Foster Parent Classes

I was first introduced to GSC, (then College for Life Long Learning) as a foster parent in 1996. I was able to gain valuable skills in working with children and families in crisis while acquiring college credits. When I decided to pursue a degree, GSC was a perfect fit. They offered online and face-to-face learning options that fit my schedule and had approachable and supportive instructors. In 2000, I became and instructor for the Education and Training Partnership through GSC and began training some of the courses that had helped my development as a foster and adoptive parent.

Now, almost 18 years after discovering GSC, I am looking to further my education by getting a Masters of Science in Leadership. Returning to the college that has been such a big part of my positive learning and teaching experiences just seems natural. I am impressed with the changes I have seen over the last eighteen years and am proud to be a returning alumni.

- Misty

Do you know what it means to be a lifelong learner? Hopefully you are one. Maybe you graduated from high school 40 years ago, or maybe you are just about to graduate. Does that mean your learning is over? Do you stop learning just because you are no longer a student? A lifelong learner is one who is interested in knowing more about the things in their world. A lifelong learner is one who is excited by the many things they come in contact with each day and they want to know more.

Granite State College has so many programs for lifelong learners - after all, it's a lifelong learning college. Whether you are someone who just wants to take a course, maybe in environmental or behavioral science because that interests you, or you are someone who is thinking about finishing a degree in Early Childhood Education or taking Foster Parent Classes or online college English classes, you are a lifelong learner.

Granite State College has campuses around New Hampshire that can offer the lifelong learner opportunities for growth and understanding. You can take online college classes, or come to one of the campuses for a face to face experience. Either way, being a lifelong learner is what life after high school is all about.

The end of the term is approaching fast. I have taken my first 5 week intensive online class. This (of course) is held the last 5 weeks of the term: which is the same time I have major research papers due in my other classes. It's a different type of experience. What's great is that adult education classes have the correct forum to try new things. Everything you do, every class you take will help you in your future endeavors. And everyone is traveling down the same road you are.

I am currently in this place where even though there are only 3 more weeks of classes, I know that time is going to fly by, however it feels like the days are never ending. This is the time when papers are due, quizzes are there to finish, etc. Outside of school, things have seemed to pile up and everything has now been officially moved to "#1 priority" which need to be done yesterday.

Life does this to you. These moments help define who you are as a person. I cannot even begin to tell you how many strong people I have met that will repeatedly stand up to the challenge. It's at these home stretches where you either "break" or walk against the wind "fight or flight."

I am a person who reflects...a lot! I was thinking about my first weekend intensive class I had at the Concord NH college campus here at Granite State College; not so much about the class itself but the atmosphere of it all. It was a very comfortable place for me. Not only was the class itself filled with information, but what was happening around us. Our class was constantly laughing - so much we had to shut the doors. The best part about it: we weren't the only ones! There were Foster Parent Classes right down the hall. Whatever you were there for, everyone seemed to have a glowing aura.

Career College Training is a resource that has become more easily accessible. From 4 year colleges, to strictly online classes, to adult accelerated degree programs (or even adult education certificates) which can be completed during day and/or night classes: there is something for you out there! 

How does this relate with this being the end of the term for me? It's because I have been put in a position where I need to pick myself up off the ground, dust myself off, and get ready to fight for the next 3 weeks. These 3 weeks will be a test and I can guarantee you I will learn more about who I am as a person. Every experience, new or repeated, will help push us to where we would like to see ourselves. Hard work pays off: although I wouldn't mind having a personal genie at times :) 

Have you read all the news stories lately about the Tiger Mom? The topic certainly has received a lot of press and caused many people to think about child rearing practices. Do you agree with what you have heard? Were you raised by a strict parent or one who was very permissive? At Granite State College, in a child development class, the discussion about child rearing has been an interesting one.

Students enrolled in Early Childhood degree programs and Behavioral Science classes and degree programs have engaged in a discussion about what aspects of parenting are important. In Foster Parent Classes at Granite State College, the conversation is similar. Research tells us that parents who are accepting of their children, and encourage exploration, while providing stability and love can help children to develop into healthy adults.

It's certainly an interesting discussion to be a part of in our adult and continuing education classes here at Granite State College.

I don't know if I mentioned it in a previous post, but I am a volunteer as Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in NH (www.casanh.org).  CASA is a great nationwide organization that represents children in the court system who may not have had the best of circumstances in their young lives.  CASA has also helped me to see that working with/for others is something I wanted to pursue.  What better place or program, but Granite State College's bachelor's degree in Behavioral Science.

As part of being a CASA volunteer though, I'm able to take advantage of the foster parent classes that are offered at GSC.  I'm actually taking my first class now through the foster parent classes.  The class is Delivering Effective Training and is 12 hours over two days.  The class started Monday and will be finishing up tomorrow, Thursday.  There is really quite a bit offered in foster parent classes such as Caring for Children with Emotional Disabilities, Unlocking Children's Learning Styles, and Autism Spectrum Disorders (which is one I think I might like to try soon).  The courses are offered at the different GSC locations or can be workbook or online.

If you are or considering becoming a foster parent, a current CASA volunteer or DCYF worker, check it out.  It might be worth looking into.  The courses are non-credit, but might be well worth it for whatever direction you choose in life.  It's a good price... FREE!  :)

O.K., I know it's winter, I know we live in New England, but I'm freezing! Everywhere I go it's a chore. Put on my coat, scrape off the car, let the car warm up - which usually happens by the time I get wherever it is I'm going. It seems like I mind the cold more every year.

I enjoyed the face-to-face classes a lot during the summer and fall months when it was still light out when class ended, and it was WARM. Now that the average day is only 4 hours long, and we hardly ever see the sun anymore, the online classes are looking better and better. I just registered for an online class - with a few face-to-face classes thrown in during the semester, and I am looking forward to classes online. No matter how bad the weather is I can still make it to class. No more white-knuckled driving to get to class on time. The best thing about the online classes is that you can sign-in from anywhere at anytime. I have taken classes with people from all over. From Seattle, WA, to Portland, ME. I'm looking forward to taking classes from someplace warm after I retire!

If you haven't signed up for Winter classes yet, you had better hurry up. They fill up fast and you may not get the one you want if you wait too long. Granite State College has so many classes to offer. You can pick up a few classes to enhance you work skills, finish up your degree in so many different fields, or even take  some classes to help you become a great foster parent. Just call the local office and ask them what you need to do to get started.

I never want you to feel nervous or scared to start a fresh new life. That's the person I was until a friend brought me to Granite State College. Since I have begun my education by taking many behavioral science classes, I have become a whole new person. I am a go-getter now! I am happy and excited by things and I know I am headed to a great place. If you have any thoughts about starting your education, stop on by! We have so many things for you to take a look at, see what interests you. Maybe you are looking for online classes for criminal justice! Maybe you are looking for foster parent classes or an accelerated undergraduate courses! We have a wide range of things to offer you, and with convenient nights, weekend, and online courses, you can still work while you get your adult education diploma. Whatever you decide to do, I want you to know that I am here for you! You can stop by any time and we can talk about getting you a fresh start too! So come on by to the Manchester Campus and ask to speak with me, Danielle, and become the best that you can be!

P.S. Registration for our Winter term begins today!!

Recent experiences have led me to consider becoming a foster parent. Without going into specifics, I have become painfully aware of the obstacles children face when home is not a safe place for them to be, but their parents still have all the legal rights. A young person I know was forced to navigate "the system" in order to escape a harmful environment. If not for her friends, and her friends' parents, it is likely that this teen may have been left in an unsafe home or become a runaway. Fortunately, she is now living with a great foster family.

I don't know if it was a coincidence, or serendipity, but this is the front page article that greeted me at work one morning in the midst of the aforementioned ordeal:  "Teaching from the Experience," by Angel Roy, Eagle Times Newspaper, August 14, 2010. Keith Marsh, the instructor for many of the Foster Parent Classes that meet at GSC's Claremont, NH College, was featured. As the article mentions, Granite State College is "the school through which all foster care and adoptive training is conducted in the state, in partnership with the NH Department of Children, Youth and Families."

If I didn't live in Vermont, I'd sign up for one of Marsh's foster parent classes in a heartbeat, but as a Vermont resident I have to take classes through my state's equivalent agency. Not only would it be more convenient for me to take these classes at GSC, because they are held where I work, but I have a very positive impression of the instructors I've encountered. Although my interactions with Marsh have been few and brief, my overall impression leads me to believe he's a fantastic teacher, and a wonderful foster parent. Case in point:

One evening last spring, we lost electricity just before one of Marsh's foster parent classes. I was the only GSC staff left at our Claremont NH College for the day. The epitome of calm, cool and collected, Keith asked if there was a pizza place nearby. I pointed him in the direction of Ramuntos. He thanked me and led his class down the sidewalk to the restaurant. I was so impressed by Keith's "go-with-the-flow" demeanor. While many instructors might have gotten flustered and/or cancelled the class, Marsh didn't let this obstacle stand in the way of continuing with his foster care class, he simply moved it to another locale for the night. What a terrific role model for his students!

If you want to learn more about Foster Parent Training at Granite State College -- I encourage you to check out that page on our website.

It wouldn't be accurate to say that I fear change. Instead, my tendencies to be hesitant and skeptical cause me to tread slowly on change. This indicates that I am introverted, not much of a traveller, and a vigilant checker on how a change will affect me.

Several episodes in life remind me of times where I hesitated from getting up on stage and singing, or going on that roadtrip with buddies, and my reason/rationalization was often some form of, "this isn't a good time for me." I became quite skilled at thinking about other things I could be doing, or what might be neglected by making a seemingly impulsive decision.

The point is that it has taken me a long time to learn that there is never a perfect time, or even a good time, to solve a nagging problem, or to make a change, or to take on something new. Fatherhood in particular has taught me that just when you think you've got it all figured out, the kid will go through a "I don't WANT to put my shoes on!" phase, or the getting-ready-for-bed routine is going take even longer than usual this week to give the kid her conjunctivitis medicine.

Any walk of life can get bogged down in this not being a good time, and school is no exception. There is no doubt that deciding to take college classes online is going to be challening, and that the schedule of life is going to get tougher with foster parent classes to take after work, but one of the keys to making that leap is knowing that there never is a good time, and waiting for the perfect time is just nonsense.

To me it's a lot like a game of double dutch, or with another dated idiom, those parts in Super Mario Brothers where you have to jump over the spinning fire stick. There is no perfect time to jump in. If it gets messed up or complicated when you do, then hey, it happens. At Granite State College, we've tried to set things up so that even when things do get complicated, that we can help. So give us a call.

Recently, my wife and I took a short weekend-getaway trip to the Lake Winnipesaukee area. Although most of the seasonal attractions were closed like the Castle in the Clouds and two-thirds of the restaurants, we did take a leisurely drive around the entire lake.

For a flatlander originally from Massachusetts, I need to say that the views of the lake and the mountains were simply stunning. For the afternoon, we were "those people" who were suddenly pulling the car to the shoulder of the road to snap some pictures of the snow cap or lake vista in view at that moment. 

While driving around the lake, I had the additional and unexpected joy of driving through a number of different communities. Each time we crossed into a new town, I found myself saying aloud, "one of my Granite State College students lives in this town." As we rolled through Meredith, Center Harbor, Moultonborough, Tuftonborough, Wolfeboro, Alton, Gilford, Weirs Beach, and back to Meredith, my mind was involuntarily calling up the Plans of study in my head: "oh yeah, Buford, he lives in Alton, he's going to take college classes online to get finish his Associate's degree... and oh yeah, Martha, she lives in Meredith, and she is an RN who wants to complete her Bachelor's, and she also teaches some of our foster parent classes..."

It made me think that if I were to take a map of New Hampshire and stick push-pins into each town or city that one of my students is from, I could probably cover the entire map. And as I've said before, I am a total map geek, so even if there were some towns left off, it would still be fun. 

Note to self, though: gotta get back up to Castle in the Clouds. Just to see that thing sticking out of the side of the mountain from Rt. 25 in Moultonborough is amazing enough. The view must be incredible. Now, if only I could rig it so I could see those map push-pins from the view off that mountain, that would be cool.