Goal Reflection

After graduating from Grand Valley State University in 2011, and taking a brief detour in Colorado, I accepted my first teaching position as an 8th Grade, self-contained, teacher in Phoenix, Arizona. At that point, I was still learning the art of teaching, and grad school hadn't yet crossed my mind. As I started to grow as an educator, and continued working in a title one school district in Avondale, Arizona, my passion for literacy began to surface. I worked primarily with English Language Learners and began to see the importance of literacy education. I started inquiring about grad schools while in Arizona, but it wasn't until I moved back to Michigan that I felt I was ready to start that journey. I applied to Michigan State University to pursue a master's degree in hopes of refining my teaching practice, specifically in literacy.

My first goal, and purpose for my master's degree, can be summed up in a quote by Beruti Kafele. He was a guest speaker at my school a few years back and said, "The most successful people around are those who "know they don't know" and take steps to learn as much as they can about their work." Goal number one: fine-tuning my teaching practice. With several years of teaching under my belt, I was familiar with my strengths and weaknesses as an educator. Entering the grad program at MSU, my hope was to acquire a new perspective in delivering literacy content to my students.

My second goal upon entering the master's program, was to explore the development and distribution of curriculum. Having worked only in low-performing, title one schools, I witnessed defeat in my students that came from a curriculum that was impossible to master. I created my own lessons and units that were tailored to individual student needs, which allowed growth and feelings of success. I sought a clearer understanding of curriculum in its entirety, and how to implement it in a way that would have a greater impact on my students.

Nearing the end of my master's degree journey, I am content with the work I've completed to reach my initial goals. However, I have amended my goal referring to the development and implementation of curriculum to include a virtual component. The global pandemic, which continues to challenge educators, has compelled me to be more creative in ways I deliver content to my students. I chose to enroll in two technology-based courses in hopes of learning instructional methods to better serve my students. I feel fortunate, in a way, to have gone through my master's program during a pandemic. I'm not sure I would have ventured down the path of technology had I not. Education is evolving seemingly, and I will continue to critique and refine my craft. For that reason, my goals aren't something that can be checked off a list. As long as I am a teacher of children, I will strive to be the best for those in front of me.