ABSTRACT

The Master of Education program at Wilfrid Laurier University requires students to meet four goals to demonstrate his or her competency as a master of the discipline.  This narrative discusses those four goals and offers specific artifacts that align with the objectives of these goals.  To begin the journey, goal one requires a foundational understanding of the theory behind pedagogical practices which is shown through an understanding of Louise Rosenblatt’s transactional theory.  Goal two encourages the dissemination of education-related research which was achieved by integrating technology into the classroom and sharing these successes at a conference. Goal three involves using an advanced understanding of theory to meet the needs of learners and is highlighted through the use of collaboration and inquiry during novel study in a high school classroom.  Lastly, goal four expects the Master of Education student to meet social, personal and community responsibilities to showcase his or her advanced knowledge in the field; which connects directly with the use of Restorative Practices (RP) in the classroom and through my Master’s Class in EU598: Capstone course.  Through various artifacts, this narrative showcases the Master of Education objectives and the impact that these learning goals have had on my professional growth as an educator.  

INTRODUCTION

Pointing Ahead:

A narrative of the Master of Education program goals

George Bernard Shaw once said, “I'm not a teacher: only a fellow traveler of whom you asked the way. I pointed ahead - ahead of myself as well as you” (Shaw, 2015).  As a playwright and an author, Shaw had an outlook that suggested that learning is not one that is meant for the student alone.  Being an educator is about looking ahead and challenging one’s pedagogy in order to enable learning.  Throughout my journey in the Master of Education program at Wilfrid Laurier University, I have engaged with many texts, professors and colleagues that have expanded my understanding of education on many levels.  I came into this program with preconceived notions of what education means; I believed that the current education system is an institution with students’ best interests in mind and that the framework of education was developed to help students achieve their highest aspirations.  I would not have believed George Bernard Shaw’s quip about what educators should aspire to become.  However, throughout the program, I have grown as a student and an educator and now see education as a system that requires educators to constantly reflect upon their practices in order to move forward.  I now understand that educators must engage with research and develop meaningful, student-centred approaches that will foster the best education for all students and not merely a system that pushes students to achieve good grades as means to understanding who they are.  The world has changed, but education is not moving quite as quickly.  I am impatient for the change that I wish to see in the framework of the education system, but I have come to realize, through the Master of Education program, that I am that change and I can shift my thinking to meet the needs of students, colleagues and the community on all levels.  My greatest achievement in this program has been recognizing that I am ready to use critical thinking and reflective skills to “move ahead of myself” in education with a pedagogy that will enhance the relationships, and learning, of those that I engage with.  

GOAL #1

Goal #1: Personal Professional Knowledge: Understanding Transactional Theory

As an English teacher, I am enamored by the idea of students engaging with a text in an aesthetic way.  In her text The Reader, he Text, the Poem: the Transactional Theory of the Literary Work, Louise Rosenblatt discusses transactional theory on a spectrum of efferent to aesthetic (p. 22-25).  I find this idea to be profound, but I am also challenged by it; how do I encourage the joy of the aesthetic within my students while also meeting the academic requirements that are based strictly on an efferent approach?  I felt that I fell short when it came to developing a love of literature in students who were not interested in reading anything, let alone a classic novel – the reading that is prescribed by the school administration. In my final reflection, I mapped the ideas of transactional theory onto the views I shared in my personal practical knowledge assignments. I noted:

In the English classroom, my ultimate goal is for students to reach an aesthetic appreciation of the texts that we study; however, because of the constraints of time and curriculum, it is more likely that we ask students to take a more efferent approach in the English classroom; … I was merely asking students to regurgitate knowledge instead of developing a more aesthetic approach to the text. 

Since writing this piece, I have continued to reflect upon the necessity of, and the ways to achieve, an aesthetic appreciation of literature within each student.  The tension exists within the system itself which dictates the outcomes that a student must meet – nowhere in the curriculum does it suggest that students should have an interaction or an appreciation of the texts that they read.  This is a great frustration for me, since I wish to infuse a more aesthetic approach to my teaching practices while meeting the curriculum needs.  I ask myself: can one truly learn if they are not engaged with a text? It is my goal as an English teacher to move beyond the boundaries of curriculum and allow students to interact with texts in meaningful ways that are relevant to their lives so that they are able to truly benefit from the aesthetic interaction while developing their learning skills. 

This reflection on the tension between theory and the rigours of curriculum has led to a shift in my practice in various ways.  Foremost, building relationships with students in various ways is tantamount so that I can offer material that is accessible to all learners and students can engage in more in depth ways with each text.  One of the ways that I build relationships with my students to ensure that I am engaging them with authentic texts is to hold personal conversations where I learn about their interests; I can then direct them to texts about those topics.  Levin(2003) suggests that twenty minutes can build a meaningful relationship with a student; I wish to go beyond building relationships that build a positive classroom community, but also use their knowledge and interests to guide the materials and ways in which I ask them to interact with texts.  Through these means, I attempt to move students along the spectrum away from a strictly efferent interaction with a text, but towards the appreciation of the aesthetic. 

I continually shape my practices with each new group of students so that they are able to move beyond the efferent towards an aesthetic appreciation.  Yet, my shift in thinking and practice has not stopped with the understanding of transactional theory, it has lead to my deeper understanding of the importance of fostering relationships in order to achieve in the three other program goal areas.  

GOAL #2

Goal #2: Our Voices Conference - Using Technology to Understand Equity

            Pointing ahead, as Shaw suggests, I realized that the aesthetic appreciation that Rosenblatt discusses is not only found in literature, but can be translated into the lives of 21^st century learners.  During EU530: Integration of Technology into the Classroom, I developed a lesson around digital storytelling.  I then used this digital storytelling project as the culminating activity in my classroom as part of a collaborative project called The Harmony Movement.  The Harmony Movement is an organization that provides educational programs to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.  There were many components to this learning that aided me in achieving goal #2 in the Masters of Education program.  My grade 11 class participated in set lessons with Harmony Movement facilitators, we also visited the Woodland’s Cultural Centre as an experiential learning trip, and then, my colleague and I, shared our experiences at a staff meeting and at the Our Voices Conference which is an event showcasing the integration of FNMI teachings into the classroom for Halton District School Board teachers.

The Harmony Movement is an organization that provides educational programs to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.  I integrated the concepts of the learning that students participated in with the Harmony Movement into the classroom through the culminating task of digital storytelling.  As part of our learning with the Harmony Movement, the students concentrated on learning about First Nations, Metis and Inuit (FNMI) issues around equity and inclusion.  The class traveled to Woodland’s Cultural Centre where we learned about the oppression and degradation of Six Nations people at the residential school.  We learned valuable teachings about the Indigenous traditions which included oral storytelling. One student even made a video documenting our journey. This is where theory meets practice; Rosenblatt’s (1994) transactional theory suggests that students must interact with the text in order to fully gain an appreciation of the aesthetic and integrate the learning into their understanding of the world.  Through this field trip, students were able to interact with the traditions and teachings of the indigenous community and further their understanding and appreciation of diversity and equity. 

Pointing ahead of myself and the students, I combined my understanding of transactional theory with the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model and theSubstitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition (SAMR) model of technology integration (Puentaduna, 2003).  I was able to use my knowledge of the curriculum as well as my pedagogical knowledge to develop a meaningful and authentic task that honoured the learning we had done with the Harmony Movement, and the understanding students gained on our experiential trip to Woodland’s Cultural Centre.  It was clear through conversations and reflections that students recognized the importance of sharing stories so that the level of equity and inclusion could be raised in our community. 

To culminate this understanding, students completed a digital storytelling assignment wherein they were able to share their learning around FNMI, equity and inclusion issues while embracing technology.  Each student created a video that told a story of how equity and inclusion related to their lives.  By moving oral storytelling traditions into the digital age, this project, not only appealed to the 21^st century learners, but also utilized the SAMR model by moving the storytelling into the Modification realm, and for some learners, into the area of Redefinition since they were no longer strictly discussing their understanding of equity and inclusion, but sharing it in a meaningful way that they understood through technology.

The digital storytelling task was an incredible tool for students to tell their stories and share their learning.  After The Harmony Movement programming was complete, I was able to share my knowledge about digital storytelling in the classroom with my colleagues at a staff meeting.  I shared my successes to demonstrate the importance of developing authentic learning tasks and showcase the use of education-related research in meaningful ways.  I was then able to disseminate this information further at the Our Voices Conference. By sharing my gained knowledge about the use of digital storytelling to enhance student learning, I was able to continue to travel with students and colleagues on their learning journey and point ahead of myself and my students to a more innovative integration of theory and practice.  

GOAL #3

Goal #3: The Learning Sciences: using collaborative inquiry in novel study

George Bernard Shaw’s words continue to guide my teaching practices.  In EU551: The Learning Sciences, I developed a professional inquiry project that challenged my ability to point ahead of myself as well as the students.  The inquiry began with a simple conversation that challenged my way of teaching and thinking about learning.  My grade nine students were finishing their short story unit and we were soon moving on to our novel study unit, when a student asked me, “What do we do during our novel study unit?”

Before I could even reply, another student spoke up and told the inquiring student, “Don’t worry about it. We just read the book and answer questions.”

I was shocked.  Why was I shocked?  Simply, because the student was right; all I had done in the past for novel study was have students read the book and answer questions, then we had a test and a few discussions to make sure everyone understood the themes and how they related to the world. I was also shocked because I took into consideration all that I was learning in EU551 and realized how limited the learning was for the grade nines when they weren’t given more opportunities to interact with the text and with each other – Rosenblatt would be very disappointed.  I was even more shocked that after six years of teaching, I was just now questioning the methods of teaching novel study that are common practice at the school that I teach at. In that moment, I resolved that I would not teach the novel using question sheets.  I told my students right then and there that we would be doing “other activities”, even though I didn’t know what those activities would be.

So began my journey into The Learning Sciences and my understanding of theory at a deeper level.  I decided to engage in a professional learning inquiry.  I began my new inquiry with the statement: “If I use Learning Sciences techniques to teach novel study to grade nine academic students, then they will demonstrate a deeper understanding of the novel itself and make stronger connections between the novel, themselves, other texts and the world and ultimately perform better on the summative evaluation (the essay)”. I then worked through the process with my students by including various Learning Sciences- inspired collaborative tasks and discussions to engage my students in their learning.  I must admit, the success of this project was overwhelming.  As I reflect on the positive outcomes of this project for the students, I cannot deny the incredible shift in thinking and practice that has happened in me, as well. 

Throughout my journey to develop a learning environment that uses student centred learning I have expanded my understanding of the various components necessary for students to enhance critical thinking.  I have also come to realize that social interaction is a key component to learning for students; they demonstrated their need to interact with each other to develop their understanding of the novel from the very beginning of the unit when they worked together to construct ideas around the big question: “What does it mean to be different?”. 

Based on the pedagogical approaches of the Learning Sciences, it is clear that learning is a social practice; therefore, I recognized that it is integral to create purposeful groupings to provide students with a social learning environment that allows them to grow as learners and not merely to engage socially with their peers.  I considered purposeful grouping to create a Zone of Proximal Development for learners so that they were able to enhance their abilities through discussion and inquiry with their peers.  Through this process, I have realized that it is difficult to create purposeful groupings in every situation since some students do not fit into my intended groupings and are sometimes “add ons” to a group that do not necessarily benefit all members of the group. Again, being cognizant of purposeful grouping and providing opportunities for leadership as frequently as possible, are now at the forefront of my thinking when I am determining upcoming activities in the classroom.

Watching students share their perspectives to improve the learning of their peers was amazing, but also, released me from the role of the expert.  Students were able to ask each other for information and did not appear to worry that their peers didn’t have the “right” answers. This behaviour indicated to me that the students were willing to take risks and work together to solve problems.  Thus, I can conclude that sharing knowledge has created a dynamic student-centred learning environment in the classroom.  By creating a student centred environment, I became a resource for them to access and not the only expert in the room. 

This entire inquiry project has linked directly to goal 3.  The competency is explained as the ability to: “apply an advanced understanding of the learning and cognition theories such that diverse learning outcomes and educational needs for all students are addressed.”(OCGS, 2011).  By using constructivist theory as the primary component of the Learning Sciences, I have advanced my understanding of the learning theory and how it can effectively play out in the classroom, as discussed earlier.  The competency connections that I have made through this project could not have been clearer.  I have developed a thorough knowledge of The Learning Sciences and integrated theory into the context of the classroom.  I have used my knowledge of learning theory to meet the diverse needs of my students, which is indicated in the student survey results (see figure 1).  I have also met many curriculum outcomes in my teaching practices (see Table 1).

The greatest impact this inquiry has had is on my reflective teaching practices. By questioning my own teaching practices, I have developed new and meaningful ways to meet student learning needs while also enhancing my own knowledge and shifting my pedagogical approaches to better suit the outcomes of the learning environment.   I see the necessity of letting learning happen and the freeing nature of becoming a facilitator in the room and not the only main resource for information.  This is the greatest shift in pedagogy that I could achieve. 

Figure 1:

Anecdotal Student Comments about the class novel study learning techniques:

Leave a comment about the novel study. What do you like about the way we learn in class? What don’t you like about the way we learn in class?

I like how we thoroughly discuss the novel in class, and also how we looked at the types of writing that were being used; satire, irony, point of view...It helped me to gather a bigger idea of the book, and helped me to make more connections with the world around me and the text. There's not very much that I don't like. I enjoy English class very much! c: <--- (that's a smiley face)

i like the way we learn in class because we all share our different opinions

I like how we usually discuss what we've read in the novel in class

I like how we can use assignments to make connections to our world. The only I don't like when we use the same work sheet again and again.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I am enjoying the novel, and I am thoroughly enjoying the lessons and activities that are linked to the novel.

I like how we get to go in groups and share our ideas with everyone.

I like how we get to use multiple ways of learning in class. We do hands on (super David and super Uncle Axel), independent work (reading in class or at home), and working with others (charts around the class room). I don't like coping stuff off the board but I know it is needed sometimes. ~Amy :]

What i like is how we work in groups writing and sharing our thoughts about the novel. What i don't like is the essay that we have to wright soon. sincerely Alex

I like how sometimes we get into groups and collaborate with each other so everybody can share ideas and have a saying in something. There's nothing that I don't like about the way we learn in class. Brittany

I like the way that we get to share our Ideas about the book with the class.

Personally I feel that the way we learn in this class is exceptional. I like how I can share my ideas freely and also how we use technology frequently in class. I do like working in groups

Table 1: Activities inspired by Learning Sciences to meet goals and curriculum outcomes:

New Approach	Previous Teaching Strategies	Consistent with Learning Sciences	Diverse Curriculum Outcomes
KWL chart: using the KWL graphic organizer, students record the prior knowledge they have, what they would like to learn about and what they have learned as we progress through the novel.  Throughout the novel study, we return to our sheet to see if we have answered any of our questions.  We collaborate and use technology to answer more complex questions.	Students answer predetermined questions about the novel before, during and reading.	Inquiry Asking questions to promote deeper thinking and inference is a key component of constructing knowledge.  The KWL organizer aligns with The Learning Sciences because students are using a process and can track their understanding of the text from his or her initial interactions with it right through to the end to see if they have been able to develop meaningful answers to questions they have asked throughout the novel.  As highlighted in the text, “As students synthesize, plan, make decisions, and transform information and data into a variety of forms, higher level learning strategies and self-regulation are required” (Sawyer, p. 480), which indicates that students are meeting the goal of deeper thinking through inquiry.	1.      Reading for Meaning: read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, informational, and graphic texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning; 1.3. Demonstrating understanding of content 1.4. Making inferences 1.5. Extending understanding of texts 1.6. Analysing texts 1.8. Critical Literacy
Reciprocal teaching: In this particular activity, students learned about the Cold War and post-apocalyptic worlds on separate PowerPoint presentations, they were responsible to become “experts” about their subject, teach it to their partner, then work together to make connections between these topics and the novel.	The teacher would show the students the power point and transmit the knowledge. Students would take notes to understand the content.	Collaboration According to the text, “Jigsaw creates interdependence among group members by having each student become an expert on information that others in the group need” (Sawyer, p. 484). Students are able to interact with each other to share knowledge about a new topic in order to expand understanding of the text. When students become experts in their subject, they take ownership of the learning and are motivated to ensure that their partners have a strong understanding of the material.	1. Listening to Understand: listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes; 1. 3. Using listening comprehension strategies 2.    Speaking to Communicate: use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes; 2.2. Interpersonal speaking strategies 2.3. Clarity and Coherence
Super David: Several activities are used to learn about the characters.  The process begins with a think aloud which is lead by the teacher. Students develop smaller versions of the character independently, then they work together to create a life size version of a character from the novel integrating all of their ideas.  Their goal is to use the novel, inference skills and each other’s ideas to develop a depiction of the character’s thoughts, feelings as well as the outside factors that affect the character.	In the past, I would have had students complete only one activity about the main characters instead of scaffolding their knowledge and using each other’s knowledge to construct an understanding.	Scaffolding A common thread throughout the text shows that, “learning is an active process, employing a ‘learning by mindful doing’ approach where learners must cognitively manipulate the material they are learning to create cognitive links from the new material to their own prior knowledge” (Sawyer, p. 122).  This hands on learning task is a demonstration of “mindful doing”. Students combine their knowledge of character traits, external factors that affect the character and their prior knowledge to make inferences that build on their understanding of the character and the novel as a whole.  Through this scaffolding process, students make links between new materials and prior knowledge, build their repertoire of understanding and can later apply this understanding to essay writing.	1.Understanding Media Texts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts; 1.5. Critical literacy 1.2. Interpreting messages 3.Creating Media Texts: create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques; 3.2. Form 3.3. Conventions and Techniques
Driving question: students were asked to reflect on the question: “How are people who are different perceived by society?” as a thematic focus continually throughout the unit.	Driving questions would not have been as explicitly examined and used to scaffold understanding of the novel.  Students would have written their thoughts in their notebooks and shared them solely with me and not necessarily with each other to make meaning of the text and connections to the world.	Making authentic learning connections Throughout the novel study, we return to the big question to determine if our thinking has changed as we learn more about the novel and the world around us.  Students use their prior knowledge and make connections between the novel and current events.  Through sharing these connections, they are able to develop their understanding of the concepts of the book while also enhancing their knowledge of the world around them.  This creates a meaningful learning experience because students can associate the themes of the novel with real life situations.  “A wide range of learning sciences research has shown that students learn more when they reflect on their own thinking” (Sawyer, p. 127).	1.Reading for Meaning: read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, informational, and graphic texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning; 1.3. Demonstrating understanding of content 1.4. Making inferences 1.5. Extending understanding of texts 1.6. Analysing texts 1.8. Critical Literacy

GOAL #4

Goal #4: Restorative Practices: building relationships

            All of my experiences throughout the Masters of Education program have culminated in this final program goal.  As the program has progressed, my pedagogical approaches have shifted and changed to reflect what is at the heart of my teaching practices: building relationships.  In essence, every project that I have completed for this program has impacted the ways that I interact with my colleagues, students, parents and the greater community.  From the very beginning, EU501: Research and Praxis, demonstrated the importance of building relationships through circle discussions and how this method can enhance personal, professional and community relationships.  I have come to recognize the power of conversation to build relationships and affect change in the classroom and school culture.  I have begun a journey to use restorative circles in my classroom, based on research that shows the significance of giving voice to those who may not have the opportunity to share their ideas when lost in the bustle of everyday classroom activities. 

            My artifact for this portion of my journey is not tangible, but is an experience that has impacted my pedagogical approach.  The learning I have done around culturally responsive teaching has encouraged me to incorporate restorative circles into my classroom in order to honour the voices of all of my students.  My artifact is the circles themselves, and how they have changed the dynamic of my classroom and furthered my understanding of how to build meaningful relationships with students.  The greatest understanding that has emerged from my learning is that the role of the teacher is not to have power over thestudents, but to have power WITH the students to facilitate each classroom community member’s learning so that they are a contributing member, not just in one classroom, but as a member of the school community and greater community (IIRP, 2015).  To actually meet the goals of the International Institute of Restorative Practices goals sounds rather lofty and somewhat impossible to achieve in one small school.  One has to wonder: how can letting kids share their ideas impact a whole community? 

            Restorative Practices (RP) are described by the International Institute of Restorative Practices (IIRP) as the ability to:

build the capacity of the student and the school community to develop internal and external assets, and healthy relationships; they are the foundation of preventing bullying behaviour.  Restorative Practices use a spectrum of proactive and responsive strategies including the use of emotional expression (sharing thoughts and feelings), classroom circles, small impromptu conferences and formal conferences.  Restorative Practices support the whole school approach to positive school climate and bullying prevention/intervention by engaging the community to adopt a unified set of practices that enhance respectful relationships, build empathy and compassion and strengthen acceptance and responsibility. (IIRP, 2015)

Restorative Practices fits into the pedagogical approach that I have been striving to achieve as I have reflected on my practices throughout the Master of Education program.  Firstly, I have been exposed to Restorative Practices in a variety of ways throughout my formal education.  During my Bachelor of Education, we used circles in our classes and also participated in Healing Circles lead by an elder of the Mi’kmaq nation.  From the very beginning, I felt the power of circles to develop and restore relationships through the simple act of creating a circle where everyone is equal; the sheer power of a circle is to create equality amongst its members.  Going forward, I participated in circles in EU501: Research and Praxis that helped the class to bond as a cohort and demonstrated, yet again, the ability of circles to give participants a voice.  Yet, I never considered introducing circles into my own teaching practices until recently.

I was invited to attend a professional development session to learn more about Restorative Practices and how to integrate this philosophy into the classroom.  After knowing the power of circles for so long, I knew this was the opportunity I had been waiting for.  I was able to build my knowledge around the purpose and techniques required to facilitate a circle and developed a more finite understanding of the necessity of building relationships with my students and allowing them the time to build relationships with each other.  Through my understanding of these practices, I am able to integrate student-centred learning at more levels in the classroom and create the classroom culture that I have longed to develop for many years. 

One of my many goals as an educator is to build community at all levels.  To do this, I encourage students to share their thoughts and feelings academically, but also personally and socially, to build relationships and, ultimately, facilitate their journey as a student and a member of the school/greater/global community.  Through circles, students are able to find a voice to share their concerns and celebrate their successes in a way that is not possible without the use of Restorative Practices. 

At a collegial level, I am a part of a collaborative inquiry that brings teachers from all disciplines, the elementary level and community partners together to share ideas and develop Restorative Practices to implement in the classroom.  Through this inquiry, we are able to support and mentor each other as we learn more about Restorative Practices and how they affect classroom culture. In the inquiry, we are investigating how the use of circles can impact students' understanding of diversity in the classroom.  So far, I have very preliminary data in regards to socio-economic status, but see in these results that there is work that can be done using circles as a way to take time to address issues of diversity in the classroom and greater community.  Having the opportunity to participate in this inquiry process shows the importance of giving teachers time to share their thoughts and feelings to enhance their own learning; we are students too and have the same needs. 
My learning around Restorative Practices is significant and continues to be an area that I wish to master.  This is why I chose to discuss Restorative Practices as my Master's Class in EU598: Capstone.  I invited a colleague, Jodie Dobbie, to come and share her experiences as a veteran of Restorative Practices with our class.  Together, Jodie and I, shared insights into how RP builds relationships in any work place.  

Through this process, I have noticed that when teachers are given a voice, it acts in the same way as students; teachers want to have a voice as well and see themselves reflected in the learning.  Because of this belief, I have shared my learning with my school community at staff meetings in order to showcase the importance of relationship building and ways that teachers can implement Restorative Practices into their own teaching.  Of course, there is the potential for tension when sharing new ideas with colleagues.  I have reflected on how to share this information and realize that implementing circles into the classroom is not for everyone and that each teacher is on their own professional journey.  I know how long it took me to finally recognize the need to incorporate Restorative Practices into my own pedagogy, thus, I believe that exposure to these new ideas might spark action in some teachers and may be ignored by others.  My goal when attempting to advance knowledge is merely to share successes and failures in order for my colleagues to find their place in the learning and potentially take the same risks I have taken to try something new.  I still see the sharing process as an advancement of knowledge for my colleagues since knowing about different practices can ultimately lead to reflection on their own practices.  I might create a spark.

While pointing ahead of myself, I have taken the time to reflect back , as well and I see the importance of taking time out of the busy curriculum-driven whirlwind that is the school year.  One of the greatest lessons I have learned through this learning journey is that taking time to develop relationships with students will result in more learning.  In the past, I was concerned about the obligations of curriculum, but now realize that developing relationships in the classroom does not slow down the learning, but enhances it.  I have more learning to do around these practices, but see this as yet another reflection of George Bernard Shaw’s adage to “point ahead of myself” and take risks in my own learning so that students can feel safe, included and valued, not only in my classroom, but as part of the school community and beyond.  

Conclusion

Conclusion

                       Overall, I have achieved the goals of the Master of Education program in meaningful ways.  This opportunity has encouraged me to be more reflective in my practices, but also to question the status quo and think outside of the prescribed practices to find new and meaningful ways to meet the needs of the learners with whom I work.  Through the development of many artifacts, I recognize that it is imperative to my pedagogy that I am continually reflective and iterative in my practices.  Regardless of the goals, my whole journey has been focussed around building relationships with students, colleagues, my community, and members of the Master of Education program.  As I have built these relationships, I have learned a great deal about what it means to point ahead of myself; to take risks and try new approaches that will build the meaningful relationships that foster a positive learning environment, not only for me, but for my students and community. This journey through the Master of Education program has been difficult at times, but always rewarding since it challenged my thinking about what it means to be a leader, a mentor and a teacher.  I know now that this journey is not over, but that I will continue to point ahead of myself by continually nurturing my teaching practices and fostering the relationships that are clearly the foundation of my teaching practices.  I am living up George Bernard Shaw’s ideals of a “good teacher” when he states, “I'm not a teacher: only a fellow traveler of whom you asked the way. I pointed ahead - ahead of myself as well as you” (Shaw, 2015).