Why did you want to work in education? What inspired you?

I chose to work in education for many reasons. Both of my parents were teachers when I was growing up. My mother was an elementary special education teacher and my father was a high school art teacher. Furthermore, my sister and several of my cousins are teachers. From as early as kindergarten, I aspired to be a teacher. Leading and influencing other people’s lives has always been an inspiring call to me. In kindergarten I drew a teacher sitting at a desk with a globe, an apple, and a chalkboard. Later, I dreamed of being a first grade teacher, then an English teacher, and my latest dream was to be a music teacher.

Why did you choose the University of Saint Joseph for your master’s degree in education and multiple intelligences?

Once I became a music teacher, it seemed that most colleagues in my profession would pursue a master’s in special education or music education. It seemed neither was the best fit for me, and I started to become worried that I would have to settle for what I wasn’t passionate about. The multiple intelligences program at University of Saint Joseph was suggested by a friend, and as soon as I looked into it, I called admissions. This was the perfect program to inspire me to keep dreaming as I have my whole life. I was excited at the thought of being a music teacher that could teach every subject at the same time. The program outlined classes in such diverse subjects that I knew that master’s program would lead to more enriching lessons with my students.

How has your master’s degree impacted you in terms of your current position or a position you’d like to attain in the future?

The biggest impact the program had on my teaching was my creation of a unit on Gustav Holst’s “The Planets.” With each piece of music, and with each planet, I created activities that highlighted each intelligence. Throughout the unit I incorporated dance, technology, nature observations, acting, poetry, musical composition, musical performance, art, science, history, and math.

I was also greatly impacted by the Educational Issues course and found myself a better participant in professional conversations with colleagues. The summer course also gave us the experience of meeting with Samite, a musician and storyteller from Uganda. Spending time with this artist was soulful and enriching. We were each tasked in telling and sharing our own life story. I had never felt such a cathartic release of energy and weight before; it was such a unique experience.

What was a challenge you faced during your multiple intelligences education program, and who or what helped you overcome it?

The main challenge I faced in the program was logistically getting through the day I had to attend class. The class was an hour from my work and happened to fall on a workday where I had the most classes to teach. This made the day very long. The best way I could prepare for this day was to have all of my work prepared for teaching and learning at school. It also really helped that I had prepacked my lunch, dinner, and some exciting snacks or beverages to enjoy on my drive! Aside from the logistics, each class had different levels of challenge and stress on everyone in the cohort. The courses which focused on the intelligences that are more inherent to myself tended to be less stressful to me.

What was the biggest takeaway from your master’s program?

Through taking courses designed to challenge each intelligence, I learned a lot about the intelligences that were naturally in myself. There were areas that I had not given much attention to and in turn had not treated equally in my lessons. Students have a greater chance of absorbing new knowledge when they can learn it through their best intelligence. I have since gone through my entire curriculum and added more activities, quizzes, and strategies that highlight a wider variety of intelligences.

What would you tell (or what advice would you give) prospective students considering the M.A. education with multiple intelligences theory concentration program at the University of Saint Joseph?

Through this program you will be pushed out of your comfort zone in a way that will force you to grow as a person and an educator. There will be times when it will be a lot of work, but there will be an equal amount of times where you will have fun and be creative. If something makes you feel awkward or embarrassed, dive in more! I know that I was more comfortable putting myself out there because I am often performing music.

Your cohort will have people from all backgrounds, which means that you may very well have people that feel the same as you at first. That also means there is likely to be someone who would be jumping in quickly and encouraging you to join too. If you lead in taking risks, they will follow. It is the same thing you would wish your students to do. The cohort grows in support and familiarity with each class you take, which is great because the cohort is the constant through the changing of professors.

Additionally, I suggest you create a group message to stay connected in between classes. I found it made us help each other stay on top of assignments, class expectations, and make connections of things we learned to our lives at work or home. If you are considering this program, be ready to learn a wide variety of subjects!

If you are debating between taking your classes online or on campus, I highly recommend this program. Since it meets once a week, you can still do a lot of your work on your own time. It also ensures that you get that personal connection and hands-on experience. I felt that the level of involvement from professors and peers would have been hard to match in an online course, especially with the art, theater, dance, and music lessons.

Note: As of 2021, this program name has changed to M.A. in Education with an Arts Integration Concentration

The post Alumni Spotlight: Eliscia Picard, M.A. in Education with Multiple Intelligences Theory Concentration appeared first on University of Saint Joseph Connecticut.

I attended a seminar and dragged my feet a little bit. I reviewed my contract at work and noticed there was a sizeable difference in salary if I earned a master’s degree. I thought that the sooner I started it, the sooner I could start making more money and the process would soon be over. At the time (2016), the master’s program was $16,000. It sounded like a large number, but not compared to what my children’s tuition would be once they started college.

I discussed the expense versus the new income and our upcoming expenses with my family. We discussed the payment options and what we could afford. We agreed that the sooner I earned my master’s degree, the sooner we could reap the benefits.

Our family has made some good financial decisions along the way not getting heavily into debt and not trying to impress anyone else, just meeting the needs of our family. We bought an affordable home and took out a 15-year mortgage. I started my master’s program as our mortgage was ending. With the mortgage eliminated, we had some flexibility.

Quickly, the $16,000 price tag looked more manageable with the “pay as you go” option. Each eight-week class was $1,600, or $800 every four weeks. We decided to take this route. We paid every four weeks, and when we had breaks from class over the summer and winter break, we were able to direct that money to other expenses. It was very manageable. Having the breaks from the classes was beneficial for my mindset and for our financial purposes.

I submitted my transcript to my employer when I completed my master’s degree, and my increase in pay took effect immediately. The program was affordable, and the investment has returned its value and will continue for the rest of my career.

*Tuition subject to change.

The post How I Paid for My Graduate Degree from the University of Saint Joseph appeared first on University of Saint Joseph Connecticut.

The program at Saint Joseph had a dedicated location, weekday and time for each class. This allowed our family to plan our schedules for the next two years. As dates and plans developed, neither my wife nor my children had to ask when I was available. They coordinated coverage and transportation in advance. A lot of stress and uncertainty was eliminated based on the dedicated schedule.

I was concerned that once I signed up for classes, future classes may have a different schedule and would interfere with my goal to finish within two years. The cohort model proved invaluable. I was offered two locations within 30 minutes of my school. The process of enrolling in classes was efficient. As each class ended, the cohort enrolled in the next courses with the same time and location. This eliminated the process of selecting, enrolling or fitting a new schedule. The courses had healthy winter and summer breaks.

Once a week, our sessions started at 4:45 p.m. This allowed enough time to complete my daily duties as a teacher. I attended brief meetings after school without having to rush to my evening class.

On the first night of each course, each professor handed out a comprehensive syllabus with detailed information about the course and the work progression over each week. The details in the syllabus allowed me to plan and complete work at my convenience. Many of the textbooks had electronic copies, which allowed me to access information from different locations without the need to haul around paper versions. Each class used blackboard software, and I was able to monitor, plan, communicate, submit and collaborate with my peers. It was a perfect balance of in-class experience and online convenience.

The cohort model and structure of the classes made the process clear and simple.  I felt that the Saint Joseph master’s program became a part of my plan. It was an excellent experience from the time I considered enrolling through to when I walked at graduation in front of my children.

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I attended team building seminars and activities before, but none compared to the team building experience at the University of Saint Joseph.  Most teacher development sessions and training seminars were with colleagues from the same department or school, working under the same administration.  Many teaching strategies were in place for years with little or no variety or willingness to evolve.  The University of Saint Joseph program offered much more diversity.  My cohort included teaching professionals from different districts with a range of experiences.  The diversity of our experiences drove our discussions and our program bubbled over with creative ideas.

I teach 7th through 12th grade.  In my district, I interact with professionals of different subjects but with the same administration.  During our projects at USJ, I worked teachers of different subjects and student ages, including from childbirth to age three.  These teachers shared experiences and helped to develop my understanding of teaching at a deeper level.  I learned about the educational experience of my students before they got to my classroom.

The wide range of experience was intriguing.  Many of the strategies and experiences had surprising parallels.  I enjoyed looking at my experience from my students’ perspective, with their questions and conversations.  It was a genuinely collaborative experience.  I marveled at their persistence, patience and resolve.  Their reactions to my experience revitalized my purpose for teaching.

The master’s program at the University of Saint Joseph was valuable and important because of the professionals their program attracts.  Throughout the program, I was able to modify and implement the strategies we discussed the night before.  The students in my classroom were bemused when I would introduce a new style of engagement based on a discussion I had at my master’s class.  I enjoyed my experience because I did not feel as though I were working for a certificate or a degree, but rather I was working to refine my craft through an exchange of ideas.  To this day, I use some of the strategies I learned from elementary teachers in my high school classroom.  Even high school students like a good round of “Simon Says!”

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