Running Head: EXIT ESSAY

Mike Winters
Exit Essay
MAT 731
Reflective Practices
University of Saint Mary

Exit Essay
Part I: Original Education Philosophy

Looking back at my original education philosophy I had written nearly two years
ago as part of my admission requirements to enter the Master of the Arts program at the
University of Saint Mary, I find many beliefs still hold true and have value. I wrote about
two main aspects that are most important to me as a teacher. School should be exciting
and engaging for students. In reality, these two concepts are true for any aspect of life,
whether it be in the classroom, a conversation, a novel, or a career. As I continue to read
my original education philosophy, I agree with what I wrote. I spoke of the importance of
making connections with students and the fact humans learn at different speeds and in
different ways. These concepts are profoundly agreed upon among the educational world.
What stood out to me as I reflected back on this document was how my philosophies
were accurate, but I did not talk much about how these philosophies can be attained. The
biggest improvement as a result of the MAT program at USM is that I now possess the
knowledge and abilities to make these philosophies true and occur everyday in my
classroom. My new philosophy of education, which can be found in my e-portfolio,
highlights how these philosophies. The use of technology and apps or programs, such as
IXL, Educreations, Tellagmi, Class Dojo, Twitter, and Gmail to name a few help promote
and maintain my education philosophy of keeping the classroom exciting and students
engaged. Implementing the 4 Cs of education is imperative in every classroom by every
teacher to ensure students are properly prepared for college and future careers.
Part II: Personal Growth
Before beginning the MAT program, I was quite content with how I was running
my classroom. There is always room for improvement, but overall I was quite content.

Exit Essay
However, through a variety of action research projects I was able to identify problems
within my classroom and correct those problems through action research projects. I also
learned many new ways to implement technology into my curriculum. I am excited to
start the school year in two weeks and have my students using Twitter, IXL, Class Dojo,
and Educreations to name a few. Learning the best practices for utilizing technology in

the classroom has put me at the forefront for the fight for more technology in my district.
This is a welcomed responsibility and I look forward to the opportunities and challenges
that lie ahead. I am more confident in my abilities to better reach the needs of my
students. I am also excited to carry out action research projects in the future in order to
correct problems that arise in my classroom. The biggest change is the growth of my
personal learning network. Throughout the MAT program I have connected
professionally with professors, graduate students, and other educators from around the
world (Twitter). Many of these people have offered themselves as a knowledge base I can
reach out to in the future with questions or for help.
Part III: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
The NBPTS are evident throughout each course in the MAT program and are
reflected in my teaching philosophy. The simple fact I took it upon myself to enroll in the
MAT program at USM in order to become a better teacher shows my commitment to my
students and their educational experiences (NBPTS #1). Analyzing my classroom to
better understand my students and what they need to be successful shows how I know
about the subjects and how to teach the subjects to optimize student understanding and
learning (NBPTS #2). I mentioned in my teaching philosophy the importance of
discovering what makes students tick. This is important because it allows teachers to

Exit Essay
manage and monitor student learning and make the proper adjustments as needed
(NBPTS #3). All of life is about learning. Learning from good experiences and bad

experiences too. Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it, by Charles
Swindoll is one of my favorite quotes. This mindset is reflected in my teaching
philosophy where I discuss the importance of identifying a problem, examining research,
advocating a plan, and measuring and evaluating outcomes. Crafting action research
projects highlights my abilities to think systematically about teaching and learn from my
experiences (NBPTS #4). Developing my personal learning network is one area I am
particularly pleased with as a result of the MAT program. My PLN has grown immensely
and allows me to be part of several learning communities (NBPTS #5).
Part IV: Graduate Program Outcomes
The Graduate Program Outcomes (GPOs) helped align my focus and action
research projects within each course. The eight GPOs were the backbone of the courses
and were reflected throughout. All the GPOs could be tied directly to each course and/or
action research project. However, there seemed to be a select few that were constantly
present. GPO #1 (Candidates draw from their knowledge of education theory and
research to undergird the formal and informal education processes that impact P-12
students learning and the learning environment), GPO #3 (Candidates critically reflect
on ethical and moral implications of actions as they relate to all learners), and GPO #8
(Candidates demonstrate the ability to be reflective practitioners by identifying a
problem, examining research, advocating solutions, implementing a plan, and measuring
and evaluating outcomes) were the more prominent GPOs as I reflected back upon each
course and corresponding coursework. These GPOs in particular were touched upon in

Exit Essay
my teaching philosophy where I talked about connecting with students and finding what
makes each tick, the importance of caring about students, and the ability to solve a
problem through action research. In reality each of the GPOs are more than capable of

being discussed here, but these three were always in the back of my mind throughout the
program.
Part V: M.A.T. Graduate Dispositions
The MAT Graduate Dispositions further explain in the GPOs and NBPTS in the
MAT program. The dispositions closely align with the GPOs especially. In my teaching
philosophy I mentioned the importance of making school exciting and engaging for all
students (Disposition #1). Beginning this wonderful journey twenty months ago shows
how I am committed to being a life-long learner and my desire to develop as a
professional (Disposition #2). I am proud of being a leader in my school for
implementing new technologies in my classroom. It is my hope that this will start a new
trend within my building (Disposition #3). It is imperative a teacher take notice to each
students diversity and global perspective (Disposition #4). As I mentioned, I have
created several action research projects and examined the results to find ways to improve
my classroom (Disposition #5). When I referenced remembering those teachers when we
were students and the differences they made in our lives, those teachers had such an
impact on me because they displayed high levels of honesty and integrity. I strive to
display those characteristics for my students as well, because I know they are the
catalysts behind being a good teacher (Disposition #6). Above I mentioned a quote by
Charles Swindoll that has been a difference maker in my life. I have shared that quote
with my students each year in hopes it does the same for them. The essence of that quote

Exit Essay
is to be in charge of ourselves, which relies on self-assessment. Am I doing the best I
can? How can I do better? Being honest with yourself about your strengths and
weaknesses is a powerful tool to utilize (Disposition #7). As a teacher, I am constantly
pushing my students. This is accomplished through utilizing assessments, implement
proper technologies, and following best instructional practices. This is mentioned
throughout my teaching philosophy. It is also a brief summary of what I feel were the
most important aspects I learned from the MAT program (Disposition #8).