Diving In - First Few Weeks of Class!

Y’all. Being a student has been SO much better my second time around (aka post college). I’ve learned a lot about myself as a learner in the six years since I graduated from BC. Pretty cool to realize! 😊 The most notable shift is that I understand better how I like to work/study which makes a huge difference in my effectiveness and overall well-being. It doesn’t hurt that I also have a bed time I’m unwilling to budge on during the week (it’s 11 lol) and a husband at home who I kiiiiinda like making time to hang with. I’m also infinitely more motivated in school now that I’m studying things I and/or my students have experienced within education. I’m loving that I have the opportunity to both look at education broadly (as I study concepts like school reform and curriculum design) and personally (as I reflect on past experiences as a teacher/counselor/program manager within education). 

Things inspiring me lately…

• This Brene Brown quote: Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good. Anyone else around here a perfectionist?! It’s so unnecessary. But old habits die hard.
• God winks: I ran into four BC grads at HGSE during my first week of classes! Eagles everywhere 😊
• My brave bracelet! (Thanks Kiks! ) I’ve been trying to do a new brave thing each day. Sharing an unpopular opinion in class, going to office hours (it feels awkward at first), or even prioritizing a great, deep conversation over doing a reading for class.
• Moms! A few of the women in my cohort are not only full-time students, they’re full time moms, too! Any time I think about complaining (see below), I stop to remember that they are raising kiddos while doing everything I’m doing. I’m in awe of them!

First few weeks tidbits

• Homework So, you know how undergrad classes have syllabus week during the first week? Yea, apparently grad school doesn’t roll like that. After an awesome but long orientation week I figured I would take the weekend to rest and hang before starting classes. WRONG. Grad school profs are sneaky and assign homework for day one of class. And by homework, I mean 400 pages of reading (total)- for my first week of class! I’m not a great skimmer, but I’m quickly learning that it’s a skill I should work on. However. I am NOT complaining. I came here to learn and grapple with new ideas, and by gosh, those 400 pages of weekly reading are helping me do that.
• Cohort My MBE cohort is THE CUTEST. Since we’re a small crew, we bonded pretty quickly and seem to gravitate towards each other on campus throughout the day. All throughout the first week of class I noticed that anytime I walked into our library (aka the hang out spot), there were at least a few MBEs gathered together eating, studying, or
• Diversity of classes I am LOVING having classes that are so different from one another both in content and in method. From case studies to design thinking to speech watching, my classes span the teaching/learning spectrum, and I’m learning more about myself as a learner and educator as I go to each session.
• Reading groups ARE LIFESAVERS. My deeper learning class has tons of reading, and in order to keep up, a few MBEs and I teamed up to divide and conquer the readings. Our weekly get togethers to discuss books and articles are without a doubt two of my favorite hours of the week!

Learning experiences

• Design challenge (Deeper Learning for All) In class one, our professor asked us to write on individual post it notes all of the problems we see in education. I was simultaneously PUMPED and overwhelmed. HOW DO I ARTICULATE ALL OF THEM IN 5 MINUTES?! (Somehow, I managed) After we each wrote at least 15, we broke into small groups to see common trends and analyze (on the whiteboard walls in our room!) how problems interconnected with each other. Don’t worry, though, y’all this was not meant to be a pessimistic exercise. Post diagnosing problems (to the best of our ability), we repeated the process but for solutions. Post-it-note solutions, see trends, analyze connectedness. Last, we chose one solution at a level we felt we could impact and created a hypothetical plan to attack it. It was an overwhelming experience to look at education (and its shortcomings) so broadly but a great way to begin a class that deep dives into the US education system.
• I gave a speech! (Art of Communication for Educators) This course is only half the semester, so things move fast and I already gave my first speech! (Actually, now two speeches since I’m posting this late!) Each person in my group has 4 minutes to give a speech about a given prompt, the first of which was to talk about a lesson we’ve learned in education. I spoke about the consequences that stem from blindly adhering to bad rules within schools. I have struggled as an educator with enforcing school rules I do not personally agree with, specifically when I feel they are not culturally appropriate. 

A fun and funny video (7 min.) I had to watch for my class: How to sound smartin a Ted Talk. I laughed so hard when I watched this at the gym that I had to step off the elliptical I was on! 

Other life updates

• Church hunt! Anthony and I are in the midst of visiting different churches around Cambridge to see which community feels like a good fit for us. We’ve been to three so far and think we’re ready to pick one. I’ll be relieved when we do – having a home church is a big part of what makes a new(ish) place feel like home to me.
• Meditation. Been trying to meditate for a few minutes every day. There’s so much that crowds my head on a daily basis that I’m trying to take that time and just give my body and mind some space. It’s such a welcome release! Thanks TFA for the free year of Headspace and the HGSE Mindful Educators for conducting a free weekly meditation during classes 😊
• First anniversary! Anthony and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary a few weeks ago. It’s crazy that a year has already gone by since one of our favorite days. We had fun celebrating year one in the city where we first met and started dating. It’s safe to say I wouldn’t be here at HGSE without his constant love and encouragement! 

I’m even more grateful to be blogging after starting classes. I’ve had so much reading to do that it’s been great to have a space to come and reflect on how I’m feeling and what I’m learning! Thanks for sharing it with me 😊 And thanks to all my favorite cheerleaders (you know who you are) near and far who have been sending me tons of love, prayer, and great energy as I start this journey. I have endless gratitude for y’all. Thanks for being in my corner always. I carry your strength and love with me!

Cara