Engaged, Accessible Professors
Throughout my undergrad career, I had professors that weren’t engaged or seemingly committed to my growth as an educator. I remember feeling discouraged, unsupported, and alone in the process. When applying to the program at OAESA with Concordia University Chicago, I was anxious my experience would be similar, especially because of the added layer of a digital platform; however, I couldn’t have been more wrong!
Anytime I had a question or needed to email one of my professors, they consistently replied within 24 hours. Whether I needed clarity on an assignment or asked their opinion on how they would handle a certain challenge in the school setting, they were always gracious and more than willing to help me grow as an educational leader. Additionally, I reached out to a few professors after I had completed their course when the content I had learned in their class was resurfacing in a different course. Their willingness and passion for good, strong leadership was evident and contagious.
As I progress through my career in education, I will take with me the importance of accessibility when responding to faculty, staff, families, and students. This was beautifully modeled by my professors at OAESA with Concordia University Chicago and made me feel valued, which is something all leaders should emulate to those on their teams.
Flexible Format
While researching graduate programs, one priority for me was not having to login at a specific time each week. Balancing a full-time career while wanting the flexibility of when I completed school work was critical in choosing which program would be best for my schedule – and the program at OAESA with Concordia University Chicago made this attainable!
Because there are no set login times, I could look at my calendars (work, personal, and graduate school) to determine which blocks of time were most convenient for me in order to complete assignments. Even when I had a new course starting but hadn’t seen the syllabus yet, I always knew what to expect since every class is structured similarly. I found this to be a huge benefit in having the program work for me rather than me having to navigate around the program with set logins each week.
Additionally, there was flexibility when I took each course. As expected, there were some courses that had prerequisites, but for many of them I was able to choose when I wanted to take each one.
This helped with planning my work and personal schedules as well. For example, if I knew I would need to spend extra time learning concepts within a course, I tried to schedule that course in the summer in order to apply the time needed to learn the information. This flexibility is another reason why getting your master’s degree with the program at OAESA with Concordia University Chicago is attainable while being a full-time educator.
Cohort Meetings
Throughout the program, I had many classes with the members of my cohort where we were able to communicate through the online platform. In these conversations we felt and demonstrated empathy toward one another while also professionally challenging each other to be the best leaders we could be.
Although our discussions were rich and engaging, the added layer of meeting in person provided authentic growth opportunities. During the second year of the program, we met once every 6-8 weeks. Within the structure of these meetings we were able to engage in dialogue with our colleagues who understood exactly what we were going through, learn from each other’s experiences and perspectives, and, most importantly, develop relationships with educators across central Ohio.
My cohort advisor structured these meetings almost like a family gathering. We sat around the table and had snacks and treats while learning from each other’s pedagogical approaches. We were able to share success stories, celebrate growth, discuss challenges, and support one another. I appreciated the opportunity to engage with my peers that I had built a relationship with online through these authentic conversations in person.
Manageable Class Schedule
As a full-time educator, balancing work, home, and school seemed overwhelming. The program at OAESA with Concordia University Chicago offered a flexible and manageable class schedule. During the school year, I took one course at a time to maintain focus on my students and my family without overstretching my limits. However, because I had summers off, I was able to successfully manage two courses at a time. The flexibility in course offerings allowed me to create the schedule that worked best for me. Additionally, by taking extra courses in the summer, I was able to complete the entire program in 18 months!
Ready to start the next chapter of your educational journey? Explore our available programs here and enroll today!