Goal Statement: 
More than I Ever Could Have Imagined
by Emily Dalgleish

Four years ago, as I began thinking about why I wished to pursue graduate level education, I never would have imagined the turns my life would take. I have found, in these few short years, that I am capable of more than I ever thought possible! Not long into my graduate work, I had the opportunity to move from the private sector to teaching in a public school setting. Once I began teaching a new grade level, in a new school, I found out I was pregnant with our first child! It was a hectic year, to say the least, and I learned a lot professionally, in a vastly different working environment, and personally, as my husband and I prepared ourselves to become parents.

A year and a half later, my husband’s job moved us across the country. Now a stay-at-home mom, I had to acclimate myself to a military lifestyle and prepare to be without my husband for the better part of a year. Throughout the turns my life has taken, I have always run to help myself cope. I never would have imagined I could run over five miles four years ago, let alone thirteen! Through job changes, moves, becoming a parent, running great distances, and preparing to place a loved one in harm’s way, I have found that I am capable of far more professionally and personally than I had ever imagined!

My professional goals, on the outset of my Master’s degree program were narrowly focused. I aimed to give my students’ greater voice and demonstrate a love for learning through improving my own abilities as a teacher. I also desired to have greater insight into current best practices and scholarship. In these goals, I have found that my study and coursework has also surpassed my expectations.

Through my studies and coursework I have learned to broaden my horizons in those I think of while planning. I learned the supreme importance of including families in the work I do in the classroom. I have also come to think more quickly and creatively about my students with different learning needs and styles while planning for instruction. I have learned to be more reflective in my own practice, and I have found how much I enjoy further learning. It is hard to imagine ever really being “done”.