Lauren K. Zebula
Today's Challenge is
Tomorrow's Reward
By Lauren Zebula
Each course in the MAED program either helped shape me as a leader, helped to shape my overall view on education or expanded my toolbox as a classroom teacher. A few courses particularly impacted me. In my second semester in the program, Spring 2013, I enrolled in ED 800: Concepts of Educational Inquiry, a course that not only, as the course title suggests, engaged me in educational inquiry but challenged my philosophy on important topics in education. In this course, Dr. Steven Weiland guided us through modules that explored the history of education in America, the role of the learner and the teacher, and current debates in education. We explored these topics not only through articles, books, videos and course readings but by using a variety of inquiry techniques that are essential in the field of education. I discovered the use of ethnographic participant observation and classroom-based inquiry, while contemplating various theories of curriculum. One of the most fascinating assignments for me in this course was completing an autobiographical inquiry which looked into my own educational journey as well as how technology has and continues to impact my learning. As much as I enjoyed the course, it was also one that was challenging for me in the way that it was presented. First, it was entirely self-paced, with no timelines or due dates other than making sure the six course modules and their accompanying essays were completed by the end of the semester. Secondly, it was an entirely independent course in which I had no interaction with my classmates and little interaction with my professors. It forced me to learn in a different way than many of my other courses but it equipped me with knowledge and methods that would prove to be useful throughout my Master’s program.
One of my favorite courses in the program was one that really impacted my idea of what leadership is and what it means to be a great leader. This course was called EAD 801: Leadership and Organizational Development. Dr. Debbie McFalone lead us on an interactive journey through which we discovered what makes up a leader and what causes others to buy-in and follow them. Much of course centered around the book The Truth About Leadership: The No-Fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know by Kouzes & Posner, which explored the characteristics of leaders in all industries and capacities. We also examined leaders in our schools and reflected on influential leaders throughout our lives who had shaped us into the people we are today. It was a course in which I really connected with my professor, my classmates, and myself, in order to build a picture of a leader I want to become.
As I completed my Bachelor’s degree and obtained my teaching certification through Michigan State University, I knew that it was only the closing of a chapter in my education and in my life. The year-long teaching internship and the graduate level courses that I completed during it provided me with an invaluable opportunity to experience life in the classroom while also providing a time in which I could reflect and discuss my experiences and further my skills and thoughts about teaching. I couldn’t imagine not having this experience prior to entering my own classroom the following year. As my time at Michigan State ended and I moved into my career, I knew that I needed a break and wanted to focus on beginning my career in teaching. I always knew at some point though, I’d return to complete my graduate degree. I have always had a love for learning and, as I think many educators do, I desire to be a life-long learner. I enjoy going to school, it was just a matter of time before I’d be back.
I began my teaching career in 2010 teaching middle school Spanish in an area outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was a new and exciting beginning for me. Despite the immense amount of experience I gained during my internship, I still had much to learn about teaching and how students learn. I underestimated that amount of time that effective planning and grading took. I didn’t realize how difficult motivating and disciplining some students could be. Being a teacher is a difficult job and being a new teacher is exceptionally challenging. I eventually found my way, striving to find different ways to reach and motivate my students while keeping order in the craziness that is the middle school classroom. I found ways to manage the paper load and the many tasks that a teacher is responsible for. In order to continue to improve though, I needed something more. I had a mentor, and support from other teachers. I had the typical principal-lead professional development sessions, but there was more I needed to learn. It was time, I decided, to go back and finish my Master’s degree, towards which I’d already earned credits during my internship.
In the spring of 2012, I decided to begin looking at Master’s programs in the Education field, and of course my search started with Michigan State University. While I had very little experience with online courses, I was looking to enroll in an entirely online program. I felt it would be the best fit for me, being that I was a busy, working teacher and an online program would allow me more flexibility and would save the time of having to attend class. As I began looking at online programs, I kept coming back to MSU for a few reasons. The primary reason was the incredible reputation of the education programs at MSU, being rated tops in the nation. There was also a sense of familiarity that I had with MSU, being an alumni and forever a Spartan. I also considered that fact that I already had earned graduate credits which would be honored by MSU’s Master’s programs. Finally, I was impressed with the wide range of program options that I had to choose from- education, education technology, and teaching and curriculum, just to name a few. I eventually settled on MSU’s Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program with a concentration in P-16 School Leadership. I felt that the program would help me to improve my understanding of teaching and learning while helping me to develop my leadership skills in order to become a teacher leader and eventually a school leader.
Entering the program I had little previous experience with online courses, taking just one course online during my undergraduate program. I also had very few expectations as I didn’t know what kind of teaching methods professor’s used online, what kinds of assignments to expect, and how much interaction I should expect with either my classmates or my professors. I was the first of my close friends/family to enroll in an entirely online program. Now, two years later, as I look back on my experiences in this online program, I can honestly say that I am thoroughly impressed by the experiences the online MAED allowed me to have. While each course was delivered through either the ANGEL or Desire 2 Learn course management systems, each was presented in such a different way with a wide variety of assignments and modes of interaction. Some course required me to meet regularly with my classmates or small group members. In many courses we used technologies like G-Chat, Google Docs, or simply email to communicate and work together. Other courses allowed me to really connect with my professors through live chats or threaded discussions, and still others required almost no interaction with others but rather with just the material itself. While the focus of my program was on education and leadership, the online nature of it allowed me to explore a wide variety of resources and websites while learning new technologies that I could apply to my own classroom.
While EAD 801 helped me to understand what kind of leader others willingly want to follow, another course helped me to understand more specifically the skills and responsibilities of those in school leadership roles. During the Fall of 2013 I completed EAD 824: Leading Teacher Learning. This was another very interactive course that I enjoyed. Dr. Nancy Colflesh steered us towards a better understanding of what it truly means to lead teacher learning and do so effectively. I discovered how much the role of principal has changed in the past few decades, evolving from school manager, charged with keeping order and managing day to day operations, to instructional leader, who develops teachers through direct assistance and collaborative learning. I also began to understand what it takes to plan effective teacher learning sessions and plans, from the budgeting, to assessing the resources available, to considering how adults learn and how to meet their needs.
Not only did I learn how to plan more formal teacher learning seasons but we realized the importance of direct assistance on teacher’s development. Direct assistance can come in the form of walkthroughs, formal observations, coaching, mentoring, feedback, peer observations, or a variety of other tasks. School leaders or teacher leaders use these methods to give direct feedback, whether it is positive comments or in the form of constructive criticism. While other professional learning is useful to teachers, direct assistance is so important because it focuses on specifically what that particular teacher does well to support student learning and how they can improve the things that are hindering student learning. Finally, and probably most importantly, Dr. Colflesh showed me how to establish a collaborative learning culture. As a class we really mimicked this collaborative learning culture, as we often worked together on assignments and projects, engaged in group chats, and though it was online, I really got to know both Dr. Colflesh and our classmates.
While my various courses throughout the MAED program strengthened and broadened my understanding of teaching, learning, leadership, and education as a whole, it also helped me to better understand myself and who I am as a teacher, learner, and leader. CEP 832 taught me methods for teaching and managing children with challenging behavior, while TE 846 informed me on topics such as the Response to Intervention model and teaching children reading skills in my content area, making me a better teacher. As I talked about earlier, EAD 801 and EAD 824 built my capacity for leadership in and out of the classroom, allowing me to explore my strengths, my weaknesses, and what it would take for me to become a teacher or school leader. The MAED program as a whole taught me more about myself as a learner. I found that I work well in groups and I enjoy getting to know my classmates and my professors, building a learning community in the process. Courses which required me to learn in isolation were more difficult to me, as I didn’t necessarily have those important discussions to bounce ideas off of others or contemplate differing opinions.
Overall, it was a challenging experience for me, as I don’t think I understood going in to the program what a balancing act it would be to juggle working full-time as a teacher with completing my Master’s degree, amongst other personal developments like getting married and buying a house. It has been a challenge to say the least, but a challenge worth pursuing. After all, as Booker T. Washington once said, “Nothing ever comes to one that is worth having, except as a result of hard work”. All of the late nights, all of the weekends filled with master’s coursework, all of the exhaustion and stress have been worth it. They have lead me to my reward: to not only the completion of Michigan State University’s MAED program but also to all that I have gained along this journey. While this might be the close of another chapter both in my education and my life, I know that it is just that, another chapter which opens doors to future chapters in my journey of life-long learning.