GOAL. The athlete in me thinks of scoring a basket or racing down the field to sneak one past the goalie. The teacher in me thinks of small, attainable tasks that ultimately lead to a bigger purpose. Goals are something those of us in education frequently have at the forefront of our minds. What are my goals for this lesson? What are my goals for this student’s growth? What are my goals for my own professional and career development?

 

When I first entered the Master of Arts in Education program at Michigan State University, my (eventual) professional goals for myself included earning a doctoral degree, teaching in a teacher-preparation program at a university or college, and becoming involved in research and curriculum development. My goals as a math teacher were to help my students learn to think for themselves and persevere through problems. Throughout the course of the last two years, as I have grown as both a teacher and a learner, these goals have evolved, as well. My original goals have been fine-tuned and tweaked a bit, thanks to the lessons I’ve learned throughout this program.

 

First, I still plan to earn a doctorate degree and become involved in research, but I have found that I am more interested and passionate about educational technology than curriculum development. It is absolutely incredible to me the students we can reach and the change we can spark through technology! I don’t believe it’s the end all, be all, and I don’t think it’s some magical cure for so many problems in education in our country, but it is making a positive difference for so many students. I want to be a part of this change! I came back to the classroom when I was eight months into this program, but it was a different kind of classroom… a virtual one. It was throughout this past year that my goals as a teacher evolved the most. Now, I am even more passionate about teaching my students to persevere through problems and think for themselves because I have seen an incredible need for this in our high schoolers. I was able to develop close relationships with many of my students because all of our interactions were on individual levels. I came to know their stories, struggles, and strengths, and yet also quickly recognized that they have absolutely no clue how to be a good online learner, a skill that I feel is critical for success in today’s society.  I want to be involved in helping them become not just proficient math students, but also good virtual students. The tools I have discovered, the resources I’ve encountered, and the creations I’ve made throughout this program will have a direct impact on me attaining this goal. I want to teach them to be critical readers and to able to follow written directions carefully so they can get as much out of their class as possible.