Dawn Drysdale
Talking 'bout My Goals
In February of 2014, my Professional Goal statement contained the following:
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“to push beyond my comfort zone and discover new and alternate ways to approach adolescent literature.”
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“to experiment with alternate ways to assess and demonstrate mastery of concepts taught.”
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“to concentrate on my teaching career during the day and bond over homework assignments with my son at night…not only studying text from an adult perspective but discussing the texts out of class with an adolescent; bringing a diverse and more comprehensive understanding to the materials.”
Reflecting on these goals now, in the fall of 2015 and two classes away from graduating, there are still semblances of the original goals embedded in the current ones.
Then
Now
Where the original goal was to discover alternate ways to approach adolescent literature, the new goal has morphed into discovering alternate, non –comfort zone ways to approach teaching. Once I overcame grad classes “sticker shock”, I wanted to do the work to the best of my ability which meant trying new things - constantly. Sometimes this meant a huge learning curve with disastrous results; others it meant an innovative approach. Moving outside of what I was accustomed to doing and having to look at things from a different perspective made me aware of how regimented I had become. Now, the mutated goal means branching out in all aspects of my teaching; collaborating with someone I wouldn’t normally or attempting to make connections between unobvious things, for example.
The assessment experimentation continues. Through the readings in various classes, I have come to see assessments in a different light. As someone who is intrigued by technology and diametrically opposed to the grading system, it’s imperative to find assessments which measure capabilities and aptitudes and foster self-confidence. Assessments should foster and nourish diverse thinking, not rate and categorize. They should be a reflection of a student’s growth in understanding or capability. As such, formative assessments, the practice assignments, need to play a larger role in the classroom schema. These assessments, as well as the summative assessments, need to be as diverse as the students in the classroom to best capture their learning gains. Technology can provide these diverse methods and that is what I am currently experimenting with in my classes.
The ‘bond over homework’ goal was somewhat misguided so this one, of the original three, evolved the most. Originally, the assignments were to be a discussion piece which would result in hearing a different perspective. I should have realized nothing goes to plan with an adolescent, however, and the goal slowly shifted in an unexpected way. My son was not providing a new outlook on my homework; he was providing a new interpretation of me as a student. If I had been asked in February of 2014 about pursuing a doctorate, I would have snorted-that was a concept far removed from my abilities and capabilities.
As I approach the completion of the Master’s requirements, though, a Doctoral program does not sound as daunting. From my son’s perspective – it only makes sense; why wouldn’t a person who is passionate about learning (personally and professionally) continue on? A doctorate would allow me to continue to grow as a person and educator and it would grant me a type of freedom I do not currently possess: an opportunity to advocate for change.