Developing Teaching and Learning Strategies
By: Alissa Hamilton
Just over a year after I received my undergraduate
degree I began writing my goals statement to apply for the Master's
program at Michigan State University. In March of 2007, I had only one
semester of teaching in my own classroom under my belt and I was
currently a substitute teacher for Alpena Public Schools. Since my
graduation from Central Michigan University, I taught at Charlotte
Public Schools as an Algebra 2B teacher for one semester, Alpena High
School for one marking period teaching Algebra 2, Geometry and Algebra 1
and ACES Academy (an alternative high school) for six weeks teaching
Algebra 2, Computers and Yearbook. At that time I was not only focused
on how the master's program would improve myself as a teacher, but also
how it would help me to become a desired (and permanent) addition to a
school district near my hometown.
My goal statement focused on how I would like to professionally have a permanent position and how I could improve on my teaching methods. As my job possibilities were focused on the Northeast Michigan area, I not only considered the 7-12th grade level as a job opportunity, but the local community college as a job opportunity as well. Now that I have a job at a district that I feel I am an important part of, I am unsure if I will continue to pursue a job career at the community college level, but I am not closing that possible door all of the way anytime in the near future. My goals statement also focused on how the Master's program could help me to pass my passion of mathematics and science onto my future students. I wrote about how I would learn how to integrate technology into the classroom to prepare students for their futures and engage them in their learning. I focused on how, not only could I learn from the course itself and the professors, but I would be able to learn from my classmates and their experiences as well. I think this was a very important aspect throughout my master's courses. I grew as not only a teacher, but also as a learner. I learned not only from the professors, readings and assignments, but also through the exchange of experiences and ideas with my fellow classmates.
Throughout the last three years since I wrote my goals statement for my application to the Master's program at MSU, I feel I have achieved these goals and so much more through MEAD's courses and my own professional changes. I have a teaching position that I love; one in which I realize that I should never settle into a teaching method that feels comfortable for myself, but instead use and continue to learn new teaching methods to challenge my students and myself as a teacher. Through the courses during my Master's education I have learned many different methods to integrate technology, reading, hands-on and reasoning skills into the classroom in which I have already used and will continue to use in the classroom. As I also developed as a learner throughout the master's program, I know that I will be able to continue to learn new ways to improve and enhance my classroom and teaching strategies.
My goal statement focused on how I would like to professionally have a permanent position and how I could improve on my teaching methods. As my job possibilities were focused on the Northeast Michigan area, I not only considered the 7-12th grade level as a job opportunity, but the local community college as a job opportunity as well. Now that I have a job at a district that I feel I am an important part of, I am unsure if I will continue to pursue a job career at the community college level, but I am not closing that possible door all of the way anytime in the near future. My goals statement also focused on how the Master's program could help me to pass my passion of mathematics and science onto my future students. I wrote about how I would learn how to integrate technology into the classroom to prepare students for their futures and engage them in their learning. I focused on how, not only could I learn from the course itself and the professors, but I would be able to learn from my classmates and their experiences as well. I think this was a very important aspect throughout my master's courses. I grew as not only a teacher, but also as a learner. I learned not only from the professors, readings and assignments, but also through the exchange of experiences and ideas with my fellow classmates.
Throughout the last three years since I wrote my goals statement for my application to the Master's program at MSU, I feel I have achieved these goals and so much more through MEAD's courses and my own professional changes. I have a teaching position that I love; one in which I realize that I should never settle into a teaching method that feels comfortable for myself, but instead use and continue to learn new teaching methods to challenge my students and myself as a teacher. Through the courses during my Master's education I have learned many different methods to integrate technology, reading, hands-on and reasoning skills into the classroom in which I have already used and will continue to use in the classroom. As I also developed as a learner throughout the master's program, I know that I will be able to continue to learn new ways to improve and enhance my classroom and teaching strategies.
