Striving to be the best version of me

        I believe that one of the most important characteristics of a successful teacher is someone who truly values education and strives to be a lifetime learner. I have always been one to set very high standards for myself. Every school year, I expect my students to set short and long term goals for themselves. I in turn, do the same for myself. My goals at the beginning of my journey as a graduate student included reflecting on mistakes and weaknesses, applying research, incorporating technology, and mentor and consult other teachers.

        Before I started the program one goal was to reflect on mistakes and weaknesses to figure out how to make adjustments for the better future. I was looking forward to daily, weekly, and yearly reflection allowing me to persevere through the ups and downs to reach my goals. I have always been interested in research wanted to apply research provided to me through my master’s program into my classroom in order to help me reflect and aware of ways to better myself as an educator.

        When applying for the Master’s of Arts in Education (MAED) program online, I knew I would be given opportunities and strategies to incorporate technology into my planning, teaching, and assessment of knowledge. I have seen first hand how technology is a very powerful and engaging tool that allows students to make connections and deepen their understanding. I work at a school where every student is one-to-one with technology, which is why I set a goal to use tools and resources introduced through the MAED program.

        My current goals are very similar to the goals I set at the beginning of my graduate studies. My first focus was taking advantage of opportunities to reflect on my current practice in order to become the best version of me. In my initial goal statement, I focused on reflecting on mistakes and weaknesses. Throughout my interactions with my professors, graduate assistants, and classmates I found that I have strengths and best practices that should be continued. I want to continue to reflect on my current practice, while focusing on mistakes as well as strengths that should be shared and continued.

        Another aspect of my goal was and is to be a leader in the field of education. I seek out leadership qualities in each and every one of my students, and I believe that modeling the importance of leadership is the best way to teach it. After gaining experience during my first two years of teaching, I knew a master’s degree with a math and science concentration will allow me to be a leader within my school by sharing my knowledge and expertise.It is a long-term goal of mine to be able to mentor other teachers within my school and consult other math teachers within the county. Although I am very passionate about my current practice and experiences at my school, I would love to use my experience and expertise to work with other teachers and students. Whether this means a coach assisting district teachers in curriculum training or creating units or a consultant for an intermediate school district, I’m not sure. What I do know is that I want to continue to improve myself as a teacher, a learner, and share this with others.