A count of the classes I’ve been taking lately…
1. Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace course – I love it! It is something I wish I had done years ago! I’ve heard so many good ideas and learned several habits of financially successful people. We are working on implementing them around here.
2. Staar Test Facilitator Training – This is the stuff I need to know in order to give the Staar Achievement Test to my students in April. This is where you learn what you can and can’t do, can and can’t say, etc. Pretty much I learned that if asked a question I am allowed to say, “I can’t answer that question for you, just do your best.” Also, if during my monitoring I notice that someone has not bubbled their answers on their scantron, I am allowed to say, “You have failed to record your answers on your answer document. Please go back and mark your answers now.” Good times will be had by all!
3. TELPAS training – These were online videos where I learned how to determine a student’s ability to write, speak, and decipher spoken English. After the videos I had to actually do this and I failed miserably at it the first time. I was a hard grader apparently. You wouldn’t think so since I have experienced some language acquisition issues myself.
4. Healthy Relationship Workshop – Sweet Tea and I did this one together. It was basic information about how to establish and maintain healthy relationships. It included ideas on boundaries, communication, fighting, intimacy, and a variety of other issues. It was a great class. The best part was when two gay men started whimpering when they learned how long they should wait before adding sexual intimacy to a relationship.
I need to make some wall space for all these certificates I’m earning. People will want to know how learned I am!
(I have to say I was a tad bit disappointed in the fact that there were no certificates for the relationship class. I thought everyone gave out certificates nowadays! Maybe it’s my teacher self coming out. I guess I’ll have to make my own! Totally a teacher thing to do!)
Midlife Natalie 
I read the Financial Peace book and was delighted to discover I was pretty far along in his steps. There are some very sane ideas in there. I recommend it and the course to patients all the time.
So I have to know – how long do they advise waiting before you add sex to a relationship? I suspect I fail this one.
Well, his timeline wasn’t a set in stone thing. He said that if your goal is a lasting relationship akin to marriage you should wait at least 6 months before having sex. If the sexual part of your relationship ever fades or you have a major crisis you have the friendship that was the foundation to keep you together. If your goal is sex or friends with benefits it really didn’t matter.
Six months! I have yet to meet a man who would wait that long. Heck, I’m sure I couldn’t wait anywhere near that long!