Future as a Learner Essay
"More Roads to Travel"
By: Mike Bucata
I’ve always viewed my career as an educator and as a coach as more than just a job but a calling. I believe that in order to be able to not only survive but to thrive in this profession means one must adopt it as a lifestyle, for it can be very difficult at times and the adversity that comes with the ups and downs of the job can be overwhelming if one isn’t committed 100 percent. Being a teacher and a coach doesn’t stop when the final bell rings at the end of the day. Countless evenings, nights, weekends, and summers are full of planning, brainstorming, thinking, and researching how to both improve my craft and my students and student-athletes. My personal goal reflection essay concluded that being a teacher and coach also meant that learning never stops, therefore I will always be a lifelong learner. Although this profession many times focuses on professional developement learning opportunities that include the latest and greatest instructional strategies or management techniques and technology trends, the relationships built and interactions with people will always remain and as long as that is true, there is no way I could ever stop learning.
As I ended my goal reflection essay, I stated that my main goal of becoming the best teacher and mentor leader I can be would be a forever journey that I will continue on my entire career and life. Academically and professionally I would like to add to my Athletic Administration Master’s degree and MAED degree with gaining an Administrator’s Certificate. Concentrating on School Leadership within the MAED program, I think this is a pretty logical direction for me as I see myself striving to not only build relationships and develop students that I come in contact with but with teachers and staff as well down the road.
Of course, I think professional development always allows for learning opportunities in my future. In addition, I would like to be active part of workshops and school committees to further learn and acquire experience in areas that I currently do not have any. For my own personal development, there are many books I would love to read that help enhance my practice as both a teacher and a coach. I am always seeking books that approach teaching and/or coaching practices that will improve my craft and goals of those whom I work with.
Because technology has been such a significant part of the online MAED program I have been involved in the for the past two and a half years, this essay would not be complete without some reflection on technology, the role it has played in my learning, and how I see it being part of my future as a learner. On any given day, one could enter the high school classroom and see students on their smartphones, iPods, or e- readers, and talking about the latest and greatest apps they discovered and downloaded. Also, parents and teacher communication can often rely heavily through the mediums of classroom websites, emails, and/or text messages. Some districts invest thousands of dollars every year for online programs for teachers and students to use. Obviously one could conclude that technology is becoming a huge part of not only life but part of education as well. Because of this technology and the trends it is beginning to produce at an alarming rate, our society is rapidly changing and because a main goal of education is to prepare students for a successful life beyond the classroom, teachers and the education field needs to keep up. Trends and advances in technology are occurring so rapidly now that one could argue that it is certain and inevitable that we as educators must continue as future learners in order to thrive efficiently and effectively in this kind of environment.
Furthermore, my online MAED experience has helped me realize how powerful learning online can be. Although I had limited face-to-face interaction with people , I was still able to learn and communicate enough to learn without this physical interaction. I am certain I will continue to take advantage of online learning. I plan to connect with other educators through social networking and read and research professional literature online consistently. Because of technology and online learning, the possibilities are truly endless. I know that many veteran teachers who have been in this profession for a while know and recognize what a great resource the internet and its technologies provide for the practice of teaching. There are so many resources like lesson plans or projects that teacher share online and make available for others to learn and use. I think this may be the best part about technology and online learning. Being able to share what works or perhaps, what doesn’t. with teachers all across the globe is awesome. My future as a learner was and will definitely continue to be enhanced through my experience in the MAED online program.
"More Roads to Travel"
By: Mike Bucata
I’ve always viewed my career as an educator and as a coach as more than just a job but a calling. I believe that in order to be able to not only survive but to thrive in this profession means one must adopt it as a lifestyle, for it can be very difficult at times and the adversity that comes with the ups and downs of the job can be overwhelming if one isn’t committed 100 percent. Being a teacher and a coach doesn’t stop when the final bell rings at the end of the day. Countless evenings, nights, weekends, and summers are full of planning, brainstorming, thinking, and researching how to both improve my craft and my students and student-athletes. My personal goal reflection essay concluded that being a teacher and coach also meant that learning never stops, therefore I will always be a lifelong learner. Although this profession many times focuses on professional developement learning opportunities that include the latest and greatest instructional strategies or management techniques and technology trends, the relationships built and interactions with people will always remain and as long as that is true, there is no way I could ever stop learning.
As I ended my goal reflection essay, I stated that my main goal of becoming the best teacher and mentor leader I can be would be a forever journey that I will continue on my entire career and life. Academically and professionally I would like to add to my Athletic Administration Master’s degree and MAED degree with gaining an Administrator’s Certificate. Concentrating on School Leadership within the MAED program, I think this is a pretty logical direction for me as I see myself striving to not only build relationships and develop students that I come in contact with but with teachers and staff as well down the road.
Of course, I think professional development always allows for learning opportunities in my future. In addition, I would like to be active part of workshops and school committees to further learn and acquire experience in areas that I currently do not have any. For my own personal development, there are many books I would love to read that help enhance my practice as both a teacher and a coach. I am always seeking books that approach teaching and/or coaching practices that will improve my craft and goals of those whom I work with.
Because technology has been such a significant part of the online MAED program I have been involved in the for the past two and a half years, this essay would not be complete without some reflection on technology, the role it has played in my learning, and how I see it being part of my future as a learner. On any given day, one could enter the high school classroom and see students on their smartphones, iPods, or e- readers, and talking about the latest and greatest apps they discovered and downloaded. Also, parents and teacher communication can often rely heavily through the mediums of classroom websites, emails, and/or text messages. Some districts invest thousands of dollars every year for online programs for teachers and students to use. Obviously one could conclude that technology is becoming a huge part of not only life but part of education as well. Because of this technology and the trends it is beginning to produce at an alarming rate, our society is rapidly changing and because a main goal of education is to prepare students for a successful life beyond the classroom, teachers and the education field needs to keep up. Trends and advances in technology are occurring so rapidly now that one could argue that it is certain and inevitable that we as educators must continue as future learners in order to thrive efficiently and effectively in this kind of environment.
Furthermore, my online MAED experience has helped me realize how powerful learning online can be. Although I had limited face-to-face interaction with people , I was still able to learn and communicate enough to learn without this physical interaction. I am certain I will continue to take advantage of online learning. I plan to connect with other educators through social networking and read and research professional literature online consistently. Because of technology and online learning, the possibilities are truly endless. I know that many veteran teachers who have been in this profession for a while know and recognize what a great resource the internet and its technologies provide for the practice of teaching. There are so many resources like lesson plans or projects that teacher share online and make available for others to learn and use. I think this may be the best part about technology and online learning. Being able to share what works or perhaps, what doesn’t. with teachers all across the globe is awesome. My future as a learner was and will definitely continue to be enhanced through my experience in the MAED online program.