A World of Learners

 

 

As someone who considers himself to be a lifelong learner, the concept of identifying learning “goals” presents me with a different challenge.  While it doesn’t seem much different than the concept of a “five-year plan,” in my mind, it is much more specific.  I say this, as I am currently in the process of planning a second career pathway over the next few years, with the idea in mind that about five years from now I will likely be making a transition away from my role as a teacher in the Michigan public schools system.  It is because of this that I am even more aware that the knowledge I take on will directly impact where I land and ultimately how much I enjoy my next endeavor.  All of this being said, I also wish to continue my growth in my current role.

 

I continue to enjoy and have a passion for teaching, so considering a field related to the area of teaching or helping others make personal growth and thus continuing to grow as an educator is something I have interest in.  Thus, it would be safe to say it is not out of the realm of possibility that I will continue to teach in some capacity.  In my current teaching position, I find myself looking for ways to best support my students and the growth they achieve by the time they graduate high school.  

 

The things I do to prepare them for this transition are vital, but they go beyond academics.  I must continue to grow my knowledge around post-secondary transition and career trends for young adults entering the work world so that I am able to help students make informed decisions around their career pathways.  Many of my current students have an interest in attending the Genesee Career Institute (GCI), so I have an interest in expanding my knowledge there as well.  Exploring all of these realms may lead to me being of service at an agency such as Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) in the future, though this is more directly related to my current role.  

 

I greatly enjoy technology and its integration into my teaching as well. I make efforts to integrate Google Drive and Google Classroom along with other technologies into my everyday instruction and feedback with my students, allowing me to provide them with immediate feedback and formatively assess their abilities throughout the learning and teaching interaction we have.  I am excited by the idea of utilizing that on a different level.  What that entails is something I must delve into more deeply as time goes on and the picture of my future becomes more clear.

 

The idea of working in the area of corporate learning and development is something that has come to mind as I have explored and come across job openings  on LinkedIn.  Having this interest would require me to keep in touch with trends in the corporate world and thus continue to grow as an educator.

 

The above-mentioned areas of interest lead me to a final, more personal area of interest in learning...leadership.  I have long proclaimed to have no interest in becoming an administrator and have since decided that if I were to do so, it would have to be the right situation and I would have to feel as though I was making a positive impact.  

 

The forces causing me to have this change of heart could have been many things, from the attack on public experiencing first hand what I felt to be poor leadership, side by side with very good leadership.  However, I believe my involvement in one of my courses in the Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program was really what brought my interest in leadership forward.  The semester I took CEP 815, not only did I have a positive experience with my professor, but I read an article in the Harvard Business Review, which I found to be somewhat inspirational.

 

The article breaks down different leadership styles and helped me put into perspective that while there are many types of leaders out there, there are only so many who put in the effort to grow individually while helping those around them grow as well. I finished the class feeling enthusiastic about leadership (which is often difficult in education). I also finished thinking about my future, not only as a leader but as a collaborator. I want to improve my skills in these areas and continue helping others to grow personally and professionally. How I will go about doing this is something I will continue to explore.