Strong Roots for a Bright Future
by Cindy Kaump
My formal education is coming to a close at the end of this summer. I don't have any immediate plans to begin another formal program but that doesn't mean I'll stop learning. A large reason I wanted to become an educator was because I loved learning so much. I was good at it and I felt successful trying out and learning new things. I want to spread my love of learning on to my students and I feel one of the best ways I can do that is to keep learning. During these last few years in my Master’s program I’ve been able to relay stories to my students of how I had writer’s block the night before or how I had to take notes on a book I was reading for class. I got to share examples of my learning and my passion for it.
One of the things I’m looking forward to about not having any formal classes while teaching is that I’ll be able to apply my newly acquired knowledge to my classroom. I’m looking forward to focusing all my attention on my classroom and on my practice to hone those skills I just began to use during my Master’s classes. I chose to research and study the value of partnerships and peer collaboration in reading and writing during some of my classes and the research was very inspiring to me. I have applied much of what I learned in my research to my teaching practice of reading and writing but I’m ready to revise my thinking a bit. I’ve moved grade levels three times in the last four years and I’ll be starting a new grade level in the fall. With this change gives me the opportunity to start fresh and give my research-based partnerships another go with renewed fidelity.
I’d like to continue my education informally by seeking any learning opportunity I can. When my district offers a book club or conference I am typically in attendance. My fellow educators have begun book clubs to help our staff grow and I’ve participated. I’ve loved having others take the leadership role in those experiences but I think I’m ready to take on that responsibility as well. Being one of the younger teachers in the building I’ve been worried that I wasn’t qualified but I have confidence now that we can learn alongside each other.
Online collaboration was a new way of learning I got to experience through my online Master’s program. When I had the opportunity to talk with a small group over the course of weeks, and share and relate to one another, I felt as though I had a close community even though we were far apart. I value the relationships I formed in my classes and I will continue connecting to other educators virtually. Social media has provided many of us with means to connect and share our experiences.
One of the things I’m looking forward to about not having any formal classes while teaching is that I’ll be able to apply my newly acquired knowledge to my classroom. I’m looking forward to focusing all my attention on my classroom and on my practice to hone those skills I just began to use during my Master’s classes. I chose to research and study the value of partnerships and peer collaboration in reading and writing during some of my classes and the research was very inspiring to me. I have applied much of what I learned in my research to my teaching practice of reading and writing but I’m ready to revise my thinking a bit. I’ve moved grade levels three times in the last four years and I’ll be starting a new grade level in the fall. With this change gives me the opportunity to start fresh and give my research-based partnerships another go with renewed fidelity.
I’d like to continue my education informally by seeking any learning opportunity I can. When my district offers a book club or conference I am typically in attendance. My fellow educators have begun book clubs to help our staff grow and I’ve participated. I’ve loved having others take the leadership role in those experiences but I think I’m ready to take on that responsibility as well. Being one of the younger teachers in the building I’ve been worried that I wasn’t qualified but I have confidence now that we can learn alongside each other.
Online collaboration was a new way of learning I got to experience through my online Master’s program. When I had the opportunity to talk with a small group over the course of weeks, and share and relate to one another, I felt as though I had a close community even though we were far apart. I value the relationships I formed in my classes and I will continue connecting to other educators virtually. Social media has provided many of us with means to connect and share our experiences.
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I’ve learned how to take risks in my learning and I’ve felt the satisfaction from taking risks. I’ve tried new technologies with the assistance of my leaders and classmates that I may not have been comfortable trying without. I made a video using iMovie as a class assignment and posted it on YouTube. I don’t think I would have created a video and posted it for the world to see without having it be a class assignment. I was surprised to find out how much I enjoyed making the video. Since that class I’ve made videos for my classes as an end of the year gift. I was also surprised to find that people liked and used my video. As I write this I have over 14,000 views and teachers have subscribed to me and added my video to their playlists to use in their classrooms. This is a facet of my education that I might continue to explore in the future. I’ve flirted with the idea of making more videos like that that I and others could use to enhance their instruction.
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I feel I have a solid foundation to continue my learning on my own. I’ve taken risks and established learning habits in the structured setting of an online formal education that will allow me to branch out on my own.