The Long and Winding Road
Synthesis Essay
By Courtney Hansen
There is a lengthy series of events that
combine together to make a long, mostly believable story that ends with me
earning a master’s degree. But before we
jump into classes and what formed me into the teacher I am today, the back
story is needed to better understand why I decided to start this journey that
was the kick off to the events that led to my (nearly achieved) degree. The summer between my fourth and fifth years
of teaching was when I first started thinking about what is next for me as a learner. I know some teachers start on their master’s
degrees very early in their teaching career as in their first or second year of
teaching, and I also know some teachers who have been working for more than ten
years and have no intention of every getting their master’s degree. I fall somewhere in the middle of that
spectrum. I enjoy learning, love getting
new information, and trying out new ideas with my class. However, at this point in my life I had
learned enough about myself as a learner to know that I would easily get
overwhelmed if I were to teach full time and follow a traditional route for
getting my master’s degree by attending night or weekend classes at a local
university and therefore I was not rushing out to enroll any time soon.
The summer between my fourth and fifth years of teaching, I was at a point where I felt confident in myself as a teacher, I was not going to be teaching in a new grade level in the coming school year, but I knew I wanted some new information for myself as a teacher. I was in no way weary of school, but I wanted something to excite me in a new way, and at that time I had enough experience to have specific areas of interest and large questions I wanted answers to and for the first time I thought graduate school would be the right next step for me.
I knew what I wanted to do, go to graduate school, but I was unsure how to make that happen. I was just starting my fifth year of teaching in Maryland and was looking at a Maryland Teaching Certificate that would expire at the end of that year, and a Michigan Teaching Certificate that would expire a year after Maryland’s would. I knew a few facts for certain at that point in my life. One fact was that I was not going to teach in Maryland after that current school year, so I was not in any hurry to renew the Maryland Teaching Certificate as I had no further need for it. The second fact I knew was that I would be moving back to Michigan at the end of the school year and had one year from when I got back to do something to keep my Michigan Certificate valid. The third and final fact was while I knew I
After researching different graduate schools, I knew Michigan State University’s Master of Arts in Education (MAED) was going to be a perfect program for me. Not only did it allow me the flexibility of online courses, I was able to create my own program from all of the courses and concentrations they offered within the MAED program. I applied and was thankfully accepted into the program, and after looking at the different concentrations the program had to offer, I decided to focus on Literacy Education and Special Education.
When I was deciding on a path for my master’s I was teaching first grade and was working very hard at that time to teach all students how to read. However, I knew I had some challenges coming my way in supporting students and their learning so I was looking forward to strengthening my background in literacy to help better support all of my students as they conquered the mountain that was learning how to read. I was interested in special education for many reasons, but two main reasons specifically; the first being I had not had any special education classes in my undergraduate program and felt I would be a better teacher in this area if I had a stronger, any, background, and secondly I had worked with phenomenal special education teachers and saw what they were able to do with their students and I wanted to be able to help that student in my classroom and be able to support the special education teacher in any way I could.
I can honestly say I have gained something from each of my classes and am a different, and hopefully better, teacher because of what I have learned. While some classes have offered insights and shed light on new information for or about me as a teacher, a few classes stick out in my mind as having played a larger and stronger role in shaping the teacher I am now and how I view and work with my students. Oddly enough, one of the classes I took my very first semester of graduate school was one of these stand out classes. In spring semester of 2012, the very beginning of my journey, I took TE 846, Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners taught by Kevin Holohan. In my opinion, first grade is when the rubber meets the road when it comes to reading. Students come in to that grade knowing letters and their sounds, but leave that grade knowing how to read. A lot of learning and an extreme amount of hard work, by students and teachers alike, happen in any first grade classroom and mine was no different.
The majority of my students were making great progress and I could see the light bulbs being turned on as they worked to make sense of these letters and phrases and turn it into something meaningful when they read. But, as in any classroom, there were students who were not quite understanding everything and making the gains the majority of the class was making. There was one student in my class, Abby, who was as sweet as could be, but she struggled and struggled with reading. She knew her letters and sounds but she seemed to get stuck if we tried to cross over into reading. She and I were both struggling and I was trying to find new ways to help her when TE 846 started. In this class, we focused on reasons some students struggle with reading and what general education teachers can do to help support their growth. It was meant to be, this class could not have been more perfectly timed if I had asked for it to be! Not only was I introduced to many new ideas, plans, tips, and resources to help Abby, and of course the rest of my class as well, one of the most beneficial tasks of that class was to do a very specific case study on a student we wanted more information on. Of course, I chose Abby to work with, and if changed the rest of the year. Through the work I did in TE 846, I was able to find assessments that were more tailored to Abby and gave specific information that I could use to make decisions about how best to work with her.
In gathering information, and creating assessments and activities specifically for Abby, I was able to get an extremely in depth understanding of her abilities when it came to phonemic awareness, pre-reading skills, and phonics in general. Once I had that information, found using materials and suggestions from the class, I was able to work one-on-one with Abby and give her specifically what she needed to succeed. When I first started working with her she was reading at a level D (where most students were reading at an F or G level), through our hard work and specific teaching Abby was able to catch up to her peers and ended first grade reading on grade level at a level I! The class, and in particular the case study we did, opened my eyes to how to teachers need to work with students. It is our job as a teacher to meet the needs of our students, not the other way around. It is the teacher that has to be willing to re-evaluate and change their ideas when things are not going according to plan. We must meet each student at their level and find different ways to work with and support that student so they be successful.
A second class that really struck a chord within me was CEP 832, Educating Students with Challenging Behaviors which was taught by Dr. Jana Aupperlee. It is a fact that no two students think or act alike. However many different students you have in your class is how many personalities and types of behaviors you will have to work with, monitor, and at times attempt to change. After TE 846, I was already thinking of how I could better meet the individual needs of students in an academic sense, but this class helped to show how teachers can help to meet the social and emotional needs of students as well. There was a little boy in first grade, Luke, a small spit fire of a thing, who would at one moment be sweet and kind to a friend and then turn around and insult (albeit in a first grade way) another friend in his next breath. I had tried many things to help support Luke and help to change his behaviors to more school appropriate and overall friendly. In CEP 832, we looked at different reasons students act out and the different ways in which they act out. The moment we started looking at and analyzing ABC (Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence) charts as a way to spot trends in behavior, I knew this was something I could use with Luke. I knew that if I could find a pattern or a reason, whatever it may be, for his behaviors I could then use that information to help stop his behaviors before they even started.
Using the information from class, I was able to observe and use an ABC chart Luke and see that his behaviors started as soon as he lost interest in an activity because he thought it was too difficult for him to do perfectly. Once I knew he was anxious and frustrated about his classwork and would out act out to show his frustration, picking whatever target happened to be closest to him at that moment, I was able to make changes in Luke’s assignments. While there were still some assignments he had to complete without any changes, I was able to find other ways for him to work that were more open ended and allowed for some freedom in how things were shown. Once he felt he no longer had to have perfectly completed assignments he was able to calm down and relax in class. We also started to use a behavior chart to help keep him focused on making good choices, and what he could do in case he started feeling upset of frustrated about something in class. These changes, brought about by ideas, discussions, and assignments from CEP 832, helped change how Luke felt and interacted with the class which resulted in a calmer and more focused Luke and class in general.
This summer 2014 one of the classes I took was CEP 840, Policies, Practices, and Perspectives in Special Education which was taught by Dr. Carol Englert. This class was paradigm shifting for me as this was the first time I had to view a student or case study as a special education teacher as opposed to the role of general education teacher. One of the first projects we worked on in class was completing an IEP using data and information from parents. Having to sift through information to find that one little piece that meant we had to make this decision as opposed to that decision was a challenge. I already greatly admired special education teachers, but after walking in their shoes (with a hypothetical student) I admire them even more for all they do.
I also took away that teachers, both general and special education, need to look at data and information on a student as well have experiences with that child before making decisions on that child’s education. There is no one right path to travel, and we cannot force a student to walk down a path they are not ready for, even with our support. We as teachers have to be willing to find exactly what that student needs in that moment and provide that to the best of our ability. CEP 840 had another project where we researched assistive technology for a disability and put together a website describing the disability and how the various technologies could help students better succeed in class. We have to remember each student is special, unique, and different from the person they sit next to in class. Though they have a similar special education label for services, what those two students need in order to be the best student they can be is potentially very different. We have to know the student, how they typically think and act, what motivates them, and what their goals are. If we know that about our students we are better able to see the whole student, not just one part of their disability, and work with them in a deeper and more meaningful way which is really what any teacher wants for their students.
It has been a long and winding road traveling through graduate school, and while it was a long and somewhat interesting road that brought me to this place, I am happy to be where I am. I know because of this program and each of the classes I have taken, I am a stronger, more confident teacher who is willing to try something new if I believe it will help just one student in my class. I am incorporating technology in new ways in my teaching because of this program and I am also communicating with parents and students in new and exciting ways using that technology. I have a stronger understanding of special education and have new ideas and ways to work with students with special needs, and I can transfer those skills to working with students who are struggling in class and need extra support. I am a stronger literacy teacher and have many ideas on how to help support struggling readers as well as identify earlier students who may struggle with literacy. These classes have changed how I interact, engage, and teach a class and have helped me grow tremendously as a teacher and I am extremely happy and fortunate to have picked this road to walk down.
The summer between my fourth and fifth years of teaching, I was at a point where I felt confident in myself as a teacher, I was not going to be teaching in a new grade level in the coming school year, but I knew I wanted some new information for myself as a teacher. I was in no way weary of school, but I wanted something to excite me in a new way, and at that time I had enough experience to have specific areas of interest and large questions I wanted answers to and for the first time I thought graduate school would be the right next step for me.
I knew what I wanted to do, go to graduate school, but I was unsure how to make that happen. I was just starting my fifth year of teaching in Maryland and was looking at a Maryland Teaching Certificate that would expire at the end of that year, and a Michigan Teaching Certificate that would expire a year after Maryland’s would. I knew a few facts for certain at that point in my life. One fact was that I was not going to teach in Maryland after that current school year, so I was not in any hurry to renew the Maryland Teaching Certificate as I had no further need for it. The second fact I knew was that I would be moving back to Michigan at the end of the school year and had one year from when I got back to do something to keep my Michigan Certificate valid. The third and final fact was while I knew I
After researching different graduate schools, I knew Michigan State University’s Master of Arts in Education (MAED) was going to be a perfect program for me. Not only did it allow me the flexibility of online courses, I was able to create my own program from all of the courses and concentrations they offered within the MAED program. I applied and was thankfully accepted into the program, and after looking at the different concentrations the program had to offer, I decided to focus on Literacy Education and Special Education.
When I was deciding on a path for my master’s I was teaching first grade and was working very hard at that time to teach all students how to read. However, I knew I had some challenges coming my way in supporting students and their learning so I was looking forward to strengthening my background in literacy to help better support all of my students as they conquered the mountain that was learning how to read. I was interested in special education for many reasons, but two main reasons specifically; the first being I had not had any special education classes in my undergraduate program and felt I would be a better teacher in this area if I had a stronger, any, background, and secondly I had worked with phenomenal special education teachers and saw what they were able to do with their students and I wanted to be able to help that student in my classroom and be able to support the special education teacher in any way I could.
I can honestly say I have gained something from each of my classes and am a different, and hopefully better, teacher because of what I have learned. While some classes have offered insights and shed light on new information for or about me as a teacher, a few classes stick out in my mind as having played a larger and stronger role in shaping the teacher I am now and how I view and work with my students. Oddly enough, one of the classes I took my very first semester of graduate school was one of these stand out classes. In spring semester of 2012, the very beginning of my journey, I took TE 846, Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners taught by Kevin Holohan. In my opinion, first grade is when the rubber meets the road when it comes to reading. Students come in to that grade knowing letters and their sounds, but leave that grade knowing how to read. A lot of learning and an extreme amount of hard work, by students and teachers alike, happen in any first grade classroom and mine was no different.
The majority of my students were making great progress and I could see the light bulbs being turned on as they worked to make sense of these letters and phrases and turn it into something meaningful when they read. But, as in any classroom, there were students who were not quite understanding everything and making the gains the majority of the class was making. There was one student in my class, Abby, who was as sweet as could be, but she struggled and struggled with reading. She knew her letters and sounds but she seemed to get stuck if we tried to cross over into reading. She and I were both struggling and I was trying to find new ways to help her when TE 846 started. In this class, we focused on reasons some students struggle with reading and what general education teachers can do to help support their growth. It was meant to be, this class could not have been more perfectly timed if I had asked for it to be! Not only was I introduced to many new ideas, plans, tips, and resources to help Abby, and of course the rest of my class as well, one of the most beneficial tasks of that class was to do a very specific case study on a student we wanted more information on. Of course, I chose Abby to work with, and if changed the rest of the year. Through the work I did in TE 846, I was able to find assessments that were more tailored to Abby and gave specific information that I could use to make decisions about how best to work with her.
In gathering information, and creating assessments and activities specifically for Abby, I was able to get an extremely in depth understanding of her abilities when it came to phonemic awareness, pre-reading skills, and phonics in general. Once I had that information, found using materials and suggestions from the class, I was able to work one-on-one with Abby and give her specifically what she needed to succeed. When I first started working with her she was reading at a level D (where most students were reading at an F or G level), through our hard work and specific teaching Abby was able to catch up to her peers and ended first grade reading on grade level at a level I! The class, and in particular the case study we did, opened my eyes to how to teachers need to work with students. It is our job as a teacher to meet the needs of our students, not the other way around. It is the teacher that has to be willing to re-evaluate and change their ideas when things are not going according to plan. We must meet each student at their level and find different ways to work with and support that student so they be successful.
A second class that really struck a chord within me was CEP 832, Educating Students with Challenging Behaviors which was taught by Dr. Jana Aupperlee. It is a fact that no two students think or act alike. However many different students you have in your class is how many personalities and types of behaviors you will have to work with, monitor, and at times attempt to change. After TE 846, I was already thinking of how I could better meet the individual needs of students in an academic sense, but this class helped to show how teachers can help to meet the social and emotional needs of students as well. There was a little boy in first grade, Luke, a small spit fire of a thing, who would at one moment be sweet and kind to a friend and then turn around and insult (albeit in a first grade way) another friend in his next breath. I had tried many things to help support Luke and help to change his behaviors to more school appropriate and overall friendly. In CEP 832, we looked at different reasons students act out and the different ways in which they act out. The moment we started looking at and analyzing ABC (Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence) charts as a way to spot trends in behavior, I knew this was something I could use with Luke. I knew that if I could find a pattern or a reason, whatever it may be, for his behaviors I could then use that information to help stop his behaviors before they even started.
Using the information from class, I was able to observe and use an ABC chart Luke and see that his behaviors started as soon as he lost interest in an activity because he thought it was too difficult for him to do perfectly. Once I knew he was anxious and frustrated about his classwork and would out act out to show his frustration, picking whatever target happened to be closest to him at that moment, I was able to make changes in Luke’s assignments. While there were still some assignments he had to complete without any changes, I was able to find other ways for him to work that were more open ended and allowed for some freedom in how things were shown. Once he felt he no longer had to have perfectly completed assignments he was able to calm down and relax in class. We also started to use a behavior chart to help keep him focused on making good choices, and what he could do in case he started feeling upset of frustrated about something in class. These changes, brought about by ideas, discussions, and assignments from CEP 832, helped change how Luke felt and interacted with the class which resulted in a calmer and more focused Luke and class in general.
This summer 2014 one of the classes I took was CEP 840, Policies, Practices, and Perspectives in Special Education which was taught by Dr. Carol Englert. This class was paradigm shifting for me as this was the first time I had to view a student or case study as a special education teacher as opposed to the role of general education teacher. One of the first projects we worked on in class was completing an IEP using data and information from parents. Having to sift through information to find that one little piece that meant we had to make this decision as opposed to that decision was a challenge. I already greatly admired special education teachers, but after walking in their shoes (with a hypothetical student) I admire them even more for all they do.
I also took away that teachers, both general and special education, need to look at data and information on a student as well have experiences with that child before making decisions on that child’s education. There is no one right path to travel, and we cannot force a student to walk down a path they are not ready for, even with our support. We as teachers have to be willing to find exactly what that student needs in that moment and provide that to the best of our ability. CEP 840 had another project where we researched assistive technology for a disability and put together a website describing the disability and how the various technologies could help students better succeed in class. We have to remember each student is special, unique, and different from the person they sit next to in class. Though they have a similar special education label for services, what those two students need in order to be the best student they can be is potentially very different. We have to know the student, how they typically think and act, what motivates them, and what their goals are. If we know that about our students we are better able to see the whole student, not just one part of their disability, and work with them in a deeper and more meaningful way which is really what any teacher wants for their students.
It has been a long and winding road traveling through graduate school, and while it was a long and somewhat interesting road that brought me to this place, I am happy to be where I am. I know because of this program and each of the classes I have taken, I am a stronger, more confident teacher who is willing to try something new if I believe it will help just one student in my class. I am incorporating technology in new ways in my teaching because of this program and I am also communicating with parents and students in new and exciting ways using that technology. I have a stronger understanding of special education and have new ideas and ways to work with students with special needs, and I can transfer those skills to working with students who are struggling in class and need extra support. I am a stronger literacy teacher and have many ideas on how to help support struggling readers as well as identify earlier students who may struggle with literacy. These classes have changed how I interact, engage, and teach a class and have helped me grow tremendously as a teacher and I am extremely happy and fortunate to have picked this road to walk down.