schools in Macau and Hong Kong.
I can also connect with your having a furry friend. My wife and I have a cat named Sophie…but she doesn’t sound quite as well behaved as Oliver. I all too often have to lift her off the table because she feels the need to lay down on my keyboard.
Hey, Caleb!
Thanks! It’s nice to be so close to done, yet I still feel like a newbie, to be honest. There’s so much to learn!
I was teaching American and British Literature for a while at the university level and then switched to an international school and taught 6th Grade General Education for two years. I learned a lot, but it mostly just continued to show me how much there is left to do.
Sophie sounds perfect and like a welcomed distraction. 🙂
Here’s to a great semester!
-Jonathan-