I had my doubts about whether or not graduate school would enhance my teaching. Like all teachers, I’ve sat through trainings and classes knowing that the reality of my job made the initiatives before me irrelevant or impossible. On the flip side, I’ve taken education courses that were rich in research and theory, but poor in applicability. My classes at Thomas University fit into neither category. One thing is clear from day one as a Thomas University student: The university is dedicated to making teachers better.
Innovative Ideas
During my first class at Thomas University, our professor told us that she aimed to make her class useful in our careers. She wanted to provide us with valuable strategies that we could take back to our classrooms. This rang true throughout all of my classes at Thomas University: All of our professors were educational leaders in some capacity. Being leaders, they were dedicated to engaging, effective instruction, and they had a wealth of observations to draw upon in addition to their own classroom experience. They modeled technology and protocols that I was able to use in my classroom immediately. Furthermore, they provided a wealth of knowledge about engaging adult learners. This was a skill that I had very little practice with, and Thomas University gave me the adult learning strategies I needed to be effective in my professional learning community.
Community of Teachers
The cohort model was my favorite part of the Thomas University experience. When I started my graduate school journey, I had no idea that my cohort members would become a wealth of resources and information. We were teachers who taught varying levels and subjects. From the seasoned teachers whose experience I gained from, to the new teachers whose fresh ideas and mastery of technology I learned from, every member of my cohort contributed to making me a better teacher. Even beyond graduation, I am able to lean on my cohort members when situations arise that fall within their respective areas of expertise. Furthermore, our classes provided several opportunities for us to showcase instructional strategies and activities. Observing my cohort members in action provided effective strategies that I could take back to the classroom.
Leadership
At Thomas University, I didn’t just learn what teacher leadership is – I became a teacher leader. My coursework challenged me to identify issues affecting my school, and use proven inquiry models to determine solutions. While at Thomas University, I ceased to ponder what I would do as an administrator or district leader, and I realized the potential of what I can do right now as a teacher. It was this very thinking that lead me to apply to my district’s Teacher Leader Academy, where I worked with other teachers to affect change at every level. Through this experience, I began having regular conversations with district leadership about teacher and student needs, and I also lead other teachers in my district by facilitating professional development training. All of this was a result of my Thomas University coursework and professors inspiring and challenging me to become a teacher leader.