Always a Student

My Experience of Learning to Teach Through Being a Student

MATC Synthesis Paper

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

Master of Arts Degree in Teaching and Curriculum
Department of Teacher Education, Michigan State University

Katie L. Knoedler
PID A40979865
Summer 2016

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Introduction
From an early age I was instilled with the mentality that the world is filled with endless
opportunities to learn. Every situation, every moment presents a lesson, a chance to grow. Now,
as an educator, this mindset continues to inspire my daily practice and has played an integral role
in shaping the teacher I am today and the teacher I one day strive to become. As a novice teacher
of only three years, I feel there is still so much to learn endless resources to explore, curriculum
to examine, management practices to learn and implement, policies to understand, and the list
goes on. While this expansive list of learning opportunities ahead both overwhelms and excites
me, I cannot overlook the immense impact Michigan State Universitys Master of Arts in
Teaching and Curriculum program has had on molding me into the teacher I am today. I am truly
grateful for the vast and invaluable growth opportunities this program has provided me with.
I began my journey through the Master of Arts in Teaching and Curriculum program the
summer directly following my graduation from Michigan State Universitys Elementary
Education program. Feeding my inner desire to explore new cultures as well as expand my
educational horizons, I participated in Michigan State Universitys Cross-Cultural teaching
Abroad program in Cape Town, South Africa. There, I held a variety of teaching positions as
well as spent time studying South Africas culture, history, and educational system. After
teaching abroad, I began my yearlong internship at Parkview Elementary in Novi, Michigan
where I taught first grade. My minor in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
(TESOL) was of great use in my classroom that spanned many cultures and languages, with a
predominant Japanese population. Following the completion of my internship, I accepted a
position as a third grade teacher at Oxbow Elementary, a School-Wide Title 1 school in White
Lake, Michigan. Though all three of these experiences differ in a variety of ways, they all share a

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common thread each one has contributed in a significant way to my growth as an educator
through the MATC program.

Teacher as Cultural Advocate

My first experience within the MATC program is one that will have a lasting impression
on my teaching and hopefully my students as well. It was through my work and learning in the
Cross-Cultural Teaching Abroad program that I discovered a passion for cultural awareness and
the celebration of differences.
During my time in South Africa, I lived with the principal of an underprivileged school
and was able to shadow her as she fulfilled her various roles within the school. I also had the
opportunity to co-teach in a third grade classroom as well as teach a first grade class for a week
in a teachers absence. It was through these eye-opening experiences that I was able to witness
first hand some of the issues plaguing South Africas education systems. I was struck by the fact
that while there were a variety of cultures present within a single classroom, only one culture
was acknowledged and valued. Through critical inquiry and reflection upon this issue and others
present within their educational system, as evidenced in Artifact 4, I was able to gain a deeper
understanding of the same situations happening in American schools. This research and
educational work in South Africa has had a direct impact on the community I strive to build in
my classroom; a community where these cultural issues do not exist.
As an educator, I feel it is my job to ensure that students feel valued and respected. That
means embracing and celebrating each students unique culture. Not only does that allow
students to feel regarded and appreciated, but it also provides lessons of diversity and acceptance
to other students in the class. Because each student brings to the classroom their own knowledge,

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resources, skills, and abilities, it provides other students, as well as the teacher, opportunities to
learn about cultures different from their own. I feel that it is crucial that a students learning
environment respect and reflect the diversity of our society.
My experience in South Africa, including the inquiry and reflective work done for TE
815 and TE 849, had a profound impact on my growth as an educator, causing me to reflect upon
and expand my beliefs and practices as an educator. It also ignited my passion for constant
improvement and laid the groundwork for the remainder of my intensive MATC journey.

Teacher as Reflective Learner

Embracing the mindset that every situation presents a lesson and unique learning
opportunity, my internship year was one of the most influential and formative years of my
teaching experience thus far. This year long intensive internship combined with MATC courses
pushed me to be a purposeful learner and instilled in me the habit of being a reflective
practitioner.
My success and growth as an educator during this year is greatly attributed to my mentor
teacher, Kerry, and my field instructor, Sue. Together, they committed and devoted their
precious time to personalize the experience to best meet my unique needs. Through this, they
were setting the example of what a strong commitment to students learning looks like, even
when the student is a novice teacher. I strive to provide this level of tailored instruction to all
students in my classroom.
My internship provided me the opportunity to participate in rigorous analysis and
reflection of lessons, classroom management, and daily routines. At the beginning of the
internship I spent weeks carefully observing my mentor teachers craft as she modeled

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purposeful lessons filled with a multitude of strategies. This experience allowed me to expand
my pedagogical repertoire and adapt and hone my practice. As the year progressed and I began
taking over the reigns in the classroom, my mentor and field instructor would both hold
reflection and debriefing sessions with me to discuss the areas of strength and weakness in my
teaching. These meetings were influential in strengthening my practice and expanding my
pedagogical knowledge and skills. Beginning my teaching experience with this type of educative
mentoring helped me learn the importance of continual reflection on my teaching practice.
It was also through this experience that I learned to develop curriculum to best meet the
needs of a diverse group of students. During this year my mentor teacher was piloting a math
workshop approach and I was able to assist in the development and implementation of this
workshop. This approach allowed me to differentiate to best meet the needs of my students. My
work in Artifact 1 is evidence of my commitment to ensure all students have an opportunity to
learn in a way that is best suited for them. This artifact, created for TE 801: Professional Roles
and Mathematics Teaching Practices, is a comprehensive math unit plan that showcases my
understanding of subject matter and my ability to construct an entire unit of study around a
central idea. Within this unit plan, the workshop format allowed me to differentiate and utilize
different methods for teaching the content to a diverse population.

Teacher as Evolving Instructor

As I began my career as a teacher, my coursework for the MATC program pushed me to
continuously refine and expand my skillset as an educator, especially in regards to literacy
instruction. My work in TE 846: Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners and TE 848:
Writing Assessment and Instruction played an integral role in this growth.

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Through my work in TE 846: Accommodating Differences in Literacy Learners, as

evidenced in Artifact 2, I was able to work one on one with a student to assess his literacy skills
and create a comprehensive intervention plan to help him progress as a literacy learner. This
project is a clear example of my dedication to the improvement of my practice and my ability to
monitor and adjust my instruction to meet the unique needs of students. In order to meet the
needs of this specific student, I did a great deal of research and reflection to determine the best
methods for moving the student forward. This gave me the opportunity to improve my craft and
expand my repertoire of instructional reading strategies.
Along with my growth in reading instruction came an increase in my knowledge and
skills in writing instruction. This growth is evidenced in Artifact 5, where I documented my
research and personal experience with two different types of writing. This artifact, created in TE
848: Writing Assessment and Instruction, allowed me to be a serious student and researcher of
my own teaching practice. As a novice teacher, writing is the subject I feel least confident in
teaching. Through critical inquiry and the reflection and reexamination of my teaching practices,
this project allowed me to strengthen this area of my professional practice and expand my
pedagogical knowledge and skills for writing instruction.

Teacher as Leader and Collaborator

Some of the best learning opportunities are ones that require you to step out of your
comfort zone. As a novice teacher, only having taught three years with much still to learn,
assuming leadership and collaborative roles are an area that do just that. Thankfully, my MATC
program has pushed me to take that step and take on the roles of leader and collaborator. This, in
return, has inspired a great deal of professional growth.

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One of my goals as an educator is to inspire and encourage each student to be a leader of

their own learning. A tool that I utilize to help empower students to be leaders is the use of a data
notebook. I was introduced to this idea during my internship and was inspired by its powerful
implications. During TE 807: Development and Inquiry, I had the opportunity to form a learning
community with two other teachers in the course. As reflective practitioners we critiqued and
adapted selected classroom resources, mine being my data notebook. This process surrounding
my work in Artifact 3 is evidence of my commitment to optimize opportunities to learn and work
collaboratively with fellow teachers.
In addition to working collaboratively with other teachers, my coursework in TE 883:
Teachers and Children as Poets, has provided me with opportunities to challenge myself and take
on leadership roles within my school. On my grade level team I am the most adept at
incorporating technology into classroom instruction and therefore, my third grade teaching
partners often look to me for leadership. Artifact 7, created for TE 883, evidences growth and
improvement in my teaching practice as well as my leadership contributions to my partners and
the school as a whole. The website I created for this project, aimed at engaging students in
poetry, was shared with my teaching partners, who have committed to implementing it into their
classrooms.
Another leadership opportunity I encountered came through work done for TE 872:
Teachers as Teacher Educators. My commitment to critical inquiry and my drive to understand
and improve current issues within schools is evidenced in Artifact 6 where I centered a project
on leadership in schools. In this artifact, I took an in-depth look at five critical elements that aid
in cultivating a culture of teacher leadership in schools. After a great deal of research, analysis
and synthesizing of my findings, I shared and presented my research to my schools Principal

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and the School Improvement Team. After sharing my work, my principal appointed me the
leader for our schools Cultures of Thinking team, knowing that my work done for TE 872
would assist in shifting the culture of our school.

Teacher as Goal Setter

Upon the culmination of my MATC program, I know that my journey as an educator is
just beginning. The experiences presented through this program have instilled in me the drive
and work ethic to better myself as a teacher each and every day of my career. These courses have
guided and built the foundation for the educator that I am, and the one I strive to become. I have
grown to be a reflective practitioner, willing to adapt and change aspects of my practice for the
betterment of my students. I have learned the importance of research and critical analysis. I have
been inspired to push myself to take on leadership roles, bettering myself and those around me. I
have expanded my repertoire of strategies that enable me to give each unique student the
educational experience they deserve. It is evident that I have made incredibly growth through
hard work and the leadership of this MATC program.
As I look ahead, without the guidance and structure of the MATC program, it is
important that I continue to stay true to the skills and ideals I gained throughout the journey. It is
also important that I set goals for myself in and out of the classroom. Having just finished my
third year of teaching, I cannot imagine myself in another role and I have no intention of leaving
the classroom. My heart is with my students. My goal is to continue to better my practice as an
educator through peer observation, collaborative teaching, and outside professional development.
In the coming years, I hope to take on more leadership roles within the school building as well as
in the school district. Because of the powerful impact my mentor teacher had on me during my

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internship year, I would love to be a mentor in the coming years, either to new teachers in the
building or to future teachers in their internship year. These goals, both long-term and short, will
keep me on the path of continued learning and growth. They will push and challenge me to be
the best educator I can be.