Life is Like a Painting: An Essay on Goals

When creating a watercolor painting, the paint is influenced by the other materials it is used with. Use a lot of water and the paint swirls.  Sprinkle some salt in, and as it dries, the watercolor crystalizes in spots. The best laid plans for a final product never turn out exactly as anticipated due to the fluid nature of the medium.  In many ways, life is like a watercolor painting. Goals are important to guide the process, but they are also malleable and influenced by the surrounding actions.

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When I first began my pursuit of my Master of Arts in Education (MAED) from Michigan State University (MSU), I had two goals that drove my learning.  As an undergraduate at MSU, I majored in Art Education and obtained a minor in Mathematics. This experience and my first three years of teaching gave me multiple techniques to use while teaching art courses, but little knowledge of math pedagogy.  My fourth year of teaching, and the year I applied to the program, I obtained a position instructing middle school math. Therefore, my first professional goal centered around mathematics. I wanted to deepen my knowledge of math from a student point of view so I could create more rigorous class discussions and lessons. For my second goal, I aimed to learn new methods of teaching so I could reach a more diverse range of students. This goal was made to be applicable in both contexts, whether it be a math or an art classroom. Specifically, I was looking for more classroom management strategies and ways to implement technology into the classroom to make a more inclusive and relevant learning environment.

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“The plan” for the picture of my life was to teach both subjects at the same time.   Just a few months ago, I was unexpectedly presented the opportunity to pursue my passion for art and I accepted a new position teaching middle school art full time, diverting from the plan. Therefore, while I have reached part of my first goal throughout my studies, deepening my knowledge of math pedagogy is no longer a priority. That goal served its purpose, and I learned a myriad of strategies for my math classroom, but I am going to have to alter the goal for the future.

 

Fortunately, my second goal was more adjustable and intended to help me across subject matters.  I recognize that there is always more to learn, and therefore I will constantly be on the search for more strategies and methods to use in the classroom.  While the intricacies within my second goal are open to change, my overall goal to reach a more diverse range of students will remain. I will use my goal to learn new methods of teaching as the plan to guide me throughout the painting of my teaching career.  

 

I am unsure what the image of my life will look like at the end, but I do know that I was made for teaching.  Making goals is one of the ways to be the best teacher I can be.  Therefore, I will strive to reach my goals and use them as guiding points.  However, I recognize that sometimes the unanticipated events in life can alter the big picture, often in ways better than expected.