Life Happens and You Learn to Adjust Your Sails
By: Laura Stokes
When I look back at the goals that I wrote when joining the Michigan State University Master of Education program four years ago, my end goal hasn't changed all that much however the route I am taking to get there has. I stated a goal that I wanted to learn more in the fields of literacy and leadership as my two focus areas. I did stick with literacy, but as the years passed, and I was able to spend a little more time looking at the course offerings, and what was relevant in my life, I realized that gaining more knowledge in technology would be more beneficial and more satisfying to me personally.
I began the master’s program in the summer of 2007 looking to focus on literacy and leadership. Although I knew the leadership wasn’t for an administrative license, I thought it would give me an idea if that is a direction that I wanted to take my professional career. I was fresh out of college, had no job, was newly married and awaiting the return of my new husband from a deployment. I also found myself in a new town where I knew absolutely no one. I was determined to throw myself into the one thing that I knew I was good at, which was being a student. I took my very first class in the online program. I thought it was fabulous. I was able to learn about something I was so passionate about, which was teaching. While taking my first class, I was also fortunate enough to get my first job teaching first grade. Since it would be my first year teaching, my husband was coming home and life just kept happening, I decided to take a little time off from being a student to give myself some time to grasp how to handle all of my new jobs. I promised myself that I would return to the master's program after taking one semester off to get my “handle” on life.
Well as I mentioned, life happened, and my one semester turned into quite a few more. Before I realized it, it had been two years. I decided that I needed to get my act together and so in the fall of 2009 I decided to start my classes again. As I mentioned, I had taken some more time to look through the course offerings, and weighing what was important in my life both personally and professionally. I decided that the administrative and leadership route were not for me, and that I wanted to take some of the wonderful technology courses that I had been reading up on. Technology was becoming a staple in the school that I taught in, and one that I eagerly wanted to learn more about. Once I had my program planning form in place, I knew that I could accomplish my goal of obtaining my master’s degree by taking one course a semester to be sure I completed the program in the five-year time frame. After a second move (which I was grateful for the online courses during) and this burning urge to complete the program as quickly as I could before life happened again, I decided to triple up on classes last semester and double up on them this semester to cut off a year and be done. I also knew that I would be able to have it completed before the start of a new school year, and that hopefully that would show employers that I am dedicated to being a lifelong learner.
I also have a one-year-old daughter, and although she is busy now, we do want to have more children, and trying to complete a master’s degree with multiple kids would be more challenging. It was a good fit for me to do it now because it made me focused and buckle down. I am happy with my achievements and content with the changes that were made along the way. I feel they were made for the right reasons and benefitted my family and I, as well as the students I have taught while learning myself.
