Teaching is a Juggling Act
A Synthesis of my Master's in Education Program By Courtney Foley
Continuing Education:
Like many teachers, my master’s program began as a way for me to keep my hard earned teaching certificate. As I neared the date for renewal I researched many different programs and chose one that fit my current employment situation, my specific learning style, and my educational interests. Once admitted, the online Master’s of Education Program through Michigan State University proved more than just a way to maintain my certification. It became a springboard that threw me into the ball pit of education. I am continually picking up more and more balls to juggle. One ball is kindergarten teacher. Others include technology connoisseur, professional development presentor, mathematics theorist, janitor, scientist, nurse…and the list goes on. The supply of balls is endless, but I’m not juggling all by myself. I can pick up as many balls as I need to because I’m surrounded by people who can help me juggle. My family, peers, colleagues, students, parents, instructors, mentors, and even administrators are all there to toss the balls back and forth. It’s an intricate game that requires intense concentration and a continuing desire to pick up more balls. My master’s degree is proof that I’m able to juggle the many tasks required of an educator as well as understand the need to keep learning more.
Each of the courses included in my online program played an important role in improving my understanding of education. However, one in particular stands out as the foundation. My first online course, TE 891, focused on educational inquiry. The lessons and activities helped me to specify what constitutes valid research, how to analyze research, and which sources of research are reliable. In doing this, I found a way to find answers to my own questions about education. One question that I had was about kindergarten readiness. As a kindergarten teacher, I want to know all I can about the data on students entering kindergarten. I want to be sure that I am screening students in a way that is both reliable and developmentally appropriate. In addition, I’d also like to know the risks and benefits of delaying entrance to kindergarten so that I can share these with parents. This course helped me to develop a research project in which I could begin to find answers to these questions. I was able to discover resources that provided information about kindergarten entrance age, how entrance ages have changed, how readiness is determined, and other information regarding kindergarten readiness. Then, I conducted a survey of kindergarten teachers throughout the state of Michigan to determine what readiness meant to kindergarten teachers. The results of this research project helped to develop the process by which I screen students for kindergarten. It also served as a foundation for what constitutes valid educational research. In each successive course, I have used and applied the knowledge obtained from this course as I gathered research about various topics and analyzed it for a variety of different reasons. I will continue to use this knowledge in the future as I strive to learn more about kindergarten readiness, and the field of education in general.
Special Education:
As my program continued, I was able to focus on some of my more specific educational interests. One of the aspects of MSU’s online program that attracted me was the special education concentration area. This focus was of special interest to me as I had experienced frustration in teaching students with special needs in the past. This frustration, caused by lack of knowledge and resources, could be overcome with the courses offered through the online Master’s of Education Program’s special education concentration area.
While all the courses in this focus area offer much in the way of knowledge specific to teaching students with special needs, the two that stand out to me are Classroom Management and Instruction in the Inclusive Classroom. As a general education teacher, one of my goals for my master’s program was to become more knowledgeable about students with special needs and how I could best serve them in my general education classroom. These two classes helped me to achieve this goal. Through them I learned specific strategies that I could implement to assist all the students within my classroom including those with special needs.
CEP 841 entitled Classroom management in the inclusive classroom offered me the opportunity to really reflect on my own classroom management style and how this style serves to motivate students, encourage them to learn, and modify their undesirable behaviors. One assignment in particular, showcased on my coursework page, reflects the kind of synthesis the course allowed for with regards to classroom management. The critique of rewards helped me to identify the proper use of rewards within the classroom and how I could use them to help students attain the challenging, yet attainable goals we set together. After researching a variety of different sources, I gained much information on both the possible positive and negative effects of rewards in the classroom. I concluded that with the proper guidelines and support, rewards could, indeed, play an important role in a student’s educational experience. This conclusion helped me to implement whole class behavior goals and rewards. In addition, I know that I can help individual students set specific goals to create more desirable classroom behavior. I also know that rewards should be relevant to students' interests and needs and can rarely be found in the cardboard treasure chests for sale in teacher stores.
Another course that assisted me in having a positive influence on the educational experience of my students was instruction in the inclusive classroom, CEP 842. Like the classroom management course above, this course served to identify teaching strategies and policies put in place to help me meet the specific needs of all my students. One aspect of the course that I thought most beneficial and necessary to achieve this goal was Universally Designed Lesson Planning. Using this planning technique involves several steps, each of which allows for the special learning needs of all students to be considered. Specifically, a general education teacher identifies the particular learning goals of a given unit of study. Then, the teacher collaborates with special education teachers to identify anticipated areas of difficulty and ways to overcome the difficulty. In this way, students learning needs are being met before a disability can impair a student’s learning. There were also many other strategies that were discovered throughout the duration of the course including assistive technology options and various co-teaching strategies.
These two courses identified ways that I could alter my classroom practices to meet the needs of all my students. By researching, discussing, implementing, and reflecting on many different strategies and techniques, I was able to learn how to improve both the learning environment of my classroom and how I planned instruction to meet student needs. As a teacher in a general education classroom in a private school, I appreciated the fact that the topics discussed and strategies learned are applicable to all students regardless of ability. Both courses helped to fine tune my teaching skills to better serve my students.
Math and Science Education:
My other concentration area helped me to further my understanding of the topics in which I focused my undergraduate study. My undergraduate degree, earned from Adrian College, is a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, Mathematics, and Science. I have used the knowledge obtained through this degree to help students learn about math and science in the classroom. However, I wanted to refocus my attention on these topics during my master’s program, in order to fully develop the teaching and learning strategies already in place. The courses in this concentration area helped me to define both topics and how to identify and improve student learning.
TE 861B entitled Inquiry and the Nature of Science was the first course that I took within this concentration area. The lessons, readings, and activities presented in this course helped me to define both science and inquiry. Throughout the course I worked to develop a science teaching philosophy that allowed for students to be engaged in the inquiry process and how to balance it with science content. Understanding these two major science ideas changed the way I approached science teaching from requiring students to learn and memorize content to a more project based approach where students make scientific discoveries on their own and continue to question and develop their own answers. In this way, students are able to be engaged in the inquiry process in order to further their understanding of various topics.
Another course which helped me to make the move to more inquiry based instruction in my classroom was TE 861A, Teaching Science for Understanding. In this course I was able to focus my attention on the definition of understanding and what science understanding looks like. I put much effort into reflecting upon my own science learning and understanding to develop methods to identify understanding in my students. Observing the science teaching of others and reflecting upon my own gave ample opportunity to critique lesson objectives, activity choices, questioning strategies, and assessment techniques. After reflecting upon each of these concepts, I was able to better create science lessons to help my students meet state standards and develop a more thorough understanding of science topics. Thus, like the inquiry course discussed early, the theories and ideas discussed during this course helped me to change my approach to teaching science. The concepts presented helped me to identify the need to engage students in developing their own definitions and understanding of scientific content and offering them opportunities to test these definitions out in a controlled setting. In doing so, I can help students deepen their scientific knowledge which in turn furthers their scientific understanding.
In addition to these courses on science, I was also able to learn about mathematics teaching through TE 855, Teaching School Mathematics. One of the most influential ideas that I took from this course was that mathematical concepts do not have to be taught through rote memorization or drills. It is more important that students be able to reason through a problem than to have an equation memorized to plug numbers into. The focus on mathematics education should be on the problem solving process, not necessarily on the solution. This shift away from drill allows for a deeper understanding to take place for students. They are able to use more problem solving strategies and fewer memorization tools. The result is that students are better able to apply mathematical knowledge to unique situations. Since this is truly a definition of understanding, it is a step in the right direction for my mathematical instruction. This change in focus also allows for students to become the expert. It is no longer my role to confirm the "rightness" of student answers. It is the students role to present, defend, and question strategies and solutions. Once everyone can agree on a strategy and solution, it becomes part of our classroom knowledge base that we can just know and not have to prove any longer. In this way, students can continually further their mathematical understanding by using previous strategies in new and different ways.
The mathematics and science teaching concentration area has aided me in developing a teaching philosophy and a variety of strategies that focus on students' understanding of the topics of mathematics and science. Through the lessons and activities I plan, I strive to assist students in achieving a deeper understanding of the scientific or mathematical concepts addressed in the school curriculum. In focusing my attention on understanding rather than memorization, I again am encouraging students to become life long learners. I expect students to be continually building upon the classroom knowledge base, not simply memorizing answers to pass a test. In addition, the philosophies require students to continually work together to further their understanding. In order to learn more science and math, they have to toss their ideas and solutions back and forth.
Don’t Drop the Ball
Like my students, I keep tossing the balls. The learning that occurred during this master’s program was not simply a means to an end. It was a continuation of my education. Once it is complete, I will not be tossing the balls in the air to celebrate. I’ll be reaching for more. At the culmination of my Masters in Education Program, I will be searching for other ways to better myself as a professional. One of the first ways I did this was through the National Kindergarten Conference in the summer of 2011. I attended this conference in order to gain more age specific strategies and teaching methods to better serve the young students in my classroom. I was so inspired by the keynote speaker, Dr. Jean Feldman, that I traveled to hear her speak again in the summer of 2012. The goal of attending each of these conferences was to develop an awareness of developmentally appropriate teaching and learning practices. I'll use the information and strategies gained from these conferences as a springboard for my own education. After the latest conference, I've evaluated all of my teaching practices in hopes of using more developmentally appropriate strategies for student engagement and classroom management. In the future, I will continue to learn about early childhood education and how I can best meet the needs of the young students in my classroom.
In addition to this goal, I’ve set others for myself with regards to furthering my education. First, I’d like to further my understanding of differentiated instruction. The special education concentration area piqued my interest in the topic and showed me the necessity of understanding the special needs of my students and be able to utilize a variety of resources to meet those needs. Another topic that can help me do this is technology. This vast, quickly growing area of education is not something that I have access to in my current position. However, that is no excuse for me to fail to acknowledge its existence. It’s important that I understand both the purpose for the technology as well as how to appropriately use it within the classroom. In this way, when it does become available, I will know how to use it.
The plan is clear: I will keep learning. The online Masters in Education Program through Michigan State has shown me that my learning as an educator can not stop. I must continually strive to research new educational theories, best practices, innovative technology, and teaching strategies in order to continue to meet the diverse and ever-changing needs of the students in my classroom. There are always areas in which I can improve as an educator. There will always be new and interesting information being presented in various formats. As an educator I must set an example of life long learning for my students. I know that when I stop tossing the balls, it’s time to get out of the act.
Like many teachers, my master’s program began as a way for me to keep my hard earned teaching certificate. As I neared the date for renewal I researched many different programs and chose one that fit my current employment situation, my specific learning style, and my educational interests. Once admitted, the online Master’s of Education Program through Michigan State University proved more than just a way to maintain my certification. It became a springboard that threw me into the ball pit of education. I am continually picking up more and more balls to juggle. One ball is kindergarten teacher. Others include technology connoisseur, professional development presentor, mathematics theorist, janitor, scientist, nurse…and the list goes on. The supply of balls is endless, but I’m not juggling all by myself. I can pick up as many balls as I need to because I’m surrounded by people who can help me juggle. My family, peers, colleagues, students, parents, instructors, mentors, and even administrators are all there to toss the balls back and forth. It’s an intricate game that requires intense concentration and a continuing desire to pick up more balls. My master’s degree is proof that I’m able to juggle the many tasks required of an educator as well as understand the need to keep learning more.
Each of the courses included in my online program played an important role in improving my understanding of education. However, one in particular stands out as the foundation. My first online course, TE 891, focused on educational inquiry. The lessons and activities helped me to specify what constitutes valid research, how to analyze research, and which sources of research are reliable. In doing this, I found a way to find answers to my own questions about education. One question that I had was about kindergarten readiness. As a kindergarten teacher, I want to know all I can about the data on students entering kindergarten. I want to be sure that I am screening students in a way that is both reliable and developmentally appropriate. In addition, I’d also like to know the risks and benefits of delaying entrance to kindergarten so that I can share these with parents. This course helped me to develop a research project in which I could begin to find answers to these questions. I was able to discover resources that provided information about kindergarten entrance age, how entrance ages have changed, how readiness is determined, and other information regarding kindergarten readiness. Then, I conducted a survey of kindergarten teachers throughout the state of Michigan to determine what readiness meant to kindergarten teachers. The results of this research project helped to develop the process by which I screen students for kindergarten. It also served as a foundation for what constitutes valid educational research. In each successive course, I have used and applied the knowledge obtained from this course as I gathered research about various topics and analyzed it for a variety of different reasons. I will continue to use this knowledge in the future as I strive to learn more about kindergarten readiness, and the field of education in general.
Special Education:
As my program continued, I was able to focus on some of my more specific educational interests. One of the aspects of MSU’s online program that attracted me was the special education concentration area. This focus was of special interest to me as I had experienced frustration in teaching students with special needs in the past. This frustration, caused by lack of knowledge and resources, could be overcome with the courses offered through the online Master’s of Education Program’s special education concentration area.
While all the courses in this focus area offer much in the way of knowledge specific to teaching students with special needs, the two that stand out to me are Classroom Management and Instruction in the Inclusive Classroom. As a general education teacher, one of my goals for my master’s program was to become more knowledgeable about students with special needs and how I could best serve them in my general education classroom. These two classes helped me to achieve this goal. Through them I learned specific strategies that I could implement to assist all the students within my classroom including those with special needs.
CEP 841 entitled Classroom management in the inclusive classroom offered me the opportunity to really reflect on my own classroom management style and how this style serves to motivate students, encourage them to learn, and modify their undesirable behaviors. One assignment in particular, showcased on my coursework page, reflects the kind of synthesis the course allowed for with regards to classroom management. The critique of rewards helped me to identify the proper use of rewards within the classroom and how I could use them to help students attain the challenging, yet attainable goals we set together. After researching a variety of different sources, I gained much information on both the possible positive and negative effects of rewards in the classroom. I concluded that with the proper guidelines and support, rewards could, indeed, play an important role in a student’s educational experience. This conclusion helped me to implement whole class behavior goals and rewards. In addition, I know that I can help individual students set specific goals to create more desirable classroom behavior. I also know that rewards should be relevant to students' interests and needs and can rarely be found in the cardboard treasure chests for sale in teacher stores.
Another course that assisted me in having a positive influence on the educational experience of my students was instruction in the inclusive classroom, CEP 842. Like the classroom management course above, this course served to identify teaching strategies and policies put in place to help me meet the specific needs of all my students. One aspect of the course that I thought most beneficial and necessary to achieve this goal was Universally Designed Lesson Planning. Using this planning technique involves several steps, each of which allows for the special learning needs of all students to be considered. Specifically, a general education teacher identifies the particular learning goals of a given unit of study. Then, the teacher collaborates with special education teachers to identify anticipated areas of difficulty and ways to overcome the difficulty. In this way, students learning needs are being met before a disability can impair a student’s learning. There were also many other strategies that were discovered throughout the duration of the course including assistive technology options and various co-teaching strategies.
These two courses identified ways that I could alter my classroom practices to meet the needs of all my students. By researching, discussing, implementing, and reflecting on many different strategies and techniques, I was able to learn how to improve both the learning environment of my classroom and how I planned instruction to meet student needs. As a teacher in a general education classroom in a private school, I appreciated the fact that the topics discussed and strategies learned are applicable to all students regardless of ability. Both courses helped to fine tune my teaching skills to better serve my students.
Math and Science Education:
My other concentration area helped me to further my understanding of the topics in which I focused my undergraduate study. My undergraduate degree, earned from Adrian College, is a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, Mathematics, and Science. I have used the knowledge obtained through this degree to help students learn about math and science in the classroom. However, I wanted to refocus my attention on these topics during my master’s program, in order to fully develop the teaching and learning strategies already in place. The courses in this concentration area helped me to define both topics and how to identify and improve student learning.
TE 861B entitled Inquiry and the Nature of Science was the first course that I took within this concentration area. The lessons, readings, and activities presented in this course helped me to define both science and inquiry. Throughout the course I worked to develop a science teaching philosophy that allowed for students to be engaged in the inquiry process and how to balance it with science content. Understanding these two major science ideas changed the way I approached science teaching from requiring students to learn and memorize content to a more project based approach where students make scientific discoveries on their own and continue to question and develop their own answers. In this way, students are able to be engaged in the inquiry process in order to further their understanding of various topics.
Another course which helped me to make the move to more inquiry based instruction in my classroom was TE 861A, Teaching Science for Understanding. In this course I was able to focus my attention on the definition of understanding and what science understanding looks like. I put much effort into reflecting upon my own science learning and understanding to develop methods to identify understanding in my students. Observing the science teaching of others and reflecting upon my own gave ample opportunity to critique lesson objectives, activity choices, questioning strategies, and assessment techniques. After reflecting upon each of these concepts, I was able to better create science lessons to help my students meet state standards and develop a more thorough understanding of science topics. Thus, like the inquiry course discussed early, the theories and ideas discussed during this course helped me to change my approach to teaching science. The concepts presented helped me to identify the need to engage students in developing their own definitions and understanding of scientific content and offering them opportunities to test these definitions out in a controlled setting. In doing so, I can help students deepen their scientific knowledge which in turn furthers their scientific understanding.
In addition to these courses on science, I was also able to learn about mathematics teaching through TE 855, Teaching School Mathematics. One of the most influential ideas that I took from this course was that mathematical concepts do not have to be taught through rote memorization or drills. It is more important that students be able to reason through a problem than to have an equation memorized to plug numbers into. The focus on mathematics education should be on the problem solving process, not necessarily on the solution. This shift away from drill allows for a deeper understanding to take place for students. They are able to use more problem solving strategies and fewer memorization tools. The result is that students are better able to apply mathematical knowledge to unique situations. Since this is truly a definition of understanding, it is a step in the right direction for my mathematical instruction. This change in focus also allows for students to become the expert. It is no longer my role to confirm the "rightness" of student answers. It is the students role to present, defend, and question strategies and solutions. Once everyone can agree on a strategy and solution, it becomes part of our classroom knowledge base that we can just know and not have to prove any longer. In this way, students can continually further their mathematical understanding by using previous strategies in new and different ways.
The mathematics and science teaching concentration area has aided me in developing a teaching philosophy and a variety of strategies that focus on students' understanding of the topics of mathematics and science. Through the lessons and activities I plan, I strive to assist students in achieving a deeper understanding of the scientific or mathematical concepts addressed in the school curriculum. In focusing my attention on understanding rather than memorization, I again am encouraging students to become life long learners. I expect students to be continually building upon the classroom knowledge base, not simply memorizing answers to pass a test. In addition, the philosophies require students to continually work together to further their understanding. In order to learn more science and math, they have to toss their ideas and solutions back and forth.
Don’t Drop the Ball
Like my students, I keep tossing the balls. The learning that occurred during this master’s program was not simply a means to an end. It was a continuation of my education. Once it is complete, I will not be tossing the balls in the air to celebrate. I’ll be reaching for more. At the culmination of my Masters in Education Program, I will be searching for other ways to better myself as a professional. One of the first ways I did this was through the National Kindergarten Conference in the summer of 2011. I attended this conference in order to gain more age specific strategies and teaching methods to better serve the young students in my classroom. I was so inspired by the keynote speaker, Dr. Jean Feldman, that I traveled to hear her speak again in the summer of 2012. The goal of attending each of these conferences was to develop an awareness of developmentally appropriate teaching and learning practices. I'll use the information and strategies gained from these conferences as a springboard for my own education. After the latest conference, I've evaluated all of my teaching practices in hopes of using more developmentally appropriate strategies for student engagement and classroom management. In the future, I will continue to learn about early childhood education and how I can best meet the needs of the young students in my classroom.
In addition to this goal, I’ve set others for myself with regards to furthering my education. First, I’d like to further my understanding of differentiated instruction. The special education concentration area piqued my interest in the topic and showed me the necessity of understanding the special needs of my students and be able to utilize a variety of resources to meet those needs. Another topic that can help me do this is technology. This vast, quickly growing area of education is not something that I have access to in my current position. However, that is no excuse for me to fail to acknowledge its existence. It’s important that I understand both the purpose for the technology as well as how to appropriately use it within the classroom. In this way, when it does become available, I will know how to use it.
The plan is clear: I will keep learning. The online Masters in Education Program through Michigan State has shown me that my learning as an educator can not stop. I must continually strive to research new educational theories, best practices, innovative technology, and teaching strategies in order to continue to meet the diverse and ever-changing needs of the students in my classroom. There are always areas in which I can improve as an educator. There will always be new and interesting information being presented in various formats. As an educator I must set an example of life long learning for my students. I know that when I stop tossing the balls, it’s time to get out of the act.