When you're finished changing, you're finished. -Benjamin Franklin
Embracing Change
Change is Good
I decided to pursue my master’s degree online because I know that life can be hectic and unpredictable. Life changes, and since I began the Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program at Michigan State University in 2013, I got married, moved twice, adopted a puppy, and bought a house. These are all very stressful changes and life events that would have been much more difficult had it not been for the flexibility of the MAED program.
Another reason I chose the online MAED program was because I wasn’t satisfied with the selection of schools that would have been within driving distance for me to take classes in a traditional setting. So, when I began the program, I knew that it offered the flexibility for me and my life to change. I didn’t, however, know how much the MAED program would change me. Unfortunately, often in education, we take classes, go to seminars, complete professional development, etc. only to throw out our notes and materials the second we leave the room. This was far from the case for me and the MAED program. One of my favorite things about the courses I’ve taken in this program is that they have encouraged me to make learning my own- I didn’t have to study and memorize theories- I learned and applied that learning to my own practice. In almost every course I took, I learned by doing, which made my learning so much more meaningful.
When I started the MAED program, it didn't take me long to realize that I had made the right choice in choosing Michigan State and that it was going to help me become a better educator, which invariably requires change. As human beings, we often fight and resist change because we fear the unknown. However, I knew that I had to be open to change if I were going to let this program have an impact on my practice. As a teacher, I have become more efficient, I understand my students better, and I’m better equipped to contribute to the professional community within my school. The reason I think change is so hard for myself and for many others is because it often means admitting that you’re not perfect; that you didn’t get it right the first time. It means humbling yourself, evaluating where you can be better, and taking the necessary steps to actually become better.
Impacts from the MAED Program
It is difficult for me to pinpoint specific courses that made an impact on my life and my career because I truly believe the program as a whole is what made a difference. One of the biggest impacts I found may sound simple, but the MAED program continually reminded me that teaching is a professional career. It was no one specific class that did this, but rather each individual class, and the program as a whole. When I spend all day every day with teenagers, it can be easy to forget that I am a professional who spent years training to be equipped to do my job. It can be easy to get immersed in my job and my students, and go days without speaking to another adult at school. It can even be easy to become isolated, even though I am surrounded by people all day. As many educators have attested, teaching is lonely. All of the courses in the MAED program have helped me remember to always be a professional; to always keep learning, reading, researching, and changing. They have reminded me on rough days that I am not the only person doing this, and that others have already found solutions to the same problems I’m having. On good days, they’ve reminded me that there is a whole community of teachers out there who are ecstatic about my gains and triumph in the classroom. Most importantly, they've reminded me that no matter what, I'm never alone and to never forget the resource of colleagues I have right outside my door.
Specific Course Impacts
At the beginning of my educational career at MSU, I was just entering my second year of teaching and I wanted to improve my classroom management, but this was hard for me to admit. It was a strong goal of mine, and at that point probably the most important. My biggest problem was that I struggled with how to relate to students; I struggled to find the balance between connecting with students while also keeping a professional distance. As a brand new teacher, I tended to err on the side of professionalism. In response to this need that I saw in my practice, I was excited to take the course “Educating Students with Challenging Behavior” (CEP 832). In turn, the biggest way the program, and this course specifically, changed the way I approach my job is through helping my classroom management. While working with an individual student who exhibited challenging behavior, I learned to see students as individual human beings, rather than as a huge group of teenagers. The student that I worked with showed extreme apathy, and I originally didn’t know how to deal with this behavior. I took it personally and assumed that the student didn’t like me or was purposely trying to misbehave in class. CEP 832 encouraged me to think of this student as a human being and to talk to him about his behavior, rather than make assumptions.
This helped me immensely when it came to establishing relationships with students and managing their behavior in my classroom. Before, when I taught, I always thought about the fact that I was standing up in front of a group of 30 people and I thought of them as an audience, which is part of what created that large professional distance I had from my students. Now, when I teach, I think about standing up in front of 30 individual people, and I try to teach as if I am just talking to each one directly. Not only does this make my lessons more relatable, it also helps me get to know each of my students better. Because my relationships with my students are better, my classroom management is better. Students trust and respect me more. In my first year of teaching, I often didn’t know what to do if a student misbehaved, and I was worried that they wouldn’t like me if I disciplined them. Now, after numerous course readings, research, and experience, I’ve learned that many students crave boundaries and discipline, especially if that is something they are not getting at home. Since I have adopted this approach, I have formed many more close bonds with students, and I have had many students thank me for pushing them and putting them in their place when needed.
Another course that made a significant impact on me was CEP 820: Teaching Students Online. It was in this course that I first truly learned how to create and facilitate an online course. I chose the MAED program not only because of the flexibility of completing my degree online, but also because the possibility of teaching online has always been in the back of my mind, as it still is today. As I look toward the future of education, and see more and more high school students complete courses online, I want to learn more. Not only did this course help me do that, but the entire program was immensely beneficial, as I have been able to experience examples of online courses from the perspective of a student. In CEP 820, I developed my first online course through Schoology. This process was much more detailed and difficult than I had imagined. If it weren’t for this experience as a student, I would have been in for a very rude awakening if I ever do teach courses online. What I really liked about creating this course was that I used a unit that I already teach in my classroom. This made it really easy to see what changes needed to be made for an online course, and where students were likely to get confused when only getting information online.
CEP 820 was also very influential to me because it help me to influence the future of my district. After this experience, I brought my knowledge back to my district’s Technology Action Committee (TAC), and we were able to examine these technologies together as a team. This upcoming school year, all of our teachers will be using Schoology instead of our old teacher websites. The fact that I was able to help inspire this decision encourages me to continue to grow, learn, and contribute professionally.
The final course in my MAED coursework, the Capstone Seminar (ED 870) was also very beneficial in my learning and in changing my practice. I know that as an educator, it is important to be self-reflective, but I often forget to do this when I get caught up in the business of day to day life, just as I forget to use my colleagues as resources. This course reminded me how important it is to reflect not only on my own learning, but on the activity in my classroom on a daily basis. I created an online portfolio that was the culmination of all the work I have done at Michigan State. This was a daunting task, as I realized even more as I started to sift back through my past coursework. If I hadn’t done this, I wouldn’t have fully realized how much I have accomplished in my time at Michigan State. I'm grateful for this opportunity to self-reflect and to examine where I'm going in the future. As with many of my other courses, ED 870 encouraged me to personalize my learning experience and to form my portfolio in a way that makes sense for me and my purposes. The course also encouraged me to not only reflect back on what I have accomplished since I started the program, but to look toward the future and to examine my goals now that I am closing this chapter in my educational career.
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Overall Reflection
When looking back at everything that I've learned and done in the MAED program, I realize that I have been forced to take a step back from my students and to try to look at my classroom from a different perspective. More than ever, I have used research and best practices to examine my teaching to improve daily life in my classroom. I have been encouraged to not become complacent, and to push to become better each year. I’ve also found, since beginning my studies, that I have more to bring to the table in professional settings. There have been numerous times when I’ve been able to bring new ideas and practices to my colleagues because of things I’ve learned in my MAED courses, and my studies and resources have given me the confidence to do so. There are also numerous changes that I have made in my classroom as a result of the courses I’ve taken that I would not have made otherwise. I’ve changed the way I assign and assess student essays. I’ve incorporated blogs to encourage various forms and topics of student writing. I’ve created entirely new units and courses of study. I’ve incorporated more non-fiction and critical reading into my curriculum. I’ve added fulfilling and well-rounded projects. I’ve switched my course website to the more interactive Schoology. I’ve incorporated new strategies for vocabulary instruction. The list goes on… the point is, because of this program, I’ve learned, reflected, and changed my teaching practice for the better.