A Fresh Start

So here we are, several weeks now into the summer break, and I am beginning to prepare for NEXT year. Don't ever let anyone tell you teachers don't work in the summer. Next school year will bring with it a change in the classes I teach. The State of Texas in their infinite wisdom has just redone all of the TEKS, which are the standards or skills we need to teach, for all of the Career and Technology courses. With the redo also comes new NAMES for all of the classes. No course was spared.

Have you ever noticed that all educators speak in acronyms? I just told you what TEKS are, not to be confused with TAKS and the new EOC's (both tests). The Career and Technology(CTE) courses for high school in Texas are no exception. Last year I taught BCIS--that is Business Computer Information Systems, which everyone just called by the acronym. BCIS has now gone away replaced by either PIT or BIM, which stand for Principles of Information Technolgy and Business Information Management respectively. I know-this is highly thrilling information. Next year I have been assigned to teach Digital Interactive Media, you guessed it, DIM, and I think I will rename it "Digital Interactive Media With Integrated Technology" because I have always dreamed of teaching a class called DIMWIT. But I digress.

Turns out DIM is basically a year of Photoshop. Just one problem--I have never used Photoshop. So I am spending the summer taking classes in Photoshop so I can at least have a basic understanding of it before I get to teach it (and my district wonders why we have so many ineffective teachers). Luckily, I am open to change and I like to learn new software and evidently I am the lucky guinea pig.

So I have started my summer Photoshop class, which is online and self paced, which means I can look like an idiot and yell at my computer in the privacy of my own home. This class is not hard--it is Level 1 so basically we spent the whole first lesson opening and closing files and changing the Views. Zzzz. I learn about pixels and vector versus raster graphics and I vaguely recall having learned this to pass one of my certification tests. All the technical stuff--no problem. Then we get to the design stuff. Let me mention that I was the art student who was always put into the "slow" group and had to draw and redraw still lifes of branches. Let me also mention that I am the auction volunteer that sets up a table, and then has to have someone else come behind her to "style" the table. I have absolutely no sense of design or artistic talent. I begin to get very worried. I should also mention that this is a career preparation course I am teaching--meaning we get to talk about careers as a graphic designer, photographer, advertiser, and animator, evidently. Have I EVER mentioned my background is in BANKING???? I do spreadsheets. This is so far outside the box for me that it is in the next state. Sigh. I am afraid for Lesson 4. Colorwheels.

My only saving grace--the other teacher that teaches DIM is a graphic designer, is a master at what he does, and can teach this in his sleep. I have been given the advice "just let him take the lead and do whatever he tells you to do". Well-I am very good at following directions. Just not so good at being told what to do! So this coming year promises to be a challenge for me. Something new--a fresh start! I hope I am ready for the challenge.