Passion Inspires Education
Mary Blanton
In pursuing my graduate degree in education, I am hoping to challenge myself to learn new skills and develop skills I currently have as a classroom teacher in order to better serve all populations of high school students. Most importantly, I want to help students who do not feel as though they have a voice in our current public education system or skills to advocate for themselves within this system.
(December 17, 2008)
Coincidentally, as I write this reflection, I have recently started a passion anthology project with my intervention students. In an effort to get them to think about their future goals, they are to research different aspects of a passion they currently have. While they are working on their projects, I have also been thinking about what my passions are. It's easy for me to say I'm passionate about my family, my friends, being active, and a plethora of other "things," but in terms of my career, I am passionate about working with underrepresented populations of students, as the above statement suggests.
As I read through my goal statement from nearly three years ago, I realize that my initial goal still holds true. The two sentences above were the last two I wrote on my goal statement when applying to the Michigan State University MAED program. While much has changed in the last three years because of the work and learning I have done in this program, my focus remains the same. I originally started this journey because I was required to obtain my master's in order to keep my Oregon teaching license current, but I knew that my concentrations in literacy and leadership would give me more access to strategies and ideas to help my students that academically struggle the most. In essence, this program would only help to make me a better teacher. Looking back on my original goals and also reflecting back on my course work, increasing student achievement, especially the achievement and success of struggling students, is an idea that I bring up repeatedly.
When I first applied to MSU, I was working in one of the largest and most progressive high schools in Oregon. It is a fairly affluent school with only small pockets of struggling and underrepresented student groups. I have since moved to another high school in the same district, but my new school is a far cry from the modern building with high ceilings, fresh paint, generally open atmosphere and a largely motivated student population that I was used to. My current school is more urban than it is suburban. I have holes in my ceiling, part of the back wall of my room is unpainted, the building is much more isolating, and the student body is much more diverse - both culturally and socio-economically. Therefore, my goal seems even more applicable than it was when I first started this program.
(February 18, 2012)
(December 17, 2008)
Coincidentally, as I write this reflection, I have recently started a passion anthology project with my intervention students. In an effort to get them to think about their future goals, they are to research different aspects of a passion they currently have. While they are working on their projects, I have also been thinking about what my passions are. It's easy for me to say I'm passionate about my family, my friends, being active, and a plethora of other "things," but in terms of my career, I am passionate about working with underrepresented populations of students, as the above statement suggests.
As I read through my goal statement from nearly three years ago, I realize that my initial goal still holds true. The two sentences above were the last two I wrote on my goal statement when applying to the Michigan State University MAED program. While much has changed in the last three years because of the work and learning I have done in this program, my focus remains the same. I originally started this journey because I was required to obtain my master's in order to keep my Oregon teaching license current, but I knew that my concentrations in literacy and leadership would give me more access to strategies and ideas to help my students that academically struggle the most. In essence, this program would only help to make me a better teacher. Looking back on my original goals and also reflecting back on my course work, increasing student achievement, especially the achievement and success of struggling students, is an idea that I bring up repeatedly.
When I first applied to MSU, I was working in one of the largest and most progressive high schools in Oregon. It is a fairly affluent school with only small pockets of struggling and underrepresented student groups. I have since moved to another high school in the same district, but my new school is a far cry from the modern building with high ceilings, fresh paint, generally open atmosphere and a largely motivated student population that I was used to. My current school is more urban than it is suburban. I have holes in my ceiling, part of the back wall of my room is unpainted, the building is much more isolating, and the student body is much more diverse - both culturally and socio-economically. Therefore, my goal seems even more applicable than it was when I first started this program.
(February 18, 2012)