Fun and Crazy

Rarely do I take the opportunity to update you all on my personal endeavors, partially because they aren't many in number. Today, however, I will take a moment to celebrate with you the upcoming completion of my thesis. Back in August 2004 I completed all of the coursework for my Masters in Education. The final submission of my thesis paper was all that remained before the degree could actually be conferred. Through a series of somewhat trivial events, that paper, although entirely completed, was never submitted. The entire tale would be too boring to relate, but it involved a great deal of bureaucracy and tedium. I gave up. The finished thesis sat lonely on my thumb drive, ignored and shunned.
It came to mind a few months ago as I was realizing that my last group of ninth grade students are graduating from high school this June. It was pleasant for me to think back on them and all the others with whom I learned during my six years in public education. It was unpleasant to think that I had left something unfinished that concerned one of them. My thesis is a case study written on the experience I had while working closely with a recovering teenage drug addict. My primary question of inquiry was how can the classroom teacher help the recovering teenage drug addict succeed academically. I knew it was time to pull out the thumb drive.
My in-laws took the boys for an afternoon while I printed out the single longest piece of writing I have ever done. I mailed it off to PLU to be approved by the APA Guideline Girl. This is not her official title, but it's the one I like to use. It was a rather interesting two weeks waiting for its return. I kept thinking, "She's probably going to send it back and tell me to forget it." This did not happen. Instead it arrived yesterday with relatively few red marks and a bunch of paperwork regarding publication rights and the Library of Congress. Wow. I was pretty stinkin' excited. The next step is the "fancy" paper print, followed by important signatures and then a binding. Like a book. By me. That's fun and crazy.