The Big One

Honestly, I am so excited to be on the precipice of graduating and achieving something huge like my Master's degree. It reminds me of the days I used to be a young high schooler, wondering how I would ever be able to make something of my life because I had so little motivation or care. If only high school me could see me now, I'm sure he wouldn't even recognize me (outside of the long hair). Looking back on this whole process, it has been a long, winding, sometimes tumultuous journey that is finally coming to a close in a few short weeks. While the journey through this process has been hard and long, it has also been rewarding in more ways that one and has been a truly insightful and inspiring story.

One thing that I noticed is that the field of education and teaching is so vast and deep it can be hard to fit every aspect of the job into a course of education, much less one that lasts three semesters. To that end, I think we could have benefitted more from extra information on SPED and how this sub-field of education functions at a school level. I found that when I got to the schools I was working with in Jeffco that I was woefully unaware of what the situation regarding special education was in the modern age. While we do have the one course that focuses in on SPED, I think that a more complete rundown of the concept, how it works, various departments, and putting a little more spotlight on how to best assist these students (who will be in the general education classroom). Since there are more and more students that need IEP or 504 plan accommodations, preparing general education students with more strategies for helping these students in the classroom will promote a more well-rounded skill set in our educators. I think also a little more focus on certain aspects that have important roles in the classroom (like anchor charts) to explain why these are such pivotal tools in the classroom could be more helpful. I feel like I had to discover the uses of these objects through trial and error in the classroom and may have been able to see the apparent use more quickly had the reasons behind these strategies been revealed (for instance, Anchor charts are a great way to keep ELL students and IEP/504 students focused on their work, while also providing an extra scaffold for the students that may not necessitate these items.)

As I get ready to transition into my full-time position in the Spring, I am reminded that there will always be challenges and obstacles to overcome. The nice thing about this is that I already feel like a huge part of my teams and that I am part of the crew here at my school. I think that this will make the transition more bearable as I contend with the new challenges I may face in my new position. The thing that I am most grateful has shifted in my perception is my understanding of my role within PLC communities and the department teams I work with. I had no idea previously how much collaboration I would be doing at work on a daily basis, and I can confidently report that almost every day has some element of teamwork involved with it. There is always a reason to speak to the other people I work with, and sometimes my best ideas as a teacher can come from these conversations I share with my co-workers. Sometimes someone has done a lesson in a particular way I really like, or maybe they have an extra resource they are not using I can borrow for a bit. I never thought about how much I would need to lean on others as I work in education, since it always seemed to me that my teachers were fairly self-sufficient and did their own thing a solid majority of the time. Since everything was so different in other classes, I assumed teacher never talked to each other unless they absolutely had to, however I am very excited that this job comes along with a great team of individuals just as dedicated to student education as I am.

Overall, While my ideas on how to be an effective teacher may have changed throughout the semesters of my educational experience, I believe that the changes are for the better. Every evolution of my teaching style includes a deeper understanding of how to connect with and understand my students better. Everything I have learned has only cemented the understanding that I am the connection between my students and content, and that the more they trust and understand me, the more I will trust and understand them. Education is a beautiful ballet of give and take, from instructor to student, and I would not have it any other way. I am extremely excited to continue my journey into education and beyond!