A Stop Along the Way by Jenny Luyckx
When I applied for the Master of Arts in Education program at Michigan State University in Fall 2007 I had just become a single parent and had started a new teaching position. To be honest, taking classes towards my master's degree was the furthest thing from my mind, but something that I needed to do in order to fulfill the requirements necessary for my teaching certificate. I decided that in order to be as successful as I could be and to set an example for my children that I would need to enter the program with a positive attitude and to strive to do my best, even on days when I felt like I had nothing more to give.
In looking back at my personal goal when I first applied to the program, I am even more convinced as to my decision to have my concentration area be Special Education. I wrote, "As a chil my goal was to become a teacher. Since achieving my goal in April 2002 from Western Michigan University I have become more interested in the field of Special Education. I am a mother of three children and one of my three children has PDD-NOS (Pervassive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified). When Zac was first given this diagnosis I was confused because I did not know what category it was under; only the fact that he did indeed have a special need....Zac is the first member of my family to have a special need and I think because of his gift I have learned so much about him. I have been so impressed with the services that he has received at school and the growth that he has gained because of these services. I realize how important his Special Education teachers are to him and his educational needs and this has given me the motivation to want to continue my education in the Special Education field. I am so excited to be an important part of another child's education. To give them the hope and encouragement that they need as they strive to be the best student they can. I know the Special Education teachers have the extra pressure put on them but I look at the pressure and challenge as being a privilege; a way to service and help a child. I have always given my best in my education and will continue to do so in the Special Education field."
After revisiting my Personal Goal Statement from 2007, nothing has really changed. I know that my decision for entering the MAED program with a concentration of Special Education was the right choice. I have such a great desire to teach and work with children who have special needs, whether it is in my own General Education classroom or a Special Education classroom. One way that the courses at MSU have changed me is that they have made me feel more confident in pursuing my passion and have made me feel more confident as a teacher. I have learned so many strategies that I have already brought into my classroom that have enabled me to change the way I teach and to meet all of the needs of my students, whether they are academic, social, or behavioral; and provide them with instruction that is meaningful to them. One of the ways I have changed the way I teach in order to meet the academic needs of my students is by differentiating the instruction in my classroom even more than I already was. A way that I have meet the social needs of all of my students is to offer reinforcement that engages them with the other students in the classroom. Finally, a strategy that I have learned that I have brought into the classroom that meets the behavioral needs of my students is to send home a daily note that focuses on the behaviors that need to be changed. A goal that I will continue to pursue is to continue to differentiate instruction in a variety of ways so that all of the student’s needs are met and to not get set in differentiating only one way because not all students learn the way. In other words, I will continue to learn along the way just as my students will.
Although some of my personal goals outside of teaching have changed, my love and passion to teach has not. Even though I will have my Master’s degree at the end of Summer 2011, I know that my educational experiences are far from over. As many may look at the completion of a program as the end of the journey, I look at it as one of the many stops along the way……