For the Love of Teaching...
In the summer of 2013, I had just completed my first full year of teaching. While I was feeling more confident as a classroom teacher, I knew that I was ready to give more to my students as well as myself by continuing my education. I had applied to the Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program at the beginning of the year, after much consideration and thought about the huge commitment that I was about to embark on. After receiving my acceptance letter, I was eager to continue learning in an area that also happens to be a passion of mine: literacy.
While literacy has always been an area that I enjoy personally and professionally, it was during my first year of teaching that I knew this was the area that I wanted to continue my education in. My first year of teaching (and the four years after that) were spent at a Title 1 school in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas. The schools reading and writing scores as a whole were low and I witnessed first-hand the struggle that was happening within our school. I knew with continuing my education in this area that I would feel confident and comfortable that the literacy instruction that I was providing within my classroom would be beneficial to all students who entered. After five years in the program, and with graduation in sight, I can definitely say that I have made the right decision with choosing the MAED program.
The very first course that I took while in the MAED program has helped aid me in the guidance of determining how to go about helping my struggling students. During TE846, Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners, I was introduced to various types of assessments that can be used to determine the specific area or areas of literacy, in which a child is struggling. A few of the assessments that I was introduced to and learned how to use to my advantage include: Alphabet Recognition, Phonological Awareness, Elementary Spelling Inventory, Fry Sight Word Inventory, and Qualitative Reading Inventory.
While these assessments do not replace the mandatory assessments that I am required to give within my district, they have provided me with additional data when trying to hone in on a student’s area of weakness. While I appreciate and value the data that I receive from my district required assessments such as the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) and iStation programs, these assessments do not allow me to administer the assessment. The assessments above are administered solely through a computer. While administering the assessments using a computer saves time and also allows for the data to be available immediately, in some cases sitting down one-on-one with a student is more beneficial. Having the knowledge of how to use these assessments has allowed me to improve the type of instruction that I am able to provide to my students.
Being able to administer a quick and simple one-on-one assessment and have the immediate results is invaluable. On top of this, TE846 also prepared me on what to do once I had completed the assessments. Administering the assessments and determining where a child is struggling is the easy part, understanding how to properly use the new data to drive instruction is the challenging piece to the puzzle. Customizing an individual lesson and then delivering the lesson can be time consuming, no doubt about it, especially for a new teacher. TE846 introduced me to the Florida Center for Reading Research website. This website is an amazing resource for teachers and parents. The site is organized into the various reading components: phonemic awareness and phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Under each category there are multiply lessons with all the instructions and materials needed to teach the lesson. Each lesson also has the specific skill that it is focusing on, which makes it easy to search through their library of lessons.
After being introduced to this resource, I have been able to quickly choose a lesson and implement it with the student who I had previously done an assessment on. Having this supply of premade lessons at the tip of my fingers has allowed me to provide my students with individualized lessons in a timely manner. The lessons also have the option for an extension or an adaptation, with allows for more individualized instruction. Once they master an objective that they were struggling with I am able to move on to the next area of concern without having to spend time creating or looking for lessons on the next skill.
Prior to TE846, I was overwhelmed with the thought of individualizing instruction. I knew how to give assessments and how to read the data but I was unaware of how to go about using the data effectively. However, after TE846, differentiating instruction, specifically when it comes to reading, is like second nature to me. I know that my students are all at various levels and now I know how to successfully reach each one of them in order to continue their learning in the right direction.
In CEP818, Creativity in Teaching and Learning, I was challenged to think about how I bring creativity into my classroom throughout the day. I was introduced to the seven tools of creativity (there is actually thirteen, but the course focused on the first seven), which include teaching through the following ways: perceiving, embodied thinking, patterning, play, abstracting, modeling and dimensional thinking. During this course, I reevaluated how I teach the writing process when focusing on personal narratives. I took the traditional way of teaching the writing process, which is usually done solely with paper and pencil and eliminated those materials to include more engaging and creative ways within the lesson.
While creativity is something that every teacher seems to strive for these days, CEP818 opened my eyes to creativity in a new way. I was able to take everyday classroom and home items and integrate them into my personal narrative writing lessons. When teaching my students how to brainstorm for their writing piece, I would normally give them or have them create some sort of thinking map to help organize their ideas. However, thanks to the seven tools of creativity I was able to allow students to use Legos when doing their brainstorming. Students used Legos to create the small moment scene that they wanted to write about. Once they created their structure, they were saved and kept in a safe place to refer back to when continuing to go through the writing process.
As we got further along in the writing process, when it came time for my students to publish their final copy there was no rewriting their work in their best handwriting, on fancy paper. Their published piece was completed through a puppet play. My students created a personalized puppet of themselves and performed their personal narrative piece for their peers. This allowed my students to tell their story in their own voice, using expression and emotion while giving the rest of the class a front row seat to a one of a kind show.
Prior to CEP818 I considered myself a creative person and I still do, however, during the course I was introduced to new ways of how to bring creativity into my classroom. The seven tools of creativity opened my eyes and really made me think outside of the box when it came to planning lessons. When planning lessons now, I often times refer back to the textbook that I used throughout the course, Sparks of Genius. The text goes into detail about each tool of creativity and lists multiple ways on how to use each tool. If I need inspiration for a new and creative idea, this book is a great resource.
Overall, CEP818 has allowed me to bring more engaging and hands on lessons into my room, not just in the area of writing but in all subject areas. My students are always eager when I tell them that we are going to try something new. It has brought hesitant students out of their shell and has also allowed students who struggle to shine. I have noticed that students who are often times unmotivated or lacking in the area of participation are now excited to learn and participate alongside of their peers.
TE849, Methods and Materials for Teaching Children’s Adolescent Literature, was one of my favorite courses. There isn’t a time in my life where I don’t remember loving books. I can remember when the teacher would pass out Scholastic book order forms in grade school, I would circle the books that I wanted and would beg my parents to order me a few. When we would go to the store, I didn’t want to go to the toy isle, I wanted to go to the book isle. And the funny thing is, I’m still like that! I love seeing what the new children’s books are and I get even more excited to share the books with my students (and eventually my son, when he’s able to understand that books are not chew toys).
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This course gave me a whole new outlook on how to have meaningful conversations, with my students, around the text as well as the illustrations that are present within a children’s picture book. There is so much more to a book than just what is going on in the text as far as the characters, problem, and solution. Don’t get me wrong, the story elements are definitely important. However, often times I think that children are just searching for those elements instead of really enjoying and looking beyond the text. Books are filled with new vocabulary, new lessons, and new information. Literature creates thinkers out children, it requires them to analyze and think critically about what is happening in the text that they’re reading. These skills are not only useful in their academic career but they are also lifelong skills.
TE849 also made me think deeply about the value and role that children's literature plays in the development of a child's feelings towards reading. As an educator, it’s my job to assist children in seeing the value that comes with literature. We have the keys to open their eyes and show them exactly what literature can do. Once children gain a love for literature they’re off on countless adventures, whether it be through entering a fantasy world, or helping solve a mystery. Literature is a way that children (and adults) can escape and become one with the characters in the stories, or experience things that they have yet to experience. Literature is also a way for children to learn to cope with their own problems and feelings.
Overall, TE849 reminded me why I love literature. There is so much that can be done and learned with even the simplest of books. Books are the forefront of my classroom, I use a variety of books every day and in multiple ways. I make sure to take the time to have meaningful conversations with my students around the books that we read. I also take the time to allow them to explore books on their own and with their peers.
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Now that my journey through the MAED program is coming to an end I can definitely say that I have grown both professionally and personally. As a professional, I am more aware of how to go about assisting my students, specifically with their needs in literacy. I have changed the way that I go about teaching reading and writing, in a positive way, because of the MAED program. I am now able to reach a variety of learning styles because I feel more confident and knowledgeable with myself and the material that I am teaching. I have also successfully started implementing a variation of technology into my classroom, all of which I have become familiar with because of the MAED program. Personally, I find myself paying more attention to the small details that I would have overlooked previously. A picture book is not just words and illustrations anymore. I now pay attention to the font used, the way the text is laid out on the page, if the illustrator used full spread pages or if they included pictures on the front and end pages. And those are just a few examples. I also am more confident in myself. I enjoy sharing my knowledge with my colleagues and I look forward to presenting at staff meetings.
My experience with the MAED program has left with me a variety of emotions throughout the past five years. However, my final emotion is proud. I am proud that I am near the end of this long journey and will have a master’s degree. I am proud that I am able to continue to provide my students with meaningful instruction in a variety of ways. I am proud to share my knowledge with my colleagues. Most importantly, I am proud that Michigan State offers such a thorough program that has allowed me to grow professionally and personally.