Overview of My Time in The MAET Program

Although I am not a teacher, I have spent lots of time helping encourage and motivate students at different schools through volunteer work. I have a unique background by being an athlete as well as having severe ADHD. The reason I go back to schools is to help others who are in the same boat as I once was and encourage them that they can do good in school if they put their mind to it. From a young age I never liked school and as I got older, I started to value knowledge in the ability to learn, and that is what has helped me throughout high school and college.

When I decided to get my masters degree, I wasn’t sure what to get it in because my undergrad degree was in advertising management, so I wanted to have a fallback option if advertising jobs were hard to get so that’s how I came up with education. My dream teaching job is to do eighth grade history if that’s the route that I choose. To this point in my education I am very unsure about the teaching route, but I’m glad that I’ve taken these courses to get a better insight of what it means to be a teacher. I think I am at a disadvantage because I have not taken any education courses prior to getting my masters. I am getting a certificate in sport, coaching and leadership, which has a big impact on me because of my involvement with sports and my knowledge of knowing sports and the ins and outs of how they work.

The first class that had the most influence on me was KIN 855 Psychological Bases of Coaching taught by Andy Driska.  Driska taught me the importance of motivational interviewing, as well as the good that positive reinforcement does for an individual. I remember interviewing one of my teammates and learning so much more about his personal life and struggles that he had battled with through the motivational interview. I think positive reinforcement is so crucial in this generation because so many people struggle with being told they are doing something wrong, as well as how negative this world has become. Having a positive side of things can really help push someone through a tough time. I personally used this during my last two seasons of playing basketball at Michigan State. I understood how important it was in a team atmosphere. During athletic sporting events, there is a lot of emotion and personalities that are shown. I found value by always following up a comment or critique with something positive so that the athletes wouldn’t focus on any negativity. Overall, this class was very beneficial for my athletic career with the ability to practice it and I look forward to it being used in my teaching career one day. I think the ability to develop relationships with people and help motivate others is very influential to one's life. The ability to be able to call someone out is important when it is done respectfully. The ability to give someone positive feedback, to not tear them down mentally is a key factor to building trust. 

The second course that really taught me many lessons was CEP 813 Electronic Assemant for Teaching and Learning. This course was super influential because it taught me many different ways I could teach lesson plans to be multi dimensional and have a very diverse background. Some of the coolest things we did were the sandbox teaching methods because we used a random generator that would create different methods of teaching by using different mediums and we would come up with lesson plans. The unique way of teaching will definitely have benefits for me because it prepared me for many obstacles that I might not have prepared for or understood. The ability to teach a class in person is way different than teaching online. I believe that students are more engaged in in-person classes because they have an actual connection with their professors and classmates. I gained a tremendous amount of respect for what my teachers had to go through, thinking back to the COVID-19 pandemic and having to switch everything in a course to online teaching. I really appreciate how understanding and how involved Candace was with the ability to teach the class. Overall, without taking this course, and grasping the information, and the techniques on the many different styles of teaching are going to help me if I go into the profession one day. I truly think that it gave me the knowledge of being able to learn how to use technology as well as be able to come up with unique lesson plans for teaching courses later on in life.

The third class that had a big impact on me was CEP 802 Developing Positive Attitudes Towards Learning.  it was also the third course that took me through my masters program at Michigan State over the past two years. This course was taught by Professor David Wong, who had a focus on motivational learning and motivation in education. One of things that stood out to me most about this class was I was struggling with motivation when it came to my academics in my last two semesters of my masters program. Professor Wong taught us ways we can stay motivated as well as fight peer pressure that may occur in our life. My project focused on fighting burnout/senioritis. Being a student athlete you are required to take classes year round with no breaks for five years at Michigan State. I have been enrolled in classes each semester while staying on campus to complete my degrees. I think that is one of the reasons I have struggled the most this year is pure burn out and the overall view that I have not left campus in my entire life but especially in the last five years at Michigan State. Overall, this course was very beneficial for me and taught me many ways on how to keep pushing and get through the difficult times of balancing a challenging athletic schedule and overcoming adversity

I took a total of 10 credits to earn my degree in the MAET program at Michigan State. Each course taught me many valuable and beneficial lessons that are going to one day help me in my teaching career. The courses were very difficult for me due to the fact that I got my undergrad in advertising management and had never taken an education course. Each course had its own unique values and information that I was taught, which helped me learn the ins and outs of teaching as well as interact with current teachers and hear their advice that they had for me. There is a massive shortage of teachers and I feel that teachers are very underappreciated. That was voiced to me by former professors as well as students that took the classes with me. I think the background knowledge that was provided to me through. My peers have helped me discover what exactly I want to do with my life and this degree gives me the opportunity to have a nice background option as well as gives me so many pointers that I can use in other fields.

I learned how to effectively create lesson plans that will have a lasting effect on students as well as the many ways to teach those who struggle with learning disabilities. I was born with ADD and ADHD and knew the firsthand struggles and the work it takes to remain focused in school as well as other activities. The main focus that I had when creating my projects was using the knowledge that I had as well as the techniques that I used on how I became a student. Growing up I was always bullied and struggled in school, which made me mentally check out due to my frustration around being so behind. I now have a better understanding because I am older and know that I can help others that are going through the same thing or that are in the same position as me. Overall, I think it is important to discuss these topics as well as create active plans for students that have disabilities to make sure that they feel safe in school as well as feel their voices are being heard. The bonds that teachers make with their students are very important and can be the difference between a good grade and a bad grade. I have always valued relationships with my teachers, and I think it is important to share that knowledge with others that are navigating their way in school. 

Overall, the MAET program has had a lot of influence on me in my learning. The variety of courses taught me different things that are going to help me out and whatever career I choose. Earning my masters in education has been very difficult for me due to my lack of background knowledge. I feel that I truly learned these past two semesters because of my desire and drive to take in as much as possible. I have truly grown since my first class in the education department.  In that course my eyes were open too many different teaching methods and techniques that I never knew existed. My experience with the MAET hasn’t been the best due to my struggle with lack of knowledge before coming into the program. I have struggled tremendously with assignments, as well as the meaning of certain methods of teaching. I feel like I have grown a lot since joining this program and I’ve taken in a lot of knowledge that will help me regardless of teaching or not. I believe that MAET program has taught me many things and ways to help my future kids and other family members learn. I really enjoyed how the program has shown me different methods of teaching the same lesson.  The ability to be multidimensional is crucial when it comes to teaching for the benefit of students who learn in different ways. With my background knowledge of learning, with a disability being able to be taught the same thing in different ways helps everything click. Teachers that spend time getting to know students and understand the best way that they learn help set the student up for success. I believe that building a relationship with students is such a key focal point for their success and desire to learn. I am grateful to have been a part of the MAET program and the opportunity to earn a Masters Degree from Michigan State University.