Goal Statement Reflection 2011
by Andrea Schneider
“As an educator, I feel that I am never done learning. I can always grow from more education and experiences.” This is my opening to my professional goal statement that I wrote in April 2009 when I was applying for the Master of Arts in Education program. Now that I am in the final semester of the program, I feel like I have grown in areas that I had aspired to grow in and have become a more confident teacher both in the classroom as well as among my colleagues in professional settings.
Throughout the program I studied courses in the area of Special Education and Literacy. Special education is my passion. It is an area in which I feel like I can never have enough information to put towards my career. I had hoped to improve and extend the skills that I felt I had already possessed. In reflecting back, I can say that I truly have extended my education in this area. I thought that the courses might be a bit too much of a review at the start of the course but quickly found that there were so many skills and strategies that were new to me. The basics that I learned throughout my undergraduate program were only a small start to the strategies available to me as a special educator. I have been able to take this new information and apply to my classroom. I found that I was able to adjust my classroom management techniques and incorporate research based strategies with some of my students with severe behaviors because of discussions had in class and requirements in reflecting on how these new skills might work in a classroom.
My basis behind focusing on Literacy throughout my graduate program was to improve my own confidence in this area. Literacy is an extremely important component to all other areas of learning. By choosing to focus on my ability to teach Literacy I have found that I am more confident while working with students on these skills. In the past, I had such a worry that I was not going to be successful in seeing literacy progress to the extent that I was hoping with my students with cognitive impairments. After having completed the literacy courses I have expanded my strategies in the area of reading. These courses have provided me specific ideas that I am currently using in the classroom. Previously I felt like I was completing the same practice skills with my students on a weekly basis. I felt the subject getting monotonous and I did not want my students to feel this same way. After completing courses that taught me different strategies of instruction I know I am able to best educate my students and have already observed some positive changes in my students’ success.
In reflecting back over the courses I took to get to this point, I find that I have grown as an educator. I know that I will always have more to learn throughout my career and I am excited to know that each course I take at MSU will improve my confidence and skills as a life-long learner. By completing the online program I have also become a more self-motivating and determined person. I have had to adhere to strict schedules and organization in order to make sure I completed all assignments and discussions required of the program. I am confident in the furthering of my education knowing that not only am I advancing my own skills but will also be able to positively affect my students and paraeducators in the classroom.
