The More Things Change, The More they Stay the Same
Goal Reflection Essay
I began my journey towards completing my masters program in the summer of 2015. Although It was not too long ago I could not remember the goals I had set for myself. I could remember the goals I set for my students such as “I will use transition words in my writing” and data goals I set for myself “80% of students will reach benchmark on their reading assessment.” But I could not for the life of me remember what I had written. I scoured my email and finally found my goal statement.
As I reread my initial goal statement I was quite moved by what I had written. I had set some lofty goals for myself, goals that would not be considered SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-based) goals by my professional learning community but goals that were, and continue to be very important to me. I had stated “I want each child that goes through my classroom, my grade level, and my school to leave having grown, having felt success, and knowing there is someone who cares about them and has high expectations for them. I want to be the person to guide my students on their academic journey and support them through their successes and failures.”
As soon as I finished reading this goal statement I was so thankful for this assignment. I have a group of students this year who are much different than I have had in years past. I have found myself frustrated with the challenge that was put in front of me. However, after rereading my statement I was reminded of the special privilege I have as a teacher. I was reminded of the reason I am a teacher. I want to be that person who celebrates the successes of each child no matter how small. I want to be the person who supports students through their failures so they understand it's okay to mess up sometimes but to persevere and not give up.
As I begin to think about my current goals I believe many of the same sentiments still ring true. I still want to be that teacher who encourages students to keep trying every time they fail and who celebrates each success with them.
In addition to my past goals I also hope to continue to grow as a teacher and as a leader. I have learned so much through pursuing my Masters of Education at Michigan State University but I do not want this to be the end of the road. I hope to always seek out ways to improve my craft and better meet the needs of my students. Additionally, I would like to use my knowledge to be a leader among my fellow teachers. I hope to bring a positive outlook on teaching and education to my fellow educators and community. I truly believe in the Nelson Mandela quote posted on my homepage “ Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world” and if I can instill in my students and fellow educators the importance of education and the power it has I will have met my goals.
As I reread my initial goal statement I was quite moved by what I had written. I had set some lofty goals for myself, goals that would not be considered SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-based) goals by my professional learning community but goals that were, and continue to be very important to me. I had stated “I want each child that goes through my classroom, my grade level, and my school to leave having grown, having felt success, and knowing there is someone who cares about them and has high expectations for them. I want to be the person to guide my students on their academic journey and support them through their successes and failures.”
As soon as I finished reading this goal statement I was so thankful for this assignment. I have a group of students this year who are much different than I have had in years past. I have found myself frustrated with the challenge that was put in front of me. However, after rereading my statement I was reminded of the special privilege I have as a teacher. I was reminded of the reason I am a teacher. I want to be that person who celebrates the successes of each child no matter how small. I want to be the person who supports students through their failures so they understand it's okay to mess up sometimes but to persevere and not give up.
As I begin to think about my current goals I believe many of the same sentiments still ring true. I still want to be that teacher who encourages students to keep trying every time they fail and who celebrates each success with them.
In addition to my past goals I also hope to continue to grow as a teacher and as a leader. I have learned so much through pursuing my Masters of Education at Michigan State University but I do not want this to be the end of the road. I hope to always seek out ways to improve my craft and better meet the needs of my students. Additionally, I would like to use my knowledge to be a leader among my fellow teachers. I hope to bring a positive outlook on teaching and education to my fellow educators and community. I truly believe in the Nelson Mandela quote posted on my homepage “ Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world” and if I can instill in my students and fellow educators the importance of education and the power it has I will have met my goals.