As I was writing my original goal statement in February 2011, I was excited by the fact that I could have the opportunity to earn a degree from an internationally regarded learning institution; that also has a great history in sports. My goals at the time seemed to be more about status and impressing human-resource directors. Upon reflection two years later, my goals have changed to a certain extent.



My goals were to earn a Masters Degree then a Doctorate, degree. I also had a strong desire to teach at a Thai University or International school. Don’t get me wrong, these goals have not been extinguished. The difference now is that I’m not thinking about how much better it would be to teach at one of these institutions or what a “Dr” in front of my name would feel like. I believe these new feelings are due, in large part, to the design of the courses I took. The courses often included critical thinking, educational philosophy, personal reflection, and/or project-based learning. These elements allowed me to understand the relationships between students, teachers and educational settings. I believe my prior goals can be attributed to my lack of understanding of what it is to be a teacher/educator. The courses in my Bachelors of Science in Educational Studies (Educational Psychology) were more theoretical and scientific. The learning process mainly involved reading hundreds of pages a week, writing many reports and sharing some thoughts in message boards. I believe this helped me develop a strong framework of pedagogical and psychological knowledge. However, my learning experiences during the MAED program were more practical and holistic. I learned about my personal role as an educator and the leadership roles I can take.



I currently feel content with being an educator where ever I may be; and am proud of the prospect of earning my Masters degree from Michigan State University (Pride is a feeling I have never felt after any of my prior educational achievements). My current goals are more about the contributions I could offer my students, educational institutes and the community.