Future Goals

The Ever-Evolving Educator: My Learning Goals

Every teacher understands the importance of learning. We know we constantly evolve and grow. We expand our mindsets and constantly take in knowledge. However, we often apply all of this to the children and teens we work with. A mistake I do not wish to make would be not applying these standards to my own life. Learning and making goals will not cease for me. As an educator, and as my own person, I want to continue working on who I am so I can always put my best foot forward. The following goals are areas I have set for myself to continue learning and understanding: staying current with educational trends, digital literacy, and maintaining diverse perspectives and inclusive practices. 

As an educator who teaches literacy, I understand how this can fall into the dangerous realm of being monotonous and outdated. Times will continue to change, and I want to ensure that I keep up with new strategies, texts, and practices. To do this, I will keep up with the National Council of Teachers of English. This was a website and organization my undergraduate professors at Michigan State’s College of Education familiarized me with. It is full of up-to-date resources, events, and research and that I can bring into the way I teach. Having a steady resource like the NCTE is a vital way to stay current and educated.  This remains important to me because literacy goes so far beyond understanding grammar, spelling, and comprehension questions. To keep students engaged and interested, I must bring them content and lessons that resonate and feel authentic

Another way I want to continue learning is by expanding my knowledge of digital literacy and helping my students better understand technology and how to use it efficiently and productively.  There are many aspects of English Language Arts classes that do not require the aid of technology. However, I don’t want to underestimate the extent of which it can help students master skills and increase what they know. For instance, introducing students to tools like Learning Ally is a way to allow diverse reading needs to be met online. As a teacher, I will make use of sites such as Common Sense Education in order to provide support and knowledge when it comes to online media and learning.

There are few things more important to me than being a person and educator who makes a safe and comfortable space for all of my students. This includes my duty to understand the different perspectives in my classroom and teaching practices that include all of my students. While going forward with this lasting endeavor, I will continue finding literature like Linda Christensen’s Teaching for Joy and Justice.  This text is a great example of how to truly see the lives of your students while bringing in practices that acknowledge social justice issues. Alongside reading similar texts, I will continue attending professional development through Lake Orion Community Schools which often keeps with this focus of extending the way we see and interact with students.

I am eager to continue evolving and becoming a better version of myself. I feel confident in myself, especially as an educator, and I know I can uphold my values of continuing to learn so that I can always offer my students what they need to become upstanding members of our society. Whether it be through small or large measures, I look forward to seeing the progress I make on my goals of staying current with educational trends, utilizing and understanding digital literacy, and celebrating diverse perspectives while using inclusive practices.