Goals Met for Read 532

At the beginning of the course my goals were as follows:

My goals are to:
1) Expand (drastically) my understanding of how to improve student
reading.
2) Add and develop some strategies to help students not only find
success reading but
to also build their confidence.
3) Continue to grow as an educator.
4) Develop holistically my understanding and competencies of schools
and students to
better serve as an administrator.
5) Continue to network and work collaborate with students and
instructors.

Having nearly survived the semester, yes survived, with my administrative

internship, mother out of radiation, the loss of my beloved friend and pet, the
purchasing of a house, and teaching 11 preps in an 8 period day, and coaching
another riveting year of girls junior varsity basketball, I am so pleased to have been
able to say that I completed this course. While my accomplishments were often
tardy, my collaborations with Dave Castle, and the tasks I completed were always
engaging and worthwhile. I love that I took almost every task I created for this
course and implemented, almost immediately into all of my classes. Meaningful,
successful work was such a joy and a privilege.
In terms of my goals, goal 1 was easily accomplished. Every chapter, forum,
assignment, pushed my understanding and schema of how to build reading skills
and abilities in my classroom. The variety of strategies to not only help readers
with reading but with taking notes, and critical thinking along with assessment tools
proved to be effective for all levels or learners.
Second, I was extremely pleased with the finding, practicing and
conversations over different strategies for students. I most enjoyed that our class
was truly structured about building tools for students, and merely theory,
philosophy, or teaching best practices. I truly appreciated the effort to help and
create applicable material and strategies for kids.
My fourth goal was to grow as a professional and administrator. I believe this
class reaffirmed a belief I have about quality teaching and all students ability to

grow. Our course work expanded my understanding of not only how teachers can
help students whom struggle with reading but how students can better engaged all
students in their classroom. In addition, the value of reading in all student learning
and content comprehension was resounding.
The fifth goal was to genuinely work and collaborate with students and
teachers. My worth with my own students was quite rewarding. Being able to
openly experiment with new strategies was fun for all of us. Likewise, partnering
and collaborating with Dave Castle, an in district colleague has helped to build a
professional and personal relationship I look forward to expanding over the next few
years.
Lastly, my third goal was to continue to grow as an educator. I saved this for
last, as this has been a trying and important semester in my life as a student, and
teacher. I have been reminded of what is important in education. The student, the
content we discussed and covered, emphasized an individual approach to help
students achieve their potential, not a state benchmark. I believe that we
discussed, flexibility, adaptability as a means to more effectively reach students.
This being said, the since of integrity from you, Dr. Peterson, was so profound to me.
To treat me, a young adult, still as student, to work with me, be compassionate,
understanding, and hold me to the mark on my citations was such a wonderful and
needed experience for me. How clich it may be, and true it still stands, they
remember how you treat them and make them feel. I felt like I mattered, and it
drove me to push myself beyond the minimum in the course. Despite being behind
at times, I never felt that my work was insignificant, nor was I ever content with
settling on breezing through an assignment as it not only would affect the students I
used the strategy with, but the person on the other end had take time to value me
and therefore I need to reciprocate that in my work. So yes my third goal was met, I
believe that I did grow as an educator, more so than through acquiring a couple of
new strategies and reading some new content. I was able to grow my passion, my
belief, my resilience, my competence and awareness. I was able to grow.