By: Marc Lachance
I started the Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program at Michigan State four years ago with high expectations for myself. I looked at the program as a challenge and an opportunity to learn in areas that I was familiar with (Sports Coaching & Leadership) and concentrations that were new to me (Technology & Learning). I created a few short and long term goals to help guide me to where I am today. I wanted my goals to be smart goals: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. In these past four years, I was able to complete two of these goals: getting accepted into the program and land a job as a physical education teacher. The one short term goal that I did not complete was getting a 3.9 GPA. As I type this, I have a 3.77 GPA with the best possible GPA of a 3.8. I am okay with not meeting it though. I would rather set a high expectation for myself and fail than to set an easy goal and not challenge myself.
I have not met either of my two long term goals. In fact, looking back, I don't think having them both as goals was realistic. My first goal, becoming an athletic director, is still a possibility, but it is not something that I am pursuing at the moment. I love supporting our local sports teams, managing budgets, schedules and the business side of sports. My second long term goal was to become a division III collegiate hockey coach. In the long run, I do not see myself achieving this goal. When I first wrote down the goal, I was entering my first year of being a head coach of a club hockey team. Since then, I have learned that I enjoy the club level as it is still a high level of hockey and is very competitive. It gives student-athletes the ability to continue to play the game they love without the stresses that come with playing varsity hockey. Combining these two goals and becoming a club sports adviser while being a club hockey coach would be my revised goal.
I think that with the real life experience I have gained and the knowledge through my courses, that I have grown as a teacher and coach the past four years. I am very happy where I am right now being a physical education teacher in the middle school I attended and being a club hockey coach at the university that I attended. I will continue to set short term goals such as becoming a full time teacher in my district as I work towards conquering my long term goals. As I have learned, it is okay if I do not reach my goals if they are too challenging. Every few years, I should reevaluate where I am in my life and see if these goals are still relevant. I can always tweak them or change them. When I walked across the stage this past May in the Breslin Center, I realized I was one course away from attaining my main goal, earning my masters degree.
I have not met either of my two long term goals. In fact, looking back, I don't think having them both as goals was realistic. My first goal, becoming an athletic director, is still a possibility, but it is not something that I am pursuing at the moment. I love supporting our local sports teams, managing budgets, schedules and the business side of sports. My second long term goal was to become a division III collegiate hockey coach. In the long run, I do not see myself achieving this goal. When I first wrote down the goal, I was entering my first year of being a head coach of a club hockey team. Since then, I have learned that I enjoy the club level as it is still a high level of hockey and is very competitive. It gives student-athletes the ability to continue to play the game they love without the stresses that come with playing varsity hockey. Combining these two goals and becoming a club sports adviser while being a club hockey coach would be my revised goal.
I think that with the real life experience I have gained and the knowledge through my courses, that I have grown as a teacher and coach the past four years. I am very happy where I am right now being a physical education teacher in the middle school I attended and being a club hockey coach at the university that I attended. I will continue to set short term goals such as becoming a full time teacher in my district as I work towards conquering my long term goals. As I have learned, it is okay if I do not reach my goals if they are too challenging. Every few years, I should reevaluate where I am in my life and see if these goals are still relevant. I can always tweak them or change them. When I walked across the stage this past May in the Breslin Center, I realized I was one course away from attaining my main goal, earning my masters degree.
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