I did it!

Back in March I had to take an AEPA test (Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessment) in the area of secondary math in order to be deemed "highly qualified" by the state of Arizona. In order to teach resource (special education) math I have to be certified in special education, but I also have to be highly qualified in the content area that I teach. The tests cost $105 and take about 4 hours. While I knew the algebra and geometry on the test I have been out of touch with the trigonometry and calculus for a while. Naturally, I was pretty stinkin' nervous! I studied like crazy (which was very difficult to do with a baby while working full time!). I went in to take the test and it took me the entire 4 hours to finish. There were 100 multiple choice questions and an essay portion (yes there is an essay question on the MATH test). Just to give you an idea, one of the questions was this: A telephone connection pole is 80 feet tall. If the cable wire hits 40 feet high on the telephone pole with a slope of 2/3. If they moved the wires to hit 60 feet high , how long will the cable be if the slope stays 2/3...sadly, this was one of the easier questions! So I was moving through the multiple choice questions. Some I was able to figure out while other I had absolutely no clue. Then...I got to the essay question and I blanked. I knew there was a way to solve it using right triangles, but I couldn't figure it out! I was so frustrated that I wrote down what I could and turned in my test. Sure enough I figured it out once I walked out the door! Needless to say I was not feeling terribly confident, but I thought there could be a small chance. I impatiently wait a month for the results. They were released in the middle of the school day, but there was no way I would be able to wait until I got home so I pulled them up while I was at work. I didn't pass. As if that wasn't bad enough I missed it by 4 points!! Aside from being crushed I was embarrassed. I had never really failed a test before.
A couple days later I sign up for the next test in June. I knew that if I didn't pass this next test that I was going to have to take classes which I REALLY didn't want to do. The thought of working full time, being a mom AND a student made me sick to my stomach. I know there are a lot of teachers who can do this, but I don't have any idea how. I spent my first week of summer break studying like a crazy woman. I seriously have never been so stressed out in my life! Just like last time it took me the entire 4 hours. I left the testing room feeling the same as I did the last time; not too confident, but thinking there could be a chance. I pretty much told myself I didn't pass because I knew I would not be able to handle failing again. I spent the next month praying, begging and pleading with God. Sure enough the day before the test results came out I saw this:

My grandma :)

If you want to know the story behind this I posted it on an old blog post: http://mattandnikkismith.blogspot.com/2009/05/good-news.html

June 6th rolled around and my grandma had worked her magic again! Aside from Kendyl being born and my step-dad coming home from war I don't think I have ever felt such relief. As of June 6th, 2009 I am now a highly qualified, special education certified resource math teacher and it feels pretty awesome!

To make an awesome situation even better my husband came home with this!