My Journey as a Life-long Learner has JUST Begun
by Andrea Schneider
As a firm believer in the saying that ALL students can learn, I also believe that we can learn something new every day, no matter how old we are or how much education we obtain. Being an educator I know that my education never stops. I will always be learning new ideas, strategies, technologies, curriculums, etc.
As I complete the Master of Arts in Education degree I can’t help but reflect on how much I have learned but also on how much more I would still love to learn. Initially I started the program because I knew there were credits I had to take to continue to be considered highly qualified but as I dove into the program a little deeper, I realized how much I truly did want my Masters degree. I have enjoyed every moment of this program; even the most stressful times were worth every second. Being a special education teacher, I thought I knew enough to get through as a good special educator. However, after completing this program I realize how much I have grown in the area of special education and how to best meet the needs of each of my students.
Upon completion of the program, I hope to use the information I have learned at this point to advance my success in the classroom, as a leader on the staff, and as a life-long learner by continuing to complete workshops and professional development offered through the district and around the state. In the classroom I hope to continue to use some of the resources provided to me through the courses I have taken. I feel like I learned so much new information that can better my teaching instruction and I can’t wait to apply these skills to help my students succeed. So often in the classroom there is a large variety of different types of learning styles and I aspire to reach each individuals style. By incorporating new technology and new strategies, I hope to be successful in this journey.
I am currently in my third year in my K-2 Special Education classroom. My first year was full of ups and downs with changing staff within my classroom and getting to know all of the current staff members. I felt like I was just floating along and not able to delve into any relationships with other educators or support staff. The past two years I have been so focused on completing my Masters degree that I have built personal relationships and gained a better understanding of the Kindergarten curriculum (as that is my starting point for reaching most of my students) but have still not felt confident enough to take on a leadership role. Now that I will not be so focused on completing school work, I can take opportunities to work closely with my colleagues to use them as resources as well as provide them with resources that I have obtained through furthering my education. I hope to present some of the special education information that I have to the whole staff in better educating them about inclusion and my goals for the students in my class when they are attending general education.
My final goal as a learner is to continue my education through workshops and professional development opportunities provided by my district, intermediate school districts, and state-wide opportunities. I firmly believe that my ability to grow and learn as an educator is unending. It is because of this belief that I will always continue to work towards learning as much as I can to improve my skills. By furthering my education I can adapt my skills to best support my students and colleagues.
“You’re the ones who feed us, wipe our tears, hold our hands, or hug us when we need it; you’re the ones who love us when sometimes it feels like no one else does.” -quote from a speech given by Dalton Sherman, a 5th grade student from Dallas, TX (found on YouTube).
This quote poses a challenge to me in my future as an educator. My current placement provides me with not only the challenge of educating my students with special needs but to also improve the overall success of my students as members of society. My school presents a whole new aspect of teaching. Our students come from very challenging home lives and because of this I have to remember to build relationships with my students as well as push them academically. I have to believe in myself and in them. My challenge for the future is to build confidence within my students so that they believe in themselves and know that I believe in them as well. It is these aspects of teaching that support me in believing that I can make a difference in the lives of every student.
