A Never Ending Journey
Amber Turner
I remember graduating from college so ready to embark on the journey so many of us know as college. I was ready to get started, not for the fun and good times but simply to get it over with so I could start teaching and be an adult. In my head finishing my bachelor’s degree would be the end of my educational journey and then I could move past the whole learning thing and just start working.
Upon completing my bachelor’s degree my mind set had changed a little. I knew one day I would most likely get a master’s degree but had no interest in taking any more college classes for a long time. I thought five maybe ten years down the road sounded good. I had enough of the whole sit in a classroom, listen to people talk and then be tested on it. I was ready for the real deal or so I thought.
I was very fortunate and was offered a job creating and implementing a preschool program at the school I had done my student teaching at (this in itself was a learning experience even if I didn’t know it at the time). I jumped at the opportunity. I was totally ready for the real world! I was so excited to be done with school and able to take what I learned and apply it to a career.
Less than two weeks into my new job my boss approached me and told me that when they hired me they neglected to check to see if I had a ZA Endorsement. I did not. I had two choices go back to college and get my ZA within 18 months or lose my job. Just a month or two prior I thought I was done with school for several years and here I was starting classes again within three months. That was the last time I thought there would ever be an end to my education.
Earning my ZA endorsement taught me many things besides child development. It taught me that once something sparks a passion in you, you can never know enough and that learning is not a journey with one destination but a journey with many stops along a never ending road. I have come to see and appreciate that lifelong learning will be part of who I am forever. While there was a point in my life I looked forward to being done learning I am now at a point where I feel I can’t learn enough.
As I complete my master’s degree I already have plans on how I will continue to grow and learn. While child development and literacy are true loves of mine I see my future learning leaning more in the direction of technology and applying technology to the classroom. It is clear that technology is fast changing what and how we teach. I am amazed at what kindergarteners can do on a computer or IPad compared to most adults I know. To stand back and be an on looker during this huge technological boom would be a disservice to both my students and me.
The school I work for is just beginning a technology initiative. I have asked to be a teacher leader for this initiative. I see this position as one that would not only allow me to use the skills I have gained through my masters but also a position that would require me to grow and learn more. I would like to take what I have learned in my leadership classes though MSU, the technology knowledge I have gained both on my own and through the online program and lead my peers in investigating and trying new technologies that could be applied in the classroom and increase student learning and achievement. I know this position will encourage me to step outside my box as I will not only be investigating technologies I am interested in but also investigating technologies others are interested in. This position will also require me to apply what I have learned about leadership but will also challenge me to learn more about leading.
While I see much of my next stop on the lifelong learning journey involving technology and leadership I know that I will continue attending seminars and reading research on child development and literacy as well. I am always looking at seminars and professional development opportunities offered by our local ISD and by NAEYC. These seminars pack a lot of knowledge in a quick punch and often what I learn can impact my classroom almost immediately. Besides conferences and seminars I would like to pursue college credits above my master’s in both of these areas, possibly pursuing a doctorate degree. I currently do not have a plan on when or if I will for sure do that. I learned long ago that plans rarely follow course anyways!
Of course lifelong learning does not only take place in your career, but also takes place in your personal life as well. Outside of teaching I will continue to learn and grow as a parent. “Formal” education in this area will be limited but on the job experience is priceless! As my children grow I will need to continue to grow as a parent. I will do this by talking with other parents, reading books and the good old trial and error method. Other areas I would like to explore and learn about include photography and gardening (in my free time of course).
There was a time in my life when I thought I knew enough and that my education was done. I quickly learned that you never know enough and my education will never be done. As long as I am living I will be learning!