Becoming A Better Educator
By Tom Gunnells
February 2012
In the spring of 2010 I applied to the MSU EduTech program. Part of this process was a goals statement that I had to write stating what I wanted to accomplish in the program. My ideas I thought were simple; become a better educator, and to learn some cool tricks that I could use in the classroom. I wanted to become tech savvy, or at least more so than I already am.
I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to learn. The program had been highly recommended by some friends and I had been interested in getting started – to see what was out there that I didn’t already know.
My main goal in the program though was to learn skills that would allow me to become a master teacher. As cliché as it sounds, I really want to be an excellent teacher that helps all students learn, and I felt that being a part of the MAET program would help me accomplish that goal.
As I think about my goals now, I think that they are the same. The MAET program has helped me achieve the goals that I had two years ago, but what I not realize is that they will never be complete. I have so much better of an understanding of teaching, how to do it and the resources available - but there is more out there to learn. I have many more skills that I can use in the classroom and techniques to work with the children – but it’s something that I can always improve on.
In the coming months as I finish this program, my goals will stay the same. I want to be a master teacher, and I want to be able to utilize new technologies in my classroom to stay current with my students and colleagues. Being an MAET graduate will help me to continue along a path to reaching those goals and continue to educate youth in the best way possible.
February 2012
In the spring of 2010 I applied to the MSU EduTech program. Part of this process was a goals statement that I had to write stating what I wanted to accomplish in the program. My ideas I thought were simple; become a better educator, and to learn some cool tricks that I could use in the classroom. I wanted to become tech savvy, or at least more so than I already am.
I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to learn. The program had been highly recommended by some friends and I had been interested in getting started – to see what was out there that I didn’t already know.
My main goal in the program though was to learn skills that would allow me to become a master teacher. As cliché as it sounds, I really want to be an excellent teacher that helps all students learn, and I felt that being a part of the MAET program would help me accomplish that goal.
As I think about my goals now, I think that they are the same. The MAET program has helped me achieve the goals that I had two years ago, but what I not realize is that they will never be complete. I have so much better of an understanding of teaching, how to do it and the resources available - but there is more out there to learn. I have many more skills that I can use in the classroom and techniques to work with the children – but it’s something that I can always improve on.
In the coming months as I finish this program, my goals will stay the same. I want to be a master teacher, and I want to be able to utilize new technologies in my classroom to stay current with my students and colleagues. Being an MAET graduate will help me to continue along a path to reaching those goals and continue to educate youth in the best way possible.
