My Journey Through Grad School

    As I was reflecting on my Educational Leadership program, I decided that I wanted to share my journey with those that have not yet taken this journey themselves. I started teaching more than 20 years ago and have known since then that I would, at some point, pursue a Master's Degree. The timing and the emphasis weren't apparent back then. I know that many educators have similar thoughts as they begin to enter the classroom. Should I get my Master's (for those states that do not require it)? When should I do it? What should I focus on? I'm glad that I waited until I had some level of mastery as a classroom teacher, though I think I didn't need to wait quite this long. Ultimately, I have found myself in a place not far from retirement and wanted to take advantage of the increased salary to help boost my pension. The program of choice to me is a no brainer. I feel like we need to open doors for ourselves that allow us to take our knowledge and experience beyond being a classroom teacher. 

    Once I decided to commit to grad school, it was time to choose the school itself. For the most part, those of us in a master's program are working full-time as well. This was true for me and so I wanted something that would offer some flexibility so I could manage the schoolwork while I also managed my work work. While there are many places that offer an education that is completely online, some of them require students to actually log in at specific times to join live lectures. That was not flexible enough for me. I also wanted something that was affordable. After you factor in the fees, tuition, and books, grad school can get very expensive. I had found a handful of schools that offered one or the other of those two things, but it wasn't until I found American College of Education (ACE) that I knew I had the one. The courses are set up so that you do one at a time and each lasts 5 weeks. They all have the same basic schedule. Students have lectures to watch and assigned readings (all 100% online - no text books to buy!) at the beginning of the week. On Wednesday a post to the Discussion Board is due with two replies to students in the next couple of days. Sunday is the due date for the big paper or project as well as a quiz. Then the next week follows the same schedule. It is easy to get into the routine! My entire program lasts about a year and a half with a 10 week internship built into that timeline. In total, there are 12 courses in the Educational Leadership program. The cost ends up being under $10,000. If you have shopped around, you know that is a great price. I was sold!

    As mentioned above, I felt some level of mastery in teaching when I entered the program. I thought I would learn special principal things and be on my way. What really happened is that I found myself becoming a better teacher. Much of what we learned and discussed in class was stuff I should have already known as a teacher. We revisited content that I learned 25 years ago when I was getting my undergrad. I realized, though, that not all of it had stuck with me and that some things I just let go. I started to take a closer look at assessment and how I was using it, the standards that are the basis of my curriculum, the importance of my stakeholder, and my own classroom management. I thought I had been comfortable in those areas. I had felt good about them before. My professional evaluations had shown high marks there for a very long time, but I realized that I could do more. So, at the beginning of the Educational Leadership program I found myself not focusing on how to be a principal, but how to be a better teacher. I was a bit perplexed by that, but later realized that an effective principal should be well versed in what it takes to be an effective teacher.

    Just as I had made that transition in my brain, the program did start to focus on the principal things.  We learned about School Improvement, Resource and Fiscal Management, and Law and Policy. Slowly I started to think more and more like a principal all the while also keeping a focus on being a good classroom teacher. I was asked to look at data on a broader level and use it to prioritize goals as well as budget and resource allocation. I started to look at the staff at my school as a whole, rather than individuals. Through observation at my current school I could see relationships and collaboration that worked to benefit the students. All the while I was looking at individual strengths of the staff and the current administrators. I feel lucky to work at a school that does so well academically and socio-emotionally. 

    I don't know when or if I will take the plunge to try to become a principal. It seems just as scary as trying to go to school while working full time. There is such a variety of schools and communities out there, that the thought of trying to navigate alone in a place that does not seem to have it together as much as my district is terrifying. However, I feel so very confident in the knowledge I have gained from this program. I have compared it to that of other programs my colleagues are in and I think ACE ranks right up at the top of the list in getting students ready to take on the next step in their careers. For now I am very happy to step into the role of a teacher leader as well as fill in here and there as needed for my current principals. This foundation of knowledge has helped me to feel comfortable in getting out there to gain more practical knowledge and experience in my current position. Looking back, if I were to have a chance to make this decision again, I would choose the same route. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            by Carla Olson