Tori Hunt

Keep the Change

 

It was 2012 and I had been teaching for two years. I felt confident in my teaching as my kids were making good progress. However, I had a voice in my head telling my that I needed to do more, I needed to do better. I felt as if I needed to change to become a better teacher. I was eager to grow as a teacher, but I wasn’t sure how to do that. I took professional development classes and in-school trainings thinking that I had found the answer. I was shy and didn’t participate in collaboration with my colleagues. I was afraid to speak up in meetings and offer my input and opinions. I had an interest in becoming a Literacy coach at my school. I wanted to learn more about teaching struggling readers and strategies for helping them succeed. I was in search of reading intervention strategies that worked and ways to help my low income, high needs population of students. I wanted to become more effective in my literacy instruction and reach more of my students. Then I found the MAED program at Michigan State University and decided to enroll. I thought that once I completed my Master of Arts in Education that I would finally be a great teacher.

       

Throughout this two-year process, I would say that my goals have expanded a little. I became more interested in technology while completing my degree. I took a few courses on technology to expand my knowledge in that domain and learn ways to use technology in the school setting. My goal now is to incorporate more technology in a way that will enhance my literacy instruction. I also became more interested in building my students' interest in literacy. I learned many ways to pick good, authentic books and introduce my students to relatable literature to instill a lifelong love of reading and learning. I have also become more a team player. With my newfound knowledge through my advanced courses, I am able to assist colleagues in ways to implement literacy and technology activities in their classrooms. Through many discussions and blogs throughout my degree program, I feel I have found my voice, and become more of a leader, instead of the quiet new teacher who kept to herself. A continuing goal I have is to maintain my interest in lifelong learning, forever evolving in my teaching practices and ideas to be the most effective educator possible for my students.

 

In all, I can say that I have achieved my goals to become a more effective literacy instructor, but I am continuing my goal of evolving as an educator. I have also added a new goal of incorporating and teaching through technology to incorporate 21st century skills. Most of all, I have come to accept that fact that I will never reach the top as far as becoming a great teacher. Being a great teacher entails constantly learning and evolving your teaching practices. Constant learning and changing is what I intend to do as I continue my teaching career and keep my students’ best interest at heart.