Believe it or not, I’m actually getting ready to write a new chapter in my educational history. No, I’m not going to apply to a doctoral program… yet. Instead, I’ve found a very interesting Post-Master’s Certificate program at my local college that manages to fit my personal educational goals as well as my professional development needs. The local college has a Post-Master’s Certificate program in Curriculum Studies as a part of their School of Education and after doing some preliminary research and meeting with the Director of the program, I think I’m going to apply to start classes next spring.

During my very pleasant, upbeat conversation with the Director of the program, I was pleased to hear how the topic of Curriculum Studies includes how spaces and places impact a student’s ability to learn. In other words, this program will allow me to do some research on the link between what a classroom looks and feels like and student achievement. There are already a lot of folks looking at this issue, so I expect that I will have a lot of trouble finding research on the topic. Ideally, I’ll be able to research how charter schools create learning spaces that positively impact their students. Part of that research would also have to show how failing charter schools design their classrooms and facility culture – which could be an interesting study on its own.

Sometimes I know that I’m huge nerd at heart because when I think about researching these types of issues, I’m excited about the possibilities. I mean come on! Who thinks about charter school classroom design and its relationship to student achievement and thinks, “Oh my God! What an awesome subject!?”

Hey – I just like reading and researching in a way that many people do not. And that’s not a judgment call on anyone and their academic abilities. Instead, it’s just a public confession that I like going to school and learning new things.

And that’s about it, folks. As I work to figure out if/when I want to apply to this program, I’ll keep everyone updated. There are five classes in the program so I’d probably just take one this spring, two over the summer, one next fall, and one the following spring. No big deal. I’ve got some existing travel, professional, and social commitments that would impact my ability to attend some classes this coming spring, so that’s something that I’m trying to think through right now. One thing that I’m not thinking too much about is the cost of the program. Why? Well, as an alumnus of the local college who already holds a Masters Degree, I get a 25% discount. Plus, I’m going to try to get my company to pay for a small portion of the program costs, too.

Anyway, we’ll see how it goes. Could be a lot of fun!