Sara Rich

Learning Never Ends

By: Sara Rich

 

Teaching.  A classroom of students.  These are two things I always dreamed of when I grew up.  My dreams came true when I began my student teaching in 2007.  It was a thrilling, exciting, and at times an exhausting experience, but I knew this was what I was meant to do.  As I continued teaching as a guest teacher and then having my own classroom, I began to think about going back to school and getting a master’s degree.  After about three years of switching grades, classrooms, and curriculums, I decided it was time!  I began my Master in Arts of Education application and that's when I faced a difficult decision.  Which concentration did I want to pursue?  I contemplated between a few different concentrations.  Did I want to focus on literacy, technology, or leadership?  As I pondered and pondered, I began to think about what it would be like to one day be a teacher leader or principal.  I started picturing myself in the shoes of my school leaders and thought about how I would lead a school, what kinds of things I would do, and how I would perform.  That is when I became certain that the area I would like to focus on for my master’s program would be leadership.

 

When applying a year and a half ago my goals were to always remain a lifelong learner, collaborate and work closely with my peers, and engage parents in their child’s educational learning experience.  Not only are these goals important for a teacher, but just as valuable for a leader.  I wanted to be able to set goals in     different aspects of teaching, knowing how important each were and how they all tied together.  As a third year teacher when I began my master's, these three areas were the topics of many conversations at school.  As I sit here today, having just finished my fifth year of teaching, these topics still remain at the forefront of many conversations at school.

 

At the end of my master’s journey, I was asked to reflect on my original goals.  My original goals still remain the same, but my learning has prospered.  Throughout my master’s program the importance of continuing to learn was stressed in many different courses.  It is just as important for me and other staff members to learn, as it is for my students to learn.  Interactive white boards, iPads, Chromebooks, visible thinking, math talk, just to name a few, are all important aspects of education, and as an educator I cannot afford to sit back and not grow as a learner.  I will use all of the resources I have been afforded to make this a continuous goal throughout my career.  Collaboration is also a fundamental aspect of teaching.  Day in and day out I work closely with my fellow colleagues by sharing ideas, having discussions with other grade levels, joining committees, and working together in professional learning communities.  I have gained a deeper understanding of the importance of teamwork in my classes and through the books I have read.  One cannot do it all alone or know everything there is to know.  Just like I tell my students how important it is to work together, I need to remember to always do the same.  Lastly, a school is not complete without the involvement of parents.  I have come to realize the different ways parents can be involved in their child’s education, like helping in the classroom, attending after school activities, assisting with homework at home, or even checking their child’s folder each night.  I have and will continue to make a conscious effort to have a majority, if not all, of my parents' involved in one way or another in the education of their child.

 

Even though my goals have not changed, I think I have been able to expand upon them and develop my knowledge about each.  As I look to be a leader in the near future, I know what I have learned will help me become the best possible leader I can be.  All of my goals are for the benefit of my students and the students in my school.  As Walt Disney once said, "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."