Useless Courses

I don't know about the rest of you, but in the process of taking another class for yet another teaching certification, I'm starting to believe that some courses are completely useless. I realize that it's hard to narrow down some programs to be specific enough for each individual, but I wonder by Teacher Prep University, or in my case, Library U., doesn't eliminate certain courses that are meaningless to some. Now, I must say that I was told one future class I thought I was going to have to take is not going to be required. The advisor said the class had the least to do with school libraries so she is waving the course! Now, if they could just do that a little more.

I'm working in a school library and am in the middle of taking a course on Library Management. While this course is required for those in the Masters of Information Science program, I see no reason why it's required for a teaching certification. In most school libraries, especially these days due to budget cuts, there is no staff to manage. I have an educational assistant who comes in for two hours a week to shelve books. In addition to discussing management, we talk about accounting in libraries. Anyone who knows a thing or two about school districts, knows that the business manager, building principal, or sometimes the secretary, is the one in control of the budget. All I have to do is take the budget amounts given to me, and spend them. It doesn't take rocket science to know that you can't spend more than you get. I don't have to deal with assets and liabilities, or any of the other stuff our instructor discussed last night. Sure, people working in charge of public libraries or other libraries may have to do that, but in my case, it's not something I have to deal with. I am sure that there will be future topics where I feel the same, but I bet many other people have sat in a grad class and wondered "What am I doing here? This doesn't apply to me at all!"