Education Is Life
by Gillian Kutches
"Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow."
-Anthony J. D’Angelo
As I reflect on the journey to obtain my Master’s degree from Michigan State University, I am overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge and experience I have gained. Reflecting on the courses I have taken over the last year has allowed me to realize how much I have learned, and how this information can positively impact my classroom and my students. Knowledge is a great thing, but it’s what you do with that knowledge that makes it powerful. I understand the importance of taking all that I can back to my teaching.
My Master’s program began during my internship year in 2006-2007. It was a year filled with new experiences both inside and outside of the classroom. After spending four years away at MSU, I returned to living with my parents in suburban Detroit. I was teaching fourth grade at a Title I school in Hazel Park. I can still remember the first time I taught a lesson, and standing in the front of the room with twenty five ten year olds staring at me, wondering what I was going to say. I feel nervous just thinking about that moment before I began speaking. I have come a long way in my teaching style and approach since that first lesson, but it was those moments that have made me into the teacher I am now.
Along with teaching full time, MSU’s program included enrolling in four courses during that school year. At the start of the year, this workload seemed like an impossible and overwhelming task. My carefree college world had definitely changed; I would return home from a full day of teaching to work for several hours on lesson plans and graduate work. Additionally, during this year I came to realize all the different "hats" a teacher wears; hidden roles that contribute to the overall job of a teacher. I now understand that all the stress of my internship has undoubtedly molded me into the educator I am today, and for that, I am thankful.
After a successful undergrad and internship experience, I knew I wanted to continue my education. I feel that education is the backbone of teaching. Learning new ideas, whether it is from classes, colleagues, or administration, can influence teaching in meaningful ways. Sharing lesson ideas is one of my favorite parts of teaching. I believe that collaboration is a powerful tool that can prove the old saying true, "Two minds are better than one". Knowing that I wanted to learn from others, I decided to enroll in Michigan State’s Master of Arts in Education program online. Initially, I was hesitant about taking courses online, but I have found that I love its flexibility and rigor. It has led me to understand myself better as a learner because I had to take control and become very self-motivated due to the absence of face-to-face contact with peers and professors. Additionally, I have become much more comfortable with technology through my program. I have been amazed at what I can now do with technology that I could not do before, including creating a complete website!
When contemplating a concentration, it did not take me long to decide on literacy. I wanted to learn new strategies on how to incorporate positive learning strategies for my readers and writers. Teaching first grade has also pushed me to learn new techniques for teaching emergent readers. When I initially enrolled in the program, I was new to the primary grades and had only previously taught upper-elementary students. I felt that intense learning about literacy would aid me in making positive and meaningful additions to my classroom routine and could only help my students in the long run.
While all of the classes that I took during my Master’s were influential to my learning and teaching, I am choosing to focus on three classes which had a significant impact on my education. Each of these courses were especially influential for different reasons; TE 842 Advanced Methods of Elementary School Reading, CEP 842 Instruction in Inclusive Classrooms and TE 891 Teaching Across Cultural Differences.
The first course that had a significant impact on my education was TE 842 Advanced Methods of Elementary School Reading. I enrolled in this class in the summer semester of 2010 with Professor Nicole Martin. I was initially intrigued to take this course because of its unique focus on elementary reading instruction. To begin the class, we discussed the importance of being familiar with your state and districts standards. This allowed me to ground my thoughts and ideas on what will make sense for me and my students in Georgia. This course required classmates to discuss readings and educational issues in a small group using Skype. This was especially consequential to me, because it gave me the opportunity to have frank and informal conversations with other teachers of reading. We were also able to share great ideas and bring them back to the classroom.
TE 842 also allowed me to dive deeply into the components of reading; phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. When I was enrolled in this course, I was finishing up my first year teaching first grade. I had taught fourth and fifth grades in previous years, so the thought of teaching phonics and phonemic awareness was frightening. I truly did not know where to begin. Through the course’s readings and videos, I was able to see real teachers teaching phonics lessons. This let me understand what I needed to do, and gave me ideas for how to reach my own students. I am a very visual learner, and to be able to see what other teachers do in their classrooms made me understand what I could do in mine. This fall, armed with new phonics knowledge, I was able to implement critical phonics components into my day to day teaching. I feel this has made me a better teacher of reading. Before, I was scared to even approach phonics instruction and felt overwhelmed on how to make it work in my class. Now, I feel comfortable teaching phonics and my students have unarguably benefited from it.
Another aspect of TE 842 that I learned from was writing a teaching beliefs and practices paper. I was asked to reflect on my incoming beliefs about teaching reading and to describe how I used to think about being a teacher of reading. Then I was asked to think about my current beliefs about teaching reading, and how I will teach it in the future. This forced me to question how my thoughts and practices have changed through taking the course. I also contemplated which components of my teaching that were brought into question; techniques that I want to change to better reach diverse learners. I also divulged a "Plan of Action" about where I will take my reading instruction and how I will implement my new knowledge. Reflection on literacy in this broad way allowed me to focus on how I would support real change and growth in myself as a reading teacher.
Another course that has affected my teaching was CEP 842 Instruction in Inclusive Classrooms. I took this course in fall 2010 with Professor Cynthia Okolo. This special education course focused on how to design instruction to meet individual students’ needs. Specifically, it broadened my understanding on how to create Universal Design for Learning (UDL) lessons so that all students can learn, whether they have a disability or not. I created a UDL lesson which incorporated several different learning styles and taught the topic in many different ways. This was eye-opening because it led me to appreciate that topics need to be taught in many different ways so more students can connect and understand. It also reminded me to try to incorporate technology as often as possible, for reinforcement and solidification of concepts.
CEP 842 required me to participate in creating a professional development PowerPoint slideshow on the importance of co-teaching and assessment. I focused on how to create a positive space for both the general education teacher and the special education teacher within one classroom. This was beneficial because it made me think about the specialist teachers that I currently work with, and how I can connect with them to better meet the needs of our students. When assessing students, this course taught me that assessment should come in many shapes and colors. Teachers need to think about getting away from traditional tests as forms of assessment. I learned to create more performance based assessments to measure students’ progress. This year, I have begun implementing different forms of assessment into my classroom. Students still have written tests and quizzes, but I now also include performance based sight word assessments and performance math fact quizzes as well. Having multiple forms of assessment still allows me to measure students’ progress, but in more diverse ways.
The last course which has impacted my education was TE 891 Teaching Across Cultural Differences. I participated in this course in the summer of 2010 with Dorinda Carter Andrews. I was immediately struck with the topic of this course because of the population of my current school. It is incredibly diverse; we have students from over 80 countries that speak more than 40 different languages. I wanted to learn more about how to make each student, no matter where they are from, feel not only welcomed but at home in my classroom.
Firstly, I learned the definition of multicultural education and realized the plethora of misconceptions that exist about that term. Most educators think they use a multicultural education approach in their classrooms, but I learned that few actually do. I have learned that one size does not fit all, and I need to customize my teaching and activities to the types of students that I have in my class. Creating a PowerPoint presentation that taught about multicultural education helped me to understand how I can utilize its practices in a meaningful way. It forced me to think about what I really say about culture and differences. What do I tell my students unconsciously? Do I promote learning from each other in my classroom? What do I say about differences? These are all questions that I asked myself throughout this course, and questions that I continue to ask myself now. I learned that I need to work hard to create a classroom community that not only accepts, but values, differences. I need to know where my students come from in order to know where they need to go.
I also learned the significance that cooperative learning can have in the classroom. Putting students into groups and having them contribute towards a common goal can help them to learn to work together as a team. Moreover, cooperative learning can promote understanding between different students that come from different backgrounds. If students are never given the chance to talk and learn about each other, they will never grow to appreciate their differences. Also, I have tried to encourage students to notice their similarities. Focusing on how they are similar to someone else (even if they do not look like you) can help students to be more accepting of each other.
Each of these classes has enriched my teaching in different ways. TE 842 helped me to understand many different ways of teaching reading to young learners and equipped me with meaningful strategies on how to truly provide students with a balanced literacy program. CEP 842 allowed me to understand how to reach diverse learners with special needs in my classroom. It focused my attention on providing meaningful assessments to students and how to effectively collaborate with special area teachers. TE 891 taught me how to create a welcoming classroom climate that promotes acceptance of differences. Each of these classes, in addition to all my Master’s courses, has helped me to become the teacher that I am today. They pushed me to think deeply about key influences that make a great teacher.
As my Master’s program comes to a close, I know that my career of learning has only just begun. I will take new knowledge and experiences I have gained with me as I continue into my future as a teacher. I know that I will never stop asking the tough questions. I will never stop wanting to become better. I will never stop learning new techniques and strategies to bring to my students. As John Dewey stated, "Education is growth. Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself."
-Anthony J. D’Angelo
As I reflect on the journey to obtain my Master’s degree from Michigan State University, I am overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge and experience I have gained. Reflecting on the courses I have taken over the last year has allowed me to realize how much I have learned, and how this information can positively impact my classroom and my students. Knowledge is a great thing, but it’s what you do with that knowledge that makes it powerful. I understand the importance of taking all that I can back to my teaching.
My Master’s program began during my internship year in 2006-2007. It was a year filled with new experiences both inside and outside of the classroom. After spending four years away at MSU, I returned to living with my parents in suburban Detroit. I was teaching fourth grade at a Title I school in Hazel Park. I can still remember the first time I taught a lesson, and standing in the front of the room with twenty five ten year olds staring at me, wondering what I was going to say. I feel nervous just thinking about that moment before I began speaking. I have come a long way in my teaching style and approach since that first lesson, but it was those moments that have made me into the teacher I am now.
Along with teaching full time, MSU’s program included enrolling in four courses during that school year. At the start of the year, this workload seemed like an impossible and overwhelming task. My carefree college world had definitely changed; I would return home from a full day of teaching to work for several hours on lesson plans and graduate work. Additionally, during this year I came to realize all the different "hats" a teacher wears; hidden roles that contribute to the overall job of a teacher. I now understand that all the stress of my internship has undoubtedly molded me into the educator I am today, and for that, I am thankful.
After a successful undergrad and internship experience, I knew I wanted to continue my education. I feel that education is the backbone of teaching. Learning new ideas, whether it is from classes, colleagues, or administration, can influence teaching in meaningful ways. Sharing lesson ideas is one of my favorite parts of teaching. I believe that collaboration is a powerful tool that can prove the old saying true, "Two minds are better than one". Knowing that I wanted to learn from others, I decided to enroll in Michigan State’s Master of Arts in Education program online. Initially, I was hesitant about taking courses online, but I have found that I love its flexibility and rigor. It has led me to understand myself better as a learner because I had to take control and become very self-motivated due to the absence of face-to-face contact with peers and professors. Additionally, I have become much more comfortable with technology through my program. I have been amazed at what I can now do with technology that I could not do before, including creating a complete website!
When contemplating a concentration, it did not take me long to decide on literacy. I wanted to learn new strategies on how to incorporate positive learning strategies for my readers and writers. Teaching first grade has also pushed me to learn new techniques for teaching emergent readers. When I initially enrolled in the program, I was new to the primary grades and had only previously taught upper-elementary students. I felt that intense learning about literacy would aid me in making positive and meaningful additions to my classroom routine and could only help my students in the long run.
While all of the classes that I took during my Master’s were influential to my learning and teaching, I am choosing to focus on three classes which had a significant impact on my education. Each of these courses were especially influential for different reasons; TE 842 Advanced Methods of Elementary School Reading, CEP 842 Instruction in Inclusive Classrooms and TE 891 Teaching Across Cultural Differences.
The first course that had a significant impact on my education was TE 842 Advanced Methods of Elementary School Reading. I enrolled in this class in the summer semester of 2010 with Professor Nicole Martin. I was initially intrigued to take this course because of its unique focus on elementary reading instruction. To begin the class, we discussed the importance of being familiar with your state and districts standards. This allowed me to ground my thoughts and ideas on what will make sense for me and my students in Georgia. This course required classmates to discuss readings and educational issues in a small group using Skype. This was especially consequential to me, because it gave me the opportunity to have frank and informal conversations with other teachers of reading. We were also able to share great ideas and bring them back to the classroom.
TE 842 also allowed me to dive deeply into the components of reading; phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. When I was enrolled in this course, I was finishing up my first year teaching first grade. I had taught fourth and fifth grades in previous years, so the thought of teaching phonics and phonemic awareness was frightening. I truly did not know where to begin. Through the course’s readings and videos, I was able to see real teachers teaching phonics lessons. This let me understand what I needed to do, and gave me ideas for how to reach my own students. I am a very visual learner, and to be able to see what other teachers do in their classrooms made me understand what I could do in mine. This fall, armed with new phonics knowledge, I was able to implement critical phonics components into my day to day teaching. I feel this has made me a better teacher of reading. Before, I was scared to even approach phonics instruction and felt overwhelmed on how to make it work in my class. Now, I feel comfortable teaching phonics and my students have unarguably benefited from it.
Another aspect of TE 842 that I learned from was writing a teaching beliefs and practices paper. I was asked to reflect on my incoming beliefs about teaching reading and to describe how I used to think about being a teacher of reading. Then I was asked to think about my current beliefs about teaching reading, and how I will teach it in the future. This forced me to question how my thoughts and practices have changed through taking the course. I also contemplated which components of my teaching that were brought into question; techniques that I want to change to better reach diverse learners. I also divulged a "Plan of Action" about where I will take my reading instruction and how I will implement my new knowledge. Reflection on literacy in this broad way allowed me to focus on how I would support real change and growth in myself as a reading teacher.
Another course that has affected my teaching was CEP 842 Instruction in Inclusive Classrooms. I took this course in fall 2010 with Professor Cynthia Okolo. This special education course focused on how to design instruction to meet individual students’ needs. Specifically, it broadened my understanding on how to create Universal Design for Learning (UDL) lessons so that all students can learn, whether they have a disability or not. I created a UDL lesson which incorporated several different learning styles and taught the topic in many different ways. This was eye-opening because it led me to appreciate that topics need to be taught in many different ways so more students can connect and understand. It also reminded me to try to incorporate technology as often as possible, for reinforcement and solidification of concepts.
CEP 842 required me to participate in creating a professional development PowerPoint slideshow on the importance of co-teaching and assessment. I focused on how to create a positive space for both the general education teacher and the special education teacher within one classroom. This was beneficial because it made me think about the specialist teachers that I currently work with, and how I can connect with them to better meet the needs of our students. When assessing students, this course taught me that assessment should come in many shapes and colors. Teachers need to think about getting away from traditional tests as forms of assessment. I learned to create more performance based assessments to measure students’ progress. This year, I have begun implementing different forms of assessment into my classroom. Students still have written tests and quizzes, but I now also include performance based sight word assessments and performance math fact quizzes as well. Having multiple forms of assessment still allows me to measure students’ progress, but in more diverse ways.
The last course which has impacted my education was TE 891 Teaching Across Cultural Differences. I participated in this course in the summer of 2010 with Dorinda Carter Andrews. I was immediately struck with the topic of this course because of the population of my current school. It is incredibly diverse; we have students from over 80 countries that speak more than 40 different languages. I wanted to learn more about how to make each student, no matter where they are from, feel not only welcomed but at home in my classroom.
Firstly, I learned the definition of multicultural education and realized the plethora of misconceptions that exist about that term. Most educators think they use a multicultural education approach in their classrooms, but I learned that few actually do. I have learned that one size does not fit all, and I need to customize my teaching and activities to the types of students that I have in my class. Creating a PowerPoint presentation that taught about multicultural education helped me to understand how I can utilize its practices in a meaningful way. It forced me to think about what I really say about culture and differences. What do I tell my students unconsciously? Do I promote learning from each other in my classroom? What do I say about differences? These are all questions that I asked myself throughout this course, and questions that I continue to ask myself now. I learned that I need to work hard to create a classroom community that not only accepts, but values, differences. I need to know where my students come from in order to know where they need to go.
I also learned the significance that cooperative learning can have in the classroom. Putting students into groups and having them contribute towards a common goal can help them to learn to work together as a team. Moreover, cooperative learning can promote understanding between different students that come from different backgrounds. If students are never given the chance to talk and learn about each other, they will never grow to appreciate their differences. Also, I have tried to encourage students to notice their similarities. Focusing on how they are similar to someone else (even if they do not look like you) can help students to be more accepting of each other.
Each of these classes has enriched my teaching in different ways. TE 842 helped me to understand many different ways of teaching reading to young learners and equipped me with meaningful strategies on how to truly provide students with a balanced literacy program. CEP 842 allowed me to understand how to reach diverse learners with special needs in my classroom. It focused my attention on providing meaningful assessments to students and how to effectively collaborate with special area teachers. TE 891 taught me how to create a welcoming classroom climate that promotes acceptance of differences. Each of these classes, in addition to all my Master’s courses, has helped me to become the teacher that I am today. They pushed me to think deeply about key influences that make a great teacher.
As my Master’s program comes to a close, I know that my career of learning has only just begun. I will take new knowledge and experiences I have gained with me as I continue into my future as a teacher. I know that I will never stop asking the tough questions. I will never stop wanting to become better. I will never stop learning new techniques and strategies to bring to my students. As John Dewey stated, "Education is growth. Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself."
