Chaotic Clarity
my goal reflection essay By Rachel Patzwaldt
"You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
It was August of 2012 and I was in a state of panic. Not because my students were due to come through the doors of my classroom the next week and another year of learning was going to occur. I was in a panic because my certification paperwork was at a standstill and I no longer had a valid teaching certificate. In the midst of the tears, sweat and minor panic attacks, I submitted a life long learner application to Michigan State University and enrolled in two classes. I then applied to the Masters of Arts in Education online program. A flurry of typing in a moment of clarity produced my professional goal statement and an updated resume. And now, here I am on the brink of graduation from the program a short two years later.
Looking back over my essay, I am pleasantly surprised that the chaos it was created in did not affect nor influence my focus. What I wanted as an educator back in August of 2012 is still what I want for myself and my students. Throughout my goal statement was the theme of technology. As a mother of two young children, then and now I am still enthralled at the ease that they approach technology with as I tentatively tip toe around it and try not to mess everything up. But look at me now, the creator and editor of a webpage devoted to the development of myself as an educator. I created and maintained a blog to reflect on my learning in a class. My documents are saved in my Google Drive instead of to my desktop. I use the short throw SmartBoard projector as much as I can and play around with my newly installed document camera. I am on the brink of graduation from a masters program that is completely done online. This tip-toer has begun to make some tracks in the technology snow.
The use of technology that I have embraced has engaged my students at a greater level as I accelerate and reinforce my instruction. That was one of my goals as well, and again, I was pleased to reflect that my focus has remained steadfast on my original goals. The importance of literacy and creating lifelong readers and writers has not been lost in the wake of my technology ride. Now in our sixth year as a MiBLSi school, our staff and administration have stayed the course and continue to watch our students excel in the area of reading. Through progress monitoring, research based interventions, teacher-partner planning meetings, small reading groups and an uninterrupted ninety minute block designated to literacy instruction and practice, success in literacy remains at the forefront of my mind every day I walk into my classroom.
Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, in my state of panic, I acknowledged the kind of teacher I was and the teacher I continue to be. Technology will be a part of my personal and professional life. Engaging and creating readers and writers remains my focus because I know, with even more educated and passionate understanding, that they are the key elements to success.
Looking back over my essay, I am pleasantly surprised that the chaos it was created in did not affect nor influence my focus. What I wanted as an educator back in August of 2012 is still what I want for myself and my students. Throughout my goal statement was the theme of technology. As a mother of two young children, then and now I am still enthralled at the ease that they approach technology with as I tentatively tip toe around it and try not to mess everything up. But look at me now, the creator and editor of a webpage devoted to the development of myself as an educator. I created and maintained a blog to reflect on my learning in a class. My documents are saved in my Google Drive instead of to my desktop. I use the short throw SmartBoard projector as much as I can and play around with my newly installed document camera. I am on the brink of graduation from a masters program that is completely done online. This tip-toer has begun to make some tracks in the technology snow.
The use of technology that I have embraced has engaged my students at a greater level as I accelerate and reinforce my instruction. That was one of my goals as well, and again, I was pleased to reflect that my focus has remained steadfast on my original goals. The importance of literacy and creating lifelong readers and writers has not been lost in the wake of my technology ride. Now in our sixth year as a MiBLSi school, our staff and administration have stayed the course and continue to watch our students excel in the area of reading. Through progress monitoring, research based interventions, teacher-partner planning meetings, small reading groups and an uninterrupted ninety minute block designated to literacy instruction and practice, success in literacy remains at the forefront of my mind every day I walk into my classroom.
Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, in my state of panic, I acknowledged the kind of teacher I was and the teacher I continue to be. Technology will be a part of my personal and professional life. Engaging and creating readers and writers remains my focus because I know, with even more educated and passionate understanding, that they are the key elements to success.