Megan M. Kole
Educator. Motivator. Life Long Learner.
I want you to close your eyes and imagine: it’s the last day of school and you can taste summer vacation. You’ve been working hard all year and you are ready for the break. Sleeping in, bike rides, beach trips, bonfires and relaxing are all you can focus on. Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” is on repeat in your head.
Whether as a teacher or a student we have all experienced this feeling. Now, I don’t know about you, but as a teacher this feeling is only ever short lived. After a few days of summer vacation, I find myself at the bookstore or online researching. I am planning and reflecting on how the year went and what I will do differently next year. Maybe I’m crazy, but for me, the journey of being a teacher never stops.
To Infinity and Beyond
By: Megan Kole
As my Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program comes to an end, I find myself inspired to continue my growth as an educator. Instead of being relieved that my program is coming to a close (okay, well maybe I’m a little relieved), I look forward to continue my learning on my own. The reasons behind this are simple. Education is always evolving. The way my students learn today is different than it was when I was in elementary school, just fifteen short years ago. The constant shifts in society with the expansion of technology affect how children are raised and how they learn. Also, every class of students is unique, so each school year is never the same.
As a part of my MAED program, I studied science inquiry and the nature of science. In these courses, we discussed the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Similar to Common Core, these standards change the way science is taught in the classroom. Instead of teaching science using the traditional scientific method like I was taught, the NGSS teach science processes and practices. This allows current students to learn not just science concepts, but inquiry skills that enable them to think like scientists. Since I currently do not have a classroom of my own, I have not had the opportunity to “experiment” with these standards. This gives me a chance to focus more specifically on the standards and how to implement them in my future classroom. The NGSS website provides an explanation of what the standards are and gives ideas for implementation. It is also consistently updated, provided new insight into the standards. I also plan on checking the "Science for All" blog written by Kirk Robbins. This blog was recommended by a professor because it discusses science in the classroom for all educators. Since it is a blog, it is frequently updated keeping me in the loop about what is happening in science education. The standards are relatively new and I plan on researching as much as I can about what the standards are and how they can be utilized in the elementary classroom before attempting implementation.
In addition to new standards, new technologies are also incorporated in the classroom. In today’s world, technology is a part of almost everything we do. Student’s today need to be prepared for a future in which basic technological skills are required. A goal I have for myself is to learn more about how I can integrate technology in my classroom to help my students develop the skills that they will need to be successful. Although I do not know what technology will be available to me in my future job endeavors, that does not mean I cannot keep up to date with the current technological resources available to educators. As a part of one of my MAED courses, we had to create a Twitter account related to education. I have chosen to follow many different educational technology accounts (Edutopia, Google for Education, Tech Crunch, etc.) that keep me constantly connected to what’s new. Frequently reading through these resources will help me continue my growth.
My last goal incorporates not just my classroom culture, but also my own personal growth. Many schools are currently utilizing “The Leader in Me” program, which incorporates the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This program took the original habits and created the “7 Habits of Happy Kids.” These habits help students build self-confidence and gain skills that will prepare them for the 21st century. Now that I have become familiar with this program and what it stands for, my goal is to expand my familiarity so that I can begin to utilize the habits into my own life. This will allow for a smooth transition when I have a classroom of my own because my students will be able to observe how I use the habits. This will create a strong sense of community and will create a more positive classroom culture. I plan on reading the original "7 Habits" book to get a better sense about what the habits mean. I also plan on reading "The Leader in Me" book written by Stephen Covey, Sean Covey, Muriel Summers, and David Hatch. The Leader in Me website also has a blog, that I plan on reading to learn even more. I also happen to be associated with Leader in Me schools and plan on observing teachers utilizing this inspiring program.
I feel as if there is so much to learn as a teacher and this learning will truly never end. There is an infinite amount of knowledge and information that I can learn and incorporate into my life as an educator. In addition to the three goals above I would also like to expand my knowledge on allowing my students to have more control in their learning by providing choice, creating a flipped classroom, and ways to teach to all types of learners. My goals and plans will always be changing making this a life-long journey. I don’t know exactly where my future as a learner will take me, but I know it will be “to infinity and beyond.”
Thanks, Buzz.
