Timothy J Andrews University of Saint Mary Program Reflection 11-13-13 How has your graduate study changed you

as a teacher? From the time !egan my first class at the University of Saint Mary it has forever changed my o"tloo# on the !est $rofession in the world% The grad"ate st"dy has changed me as a teacher a n"m!er of different ways and only for the !etter% This grad"ate st"dy has made it a$$arent to me that can never !e satisfied as a teacher and that need to constantly !e loo#ing for new ideas& techni'"es to incor$orate into my classroom% Altho"gh feel do many things that need to !e a mainstay in my classroom( also need to #ee$ in mind that need to always !e o$en to new ideas and technology as they !ecome availa!le% )y creating and develo$ing different teaching strategies over the $ast five semesters feel that have met the needs of all the learners in my classroom% also feel that have met and mastered the eight goals of the MAT $rogram at the University with the wor# accom$lished over the $ast five semesters% These different strategies that were for the most $art very new to me made me research and im$lement to gain res"lts% )y doing this it shows that am willing to do whatever it ta#es to ma#e me a !etter and more #nowledgea!le teacher as we move into the f"t"re%

What difference do you see in your students' learning as a result of your work in this program? Be specific. The res"lts of my st"dents* learning from the new strategies&$ractices that were im$lemented in each of the five co"rses were very $leasing% For e+am$le( in MAT ,-. went o"t and loo#ed for different ways for my st"dents to get more $ractice within mathematics via technology% Thro"gh my research fo"nd there was a we!site on the nternet called /0han Academy1% This sim$le we!site has made all the difference in the world in my math class% 2ot only have my st"dents grade risen !"t this is a great activity to "se at the !eginning of class to get my st"dents foc"sed on the tas# at hand% This is something that contin"e to "se and is 3"st one of the many things that contin"e to "se on a daily !asis as a res"lt of researching thro"gh Saint Mary% 4ther difference ma#ing im$lementations thro"gho"t my time at the University that contin"e to "se are movement activities( $ositive reinforcement strategies( and coo$erative learning activities% 5very single goal that had in each of my five co"rses were reached6 some !y a little and some !y a significant amo"nt%

What impact has it made on your classroom and students?

Thin#ing a!o"t the im$act that this $rogram has made on me as a teacher really ma#es me wonder where to start% 4ne of the 2)PTS 7ore Pro$ositions states that teachers are committed to st"dents along with their learning% don*t #now what !etter way to commit to st"dents and their learning then !y researching different teaching strategies that will hel$ them foc"s and or raise their grades no matter the im$lementation strategy% The very first $rogram o"tcome of this 3o"rney at the University of Saint Mary deals with how candidates draw from their #nowledge and research to ma#e formal and informal decisions that im$act P-1- st"dents* learning& environment% This o"tcome was a$$arent in every single one of my classes at the University !y researching and loo#ing for different ways to gain level*s of s"ccess in my classroom% Has this study stimulated you to do further study of some kind? Before doing this final program reflection I have not really thought about furthering my study in terms of graduate work. By seeing and analyzing the impact that the University of Saint Marys MAT program has had on me as a teacher I can definitely say there will probably be an encore of graduate work. This study is something that I will always cherish and fall back on when looking at how far I have come as an educator the past year and a half. So just because I have no immediate plans (early next year) to further my study in terms of graduate work, I can say that in the future something will be done in terms of gaining my doctorate. Has it spurred new goals for you? This st"dy has s$"rred new goals for me as an ed"cator% )efore started my master*s at the University had never tho"ght a!o"t f"rthering my ed"cation !eyond the MAT $rogram% 2ow that this time is !eginning to come to an end have !een thin#ing a!o"t what*s ne+t% 2ever !efore did ever thin# wo"ld go for my doctorate( !"t !y the im$act of this $rogram am $lanning on !eginning that in the ne+t year or two% For that am very gratef"l that chose Saint Mary to !egin the $rocess of f"rthering my ed"cation as a teaching $rofessional% Reflect on your accomplishments during the program. Reflecting on the accom$lishments d"ring the $rogram ma#es me thin# a!o"t a lot of different goals and strategies that created and carried o"t% The !iggest accom$lishment in my mind was meeting the needs of all my st"dents% At the !eginning of this $rogram was having $ro!lems with st"dents $aying attention or getting them foc"sed at the !eginning of class% )y researching came "$ with the sol"tion of im$lementing movement activities% )y analy8ing the res"lts of this sim$le strategy it showed that it definitely wor#ed% Another $ro!lem that had !efore !egan the $rogram at Saint Mary was st"dent*s attit"des weren*t always the !est d"ring class time% After doing some research and loo#ing at different ways to ma#e this !etter came to the concl"sion that was going to try and "se $ositive reinforcement strategies% The res"lts received from this were also ama8ing% This

may seem li#e a little and easy strategy to im$lement( !"t !y seeing the res"lts was ama8ed% The last two accom$lishments that am going to tal# a!o"t deal with the coo$erative learning activities that im$lemented into a co"$le of my classes as well as the 0han Academy% )y loo#ing at my grades !efore and after im$lemented these these last two strategies it*s safe to say that they wor#ed% These were the ma3or accom$lishments that am most $ro"d of and to have !een $art of%

Sources NBPTS Five Core Propositions University of Saint Mary Master of Arts in Teaching Program Outcomes