In the end
I began my master's program fresh out of undergrad when I was twenty-two. It was 2020; I was just about to embark on my professional career, we were at the peak of a global pandemic, and there seemed to be little information regarding my upcoming school year. Naturally, I took all these unknowns and decided to apply to Michigan State University. I was thrilled at the opportunity to grow as an educator and challenge myself with continued education. I knew that being a teacher was not for the faint at heart, and I needed more tools to provide the highest quality education to my students possible. I decided to place my concentrations in special education and what was once educational psychology but later changed to literacy. At the time of admission, I noted three main goals;
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Goals
- Short-Term Goal: Fulfill my dreams and become an elementary teacher in grades kindergarten through second grade.
- Long-Term Goal: With the knowledge gained from my master's work within child advocacy on a macro level, to ensure every child has a voice, even if it is just mine.
- Long-Term Goal: Become a college professor for teacher education students.
Reflection
Fast forward a year and a half, and in the end, maybe I haven't changed all that much. But, oddly, I find the stalwartness of my goals comforting. There was always a fear that I would misalign my life by making life-long decisions at twenty-two when I had barely lived a life, and in the end, both of my long-term goals remained stagnant. However, along my journey, I checked off my short-term goal when I landed my first professional job as a fourth-grade teacher, then as a second-grade teacher, and now as a kindergarten teacher. Although, I still want to pursue my long-term goals. I think there is an emphasis on the long-term, perhaps pursuing them in the latter half of my adult life. I believe this goal has remained consistent due to my love for students and aiding them in finding their way and reaching their fullest potential. I have had several educators impact me in ways they don't even know, and I would love nothing more to leave that same impact on one of my students rather they be five or twenty-five.
I did make a change in my second concentration; I made this change to better align with my current career as an elementary teacher. Teaching reading is my favorite thing in the world to do, so when I realized how complex teaching this skill could be, I knew I needed more, so I made a shift in my program. One day, I would still like to examine educational psychology once I feel more confident in teaching my curriculum.
I did make a change in my second concentration; I made this change to better align with my current career as an elementary teacher. Teaching reading is my favorite thing in the world to do, so when I realized how complex teaching this skill could be, I knew I needed more, so I made a shift in my program. One day, I would still like to examine educational psychology once I feel more confident in teaching my curriculum.