Megan Terbrack
Looking Back
I enjoyed reviewing the professional goals that I wrote for
myself a little over three years ago. Although I am still at the
same school working as a teacher and a coach, a lot has
changed in my life. I am married now and we moved into a
house together. My priorities have changed and they will
continue to change, but my professional goals have not.
A common theme in my initial goals was to become a strong leader. After my first year of teaching I became the geometry teacher leader for my building and the technology coach for my department. I fell into these positions not necessarily because I had the skills, but because no one else wanted the positions. I took these roles and responsibilities seriously which is why I chose technology as one of the concentrations for my master’s degree. After being thrown into these positions I believe that I have developed leadership skills. I have started to find my voice as a leader and understand my own leadership style. I know that I will continue to grow and change as a leader and educator therefore this will always be a goal of mine.
One goal that I have yet to accomplish is using technology to make the content relevant to my students’ lives and their future. Although I do not have access to a lot of technology at my school, I have now made an effort to try to integrate new technologies into my classroom. I have taken technology courses throughout my master’s that have given me the knowledge, and more importantly the confidence, to move forward with this goal. This is exactly what I hoped would happen after completing my master’s! I am going to collaborate with another colleague in the district to present at our district wide professional development in the fall about using technology in the math classroom. I am excited to share what I have learned with my colleagues and eager to work together to find ways to incorporate these resources in our classrooms. The course work throughout my master’s has helped me develop the skills that I need to push myself to try new technologies that will ultimately better support my students’ needs and prepare them for life after high school.
I will continue to reflect on my skills as an educator, leader, and coach throughout my career. I never want to get too comfortable and stuck in my own ways. I will push myself to teach new courses, try new technologies, try new strategies to meet the needs of my students, and collaborate with my colleagues. I know that I would not be the teacher I am today without the time that I have spent learning from and working with other educators.