Goals and Reflections

Looking back at what I have accomplished and learned, it is rather amazing. 

I have finally finished my Master's Degree in less than 5 years.  That was a priority goal I had set for myself.   I have made many sacrifices while completing this degree.  Completion is very rewarding and humbling.  I feel very proud of myself and I can't wait to put everything I learned into practice.  My degree has made me a better person, teacher, wife and parent.  Patience, time mangement and how to prioritize my life to achieve the maximum experience is one way I have grown.  The patience I have learned has generated from practicing the wealth of knowledge I have collected while attending school.  Allowing myself to be patient in the classroom amongst all the different behaviors and personalities, has in return allowed me to be more patient at home.  Some things need to wait, while other tasks need to be completed very promptly.  Working in groups with my colleagues has helped me a great deal because I have to be accomodating and patient with all the different learning styles.  Time management fits hand in hand with patience, for example papers have to be written by a deadline and dusting my house can wait, because it will always be there tomorrow.  I always take more than one class at a time and juggling two classes can sometimes be tricky and prioritizing assignments.  My classroom time is limited and I want to try everything I have learned and I have to decide what is more important or what to try first.   I now base my lessons on what I think the kids will like best and not what I like best.  I generally let the children choose between a couple of activities.   I have to make time for my family, but I also have to write that term paper or grade the kids projects from school.  I have learned to prioritize my life at home and school in order to achieve optimum success.  When people enter college they want to get out as fast as possible to get into the work force.  College is so much more than that it can shape you into an entirely different person than you entered as.  I find this especially true with Graduate school because now I am a mom, wife, teacher and student.  My first experience with college I was student. 

The goals I had originally set for myself, have completely got tossed.  I had set artificial and unreachable goals.  I think the goals I had set for myself when I started this adventure just skimmed the future.  Goals needs to show character and academic growth.  I realize now the act of going to college and the courses together change a person more than one class ever could.  I have learned to work with the different teaching styles of professors.   School is such a growing opportunity ethically and academically.

I have learned a myriad of techniques, skills and practices that I can put into a classroom. 
Any child will be an active participant in my classroom and achieve maximum potential, because now I have the skills to help all children.   I know that all students learn differently and if I am going to be a great teacher I need to make them all succeed.  Will some students succeed easier than other, Yes.  Will some students need me to hold their hand all the way throught to completion, YES!  Is that my job, ABSOLUTELY! A concentration area of Special Education is a title, but it is so much more than that.  It now means I will be able to help more children and touch their lives.  With the mainstreaming of students in regular classrooms, I now have the tools and techniques to help all children.  It has given me a new perspective on how kids learn.  I believe deep down all kids want to learn and succeed it just matters if someone has ever given them the time to spread their wings.  Children are all precious gifts and need to molded and nurtured to grow and be productive adults in society.  I can help do that.

My goals at the beginning of this adventure were superficial and now I realize I have accomplished even better goals.  The goals I have accomplished are growing as a person, becoming more patient and equipping myself with the tools to tackle any classroom.  All of these are extremely important to a well rounded and dedicated student.  My life's work is education!

 

Angie