We Met at the Crossroads

 

 

When I chose to become a teacher, I did not forecast future degree pursuits or changes in career for myself.  I had made the decision that I enjoyed working with children and helping them to make personal growth and achieve things which they did not believe themselves to be capable of.  I wanted to be a teacher; a special education teacher at that.  Teaching for me was to be my career and any pursuits I would have in the future would be targeted at improving my skills as a teacher.

 

As I chose to pursue my Master of Arts in Teaching and then obtain a certificate in Educational Technology through Michigan State University (MSU), my primary goal for each was to become a better educator, while also renewing my teaching certificate.  There was no plan to take my career to the administrative level or prepare myself to leave teaching.  I was happy doing what I was doing and just wanted to get better.

 

As the spring of 2015 came, I had decided to make some career changes.  This left me to reflect on where I was and where I wanted to be in the future.  I still greatly enjoyed teaching and had no thoughts of leaving the profession, though as my certificate renewal date was approaching in the next year, I wanted to pursue education and training in an area I found to be both of value and interest.  I loved technology and loved teaching, so I decided to explore my options to complete the Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program at MSU.  

 

I’ll be honest, for a twinkling moment, I had, in the back of my mind, the thought of pursuing my MAET and moving on from education.  But with brief reflection, I couldn’t picture myself doing anything else.  I really enjoy teaching.  I knew I was again following a pathway to strengthen my skills as an educator, to become a better teacher.  Ultimately, becoming a better teacher was my goal.  If I was unsure when I reentered the program, it took less than a semester to make up my mind.  I was excited to be sharing new things and obtaining new knowledge about my field.  I drove others crazy by sharing my newly acquired knowledge.

 

The knowledge I began to obtain, in many ways rejuvenated me and helped to throw out any negativity I’d been subjected to.  While I may not have truly known what my goals were when I initiated my entry into MAET, they became more clear as I soaked in more knowledge.  Yes, there was a means to an end; I renewed my teaching certificate.  But I did so with compromise.  I didn’t just take some credits to get credits and renew.  I sought out a program that appealed to my interests, while at the same time, one that would give me the knowledge and the skills to become a better educator.  In reflection, I’ve achieved that goal and developed new goals in the process.

 

What are those goals?  Specifically, I do not know.  A new pathway can lead many places.  I do know I want to continue in some manner to educate and or support and inspire people in their quest to better themselves.  This could come in the form of working with adults or children.  It could also take place in a typical or atypical work environment.  It will, however, require that I continue to educate and better myself as well.