Who We Are
One of these pictures is recent. One of them is serving 3rd grade realness. I'll let you figure out which is which.
Who I Am
My name is Lindsay Masland, but I go by Dr. Masland. (If you ever want to know why I go by that, just ask! And honestly, I'll probably tell you even if you don't ask cause it is a STORY).
I was born in Atlanta, GA. I graduated from Wake Forest University with my Bachelor's in Psychology, and I stayed there for a Master's degree in Experimental Psych (we also have this degree at ASU). Then, I went on to get my PhD in School/Educational Psychology with a concentration in Statistics. My position at App State was the first job I got after grad school, and I've been here since 2011.
In addition to working with future K-12 teachers, I teach courses in the School Psychology graduate program at ASU. I also train all of the graduate teaching assistants in the Psychology Department, and more than 50% of my job is with ASU's Center for Academic Excellence, where I help other professors to enhance their teaching methods.
I also have three side gigs—I give professional development workshops and seminars to teachers at other universities around the country, I am the director for an international teaching conference, and I am a dance teacher at a local dance studio that I helped start. I also do lots of stuff that has nothing to do with money, including performing in and choreographing for musical theatre, cooking needlessly elaborate cakes, raising my daughter and son, and hanging out with my husband.
Everything in the above paragraphs is typical "bio" information, but what you really need to know is this:
Teaching is the most important part of my job.
Possibly my life. It's also the part of educational psychology that I am most attracted to—supporting teachers in doing great work. And the reason for this is because, if done right, teaching can be a liberatory experience for everyone involved. If done right, both teachers and students come out the other side completely changed people. So that's all we're striving for here—no big deal. 😎
This does matter, though, because it means I might teach a bit "different" than what you are used to or what you might expect. In this class, there are very few actual facts I am hoping you'll leave with. There are very few "right answers." Instead, I'm trying to give you an interpretive lens to use when viewing the world. This is a lens that is informed deeply by educational psychology principles, but also by what I think it means to live in a way that is both helpful to the world and in alignment with your core values.
Who You Are
The first thing you should bring to this class is an immense sense of pride that you are considering committing yourself to a career that involves teaching. Whether you see yourself in Kindergarten, AP History, orchestra, basketball, college, career/technical ed or perhaps in a service career like school psychology or school counseling, fulfilling the calling of becoming and/or supporting teachers is something worthy of great respect.
The next thing to bring is a desire to grow and learn. Regardless of whether school is typically difficult or easy for you, everyone needs to be prepared to move from where you are now to where you could be. Also, recognize that asking for help is viewed as a sign of strength here, not weakness. Teaching is a collaborative field, so if you are particularly individualistic and are used to doing it all on your own, this will become an area of growth for you. Asking for and providing help early and often ensures that you get where you want to be and that you support everyone else in so doing.
The final thing to bring is your whole self, including the identities, intersections, privileges, and oppressions that you have faced in the past and anticipate facing in the future. As mentioned above, this class is as much about personal growth as it's about professional growth. Exactly how that whole self shows up is completely up to you, though, and you can expect that both myself and your peers will hold ourselves to high standards of support and respect in the process of your growth.
What You Need From Me
If, at any time during the semester, you are having difficulty understanding the material, are worried about your performance, and/or have personal situations that might affect your success in this course, please let me know and we'll work together to improve the situation. However, to the extent possible, please tell me about any needs or difficulties as soon as possible, preferably BEFORE classroom performance is affected. I think you will find that I will bend over backward to accommodate pretty much anything that is going on in your life, but my ability to do this effectively depends on you telling me what you need as soon as you can.
And let me reiterate here—if something tough is going on in your life, I don't want to see you suffer through whatever it is. I want to help you. And you might think whatever you're dealing with will overwhelm me, but I've had students with a lot of complicated stuff going on.
I’ve had students get pregnant. I’ve had students who are recent veterans and who are active in the National Guard. I’ve had students with emergency mental health needs. I’ve had students change pronouns three times in a semester. I’ve had students who can’t get out of bed. I've had students with pretty much every psychological, learning, and/or health diagnosis. I’ve had students who’ve had crises of conscience, identity, and profession. Sometimes all at once. And I have done my darndest to both support them through their time of need and still have them complete the semester. Although it wouldn’t be ethical for me to be your therapist, it is certainly ethical for me to help you get the support you need, which I will absolutely do. Don’t try to “superhero” your struggles—life is better when we do it together.