Educator's Evolution: Milestones and Musings from Graduate School
When I was in my second year of teaching, I decided to reignite my education by working on a master’s degree. I knew without hesitation that I wanted to be back at Michigan State and apply for the Master of Arts in Education graduate program. I had loved my time as a student while earning my undergraduate degree, and I knew I would be right at home in my new graduate classes. I also felt confident in my choice of concentration area: Literacy Education. As an English Language Arts teacher, I was eager to further my expertise and update my reservoir of knowledge. The time since I began my classes has gone by so quickly. I am now ending my third year of being a 7th-grade teacher, and I have learned so much in the process.
Looking back at my goals from when I started my MAED, I specifically wanted to expand my knowledge on working with diverse learners and better understanding efficient practices and accommodations. I also had hopes of learning more about multilingual students as well as best practices for working with students who struggle to find motivation in the classroom. I tailored my courseload to meet these goals, and because of this, my goals have remained constant throughout my time in the program. This has made me feel very focused and centered, as I have continued to keep steady and relevant aspirations.
I feel I have made significant strides towards achieving my goals. To start, I took a course, TE 845, called Language Diversity and Literacy Instruction and Assessment. This course was centered around multilingual students and English Language Learners. It helped me tremendously in broadening my knowledge in this area, as before the class, I had never taken a course centered around this subject. As a teacher with multilingual students, I hold this knowledge near and dear to my heart. It was also inspiring to apply what I learned in my graduate class to my 7th-grade classroom. Knowing I was using my new-found learning to help my students made all of my hard work feel absolutely worth it.
I also saw progress with my goals when I was in a course dedicated to understanding students and their learning motivations: CEP 802 (Developing Positive Attitudes Toward Learning). This class was helpful in that it incorporated my current students as well as strategies for encouraging and motivating said students. It was immensely valuable to develop genuine practices that I could apply to my teaching in real-time. Similarly to my above goal, I was so happy to have a direct connection between my goal, the course, and my classroom.
Overall, because of this progress, I have not seen major changes in my goals. Rather, I have been steadily gaining momentum toward my accomplishments. The process of achieving what I set my sights on over a year has been infinitely rewarding and I look forward to always expanding my knowledge.