An Educator in the Making

Goal Reflection Essay 

   

As I review the documents I wrote in Fall of 2013 for admittance to Michigan State University’s Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program, I fondly recognize the young, but highly-aspiring teacher I set out to become.  When I look in the mirror, I still see her, though a few years wiser and more experienced. 

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In the beginning, my goals were broad, yet aligned to accomplish success in the future, both professionally and personally.  Although I mentioned the possibility of one day earning a doctorate degree and then instructing future educators at a post-secondary level, I was not entirely certain of where I wanted to go with my career in education.  With only two years of teaching experience under my belt, I was honestly still searching for my identity as an educator.  As a result of uncertainty but the desire to continue beyond the bachelor’s degree, I chose the MAED program. The MAED program allowed me to gain a deeper knowledge of the teaching position I was in (and still currently am), while also exploring another concentration that piqued my curiosity.

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Despite not knowing the exact job rationale for pursing a master’s degree, I did know that nothing is ever wasted on advancing education.  “It is an acquired artifact that no one can take away and its significance in life is certainly invaluable” (Eichhorn, Goals Statement, 2013). One thing was for sure, though, and still holds true: I applied to the MAED program wanting to improve my teaching skills and learning capacities.  I hoped to acquire a greater repertoire of strategies in order to develop into a more effective teacher for my students and to model for them the value and purpose of education. After all, most who choose to work in the world of education possess great power and passion in spreading the word of learning in the hope of “changing the world” one mind at a time.  I additionally noted the desire to gain abilities for utilization in a position of leadership.

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“I wish[ed] to inquire and learn” and that I did (Eichhorn, Goals Statement, 2013).  Through the special education domain, I built a stronger sense of intervention and positive behavior management for use in the classroom, leading to the safe, comfortable, and productive learning environment I strived to attain.  The content was immediately applicable to my career and thus, provided immeasurable growth of my goals.  The leadership component challenged me to extend my ideas beyond the four walls of my own isolated classroom.  I dug my hands into material that was entirely novel and became a reflective practitioner.  I learned to effectively evaluate myself, demonstrate a growth mindset, and understand how and why I instructed the way I did.  The outcome was greater confidence.  Consequently, I met my goal to advance my competence in such a way that others view me as a resource, a valuable member of their team, and a positive contributor in their community of teachers/learners.

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In the end, my intentions from application to program completion remained the same with just a tweak in how I plan to employ my credentials career-wise.  The most integral goal, as simple as it was, revolved around increased learning. However, in the MAED process I also discovered my true passion and was able to formulate a long-term goal of becoming a special education administrator.  Achieving that endeavor requires more learning and for that I could not be more excited.  The future still holds unknowns as even the most educated teacher is never a master of everything.  But, nevertheless I am three years (if not more) ahead of what I would have been without ambitions and the MAED program.  My growth in the first five years of teaching has surpassed my initial expectations of myself.

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