This Masters Degree has been two years of torture. I started when my daughter was in between first and second grade. This lifestyle is the only one my son remembers. He may not know what to do once mom can focus on the family again.
I have learned so much as a Reading teacher throughout the courses that have been required. Sending time with ALL ages has given me a great appreciation for all that teachers do. High school was a stretch, but I know I made a difference with those students. The biggest learning I have made is that one little thing that is said at the elementary level can affect the learning of students well into the future. My high school student believed that he was a horrible reader. After listening to him, I learned that somewhere in Middle School something was said that made him believe that. It broke my heart, because after listening to him read, he was awesome. He just didn't take the time to think about what he was doing while he was reading. As I listed off the great strategies that I saw he began to sit straighter in his chair. He thanked me! It was obvious to me that since middle school, no teacher had taken the time to tell him what a good reader he was...perhaps it was because teachers were so busy they found that they didn't have the time. This student would have been an easy student to slip by as he went through his learning.
I am looking forward to future projects that have occurred because of this degree. I will be training the staff at my school on the Spalding Method for our new ELA adoption. The fact that they have faith in my ability and are excited to try something new is exciting for me. I know that my Spring Break will be full of researching and preparing for this training.
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