A Master's and My Professional Growth

I decided it was finally time to pursue a master's for a whole jumble of reasons. I knew it was an inevitable step in my career, and that I would eventually need to do it. My husband is in a master's program that he began in August, and it seemed like a good idea to complete our programs simultaneously. I am in a new position at work, in a new sector of special education, and it is exciting to have a chance to focus on and learn more about this new role. But, even with so many incentives to pursue this degree, I began the program without a lot of thought as to how it would affect my practice as a teacher. But now, 4 months into my coursework, I can already see how it is pushing me to grow and progress as a teacher. Simply being a student again, myself, reminds me that being in school isn't easy, and that is making me a more empathetic teacher. The emphasis on technology is pushing me to rethink and reinvent old ideas and approaches that I have used over and over again. I am learning ways to be more creative, more efficient, and more connected to my students, their parents, and the education community. The freedom I have within the special education component of my program is also giving me the chance to focus on learning more about transitions, which is my new job. Within every special education course I have taken, I have been able to focus my research and investigation on this niche, which is helping me in tangible ways every day on the job. At this point, I am in the very beginning stages of this program, and given the many ways it has prompted professional growth already, I can't wait to see how much I will learn and change over the next year.