“Finish Strong!” This is what I keep telling myself over and over again. I need to finish strong, and keep looking forward to accomplishing this amazing opportunity of graduating with my Master’s degree by next July (although I get to somewhat party with walking in May…oh yeah). One of the factors that continues to motivate me to finish strong this semester is the thought that I’ll be in Guatemala for about two weeks in January with the School of Leadership at USD. First off, that’s the beauty of being part of the family of SOLES is that we get to travel with other departments. The opportunities to travel the world with SOLES would probably be one of the main reasons I would want to continue to be a grad student for a few more years.

Now, let’s talk a little about how the Learning and Teaching aspect of being a student is going. I am excited to start Action Research, and the reason I say that is not because I enjoy the countless amount of work that will go into it, but because I have already had a preview of what to expect. I am enrolled in EDUC 510 (Cognition & Learning) in which our final project was to conduct a “mini” Action Research. I was hooked up with a good school to start this project, I gathered data, I had my phases, reflected over my instructional practices and most importantly my student (who was below grade level in reading) was at grade level in comprehension and one word away from being at his grade level for his word-count-per-minute. The fact that I am given opportunities to connect with administration, teachers, parents, and students to present an aid of assistance that brings progress is truly rewarding. In addition to that, having Professor Inoue and my classmates suggest what could possibly work in my phases makes it that much better. I do not have to feel like I am alone within learning to be a better student/teacher when conducting my research.

There is a sense and feel of “family” when it comes to working together in these projects. So I would suggest to anyone still considering the Learning & Teaching aspect of SOLES, you should definitely come prepared to be challenged by professors and peers knowing that your best interests and goals can be accomplished.

Come back in January, that is when the international blogging will start! Until finals, I’m out!

To learn more about Action Research here at SOLES, follow the link>>