I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. I used to daydream in elementary school about sitting behind the teacher’s desk and writing lessons on the chalkboard. I would think about all of the amazing activities I would do in my classroom and of how much my students would love me. As I progressed through school, I developed a love of the Spanish language. I took Spanish classes in middle school, high school, and college. Last year I accepted a position as an elementary Spanish teacher in the Mason Public Schools. I teach third through fifth grade and work in three different elementary schools. It’s my dream job!
I am a student in the Master of Arts in Education Program (MAED) at Michigan State University (MSU). My minor is Leadership and Literacy. Over the course of the program, my goals have not changed. They have remained the same. I chose to study leadership because I wanted to foster and hone my skills as a leader. I wanted to learn how to be a more effective leader and strategies to motivate and engage those who follow. I also chose to focus on literacy because literacy skills are important when learning a second language. I believe the global pandemic has negatively impacted student’s literacy skills and I want to learn tools to help students improve their English language skills while learning Spanish. I have a second grade son that is a struggling reader and I have used strategies that I have learned in my MAED classes to help him improve his reading and writing skills. It’s been amazing to watch his self confidence soar as he uses new techniques that help him become a more fluent reader.
I have accomplished the learning goals that I set for myself before beginning this program. My goals revolved around leadership and literacy. I have learned so much about leadership and how to be an effective leader. I have also learned many strategies to help struggling readers by reading practice based research. I also had the opportunity to conduct my own fieldwork and plan lessons to teach an English Language Learner (ELL). I wouldn't have been able to do this effectively without the training from my graduate classes. I have learned so much and I would like to continue learning. I am more knowledgeable about leadership and literacy than I was when I started this program, but they are evolving topics and there is always more to learn.
This is my last semester at MSU but I doubt it will be my last class. I love learning and am a lifelong learner. I’m excited for what is next! I grew up in a small town, Up North, where there is only a local community college. I moved to Lansing for college over 20 years ago and I feel fortunate to live in a city where there are so many options and opportunities. I’m exploring the idea of applying to a Ph.D program or expanding my horizons and trying something new like a computer software program. I have also considered teaching night classes in my spare time for a college like Lansing Community College (LCC) . This might be my last semester in the MAED program but it isn’t the end of my learning journey.