As the MSLD 500 course draws near the end of the semester, it is with great fondness that I reflect upon the last nine weeks. From the months of August-October 2015, I was able to grow in many ways and that is credited to the intellectual perseverance reinforced through this class.
In what began as an attempt to advance my career and take advantage of an opportunity to obtain another Masters degree with paid tuition, I did not take a significant amount of thought in selecting my courses. Thankfully, my academic advisor was able to map out my coursework, starting me off exactly where I needed to begin. I needed to not look at this as a means to an end, but a chance to improve as a professional, as a mother, as a wife, as a Christian, as a lifelong learner and as a member of my community.
Through this course, I have learned not to take things as fact, but to evaluate them fully. I have realized that by thinking things through I am not necessarily being critical or over-analyzing, but am completing action research. Now micromanaging my honey-do list at home may slightly be some over-analyzing, thought I may try to tell my husband that I am using my leadership skills and have arrived at this list after conducting action research. My husband knows me way too well to buy that, but he will surely get a laugh out of it.
I have also learned the value of being aware of perceptions and preconceived notions prior to coming to a conclusion about any topic. While I would love to think that I am free of any and all prejudice, I would be naive to think that true. My life experiences have molded me and shaped me. They do not define me, but by them I have a unique perspective. To think that others would have the same view or understanding that I have would require them to go through the same life experiences, in the same sequences having the same genetic makeup and honestly, it is simply unrealistic. That is the beauty of being in a world filled with unique and diverse populations.
Being a leader in this world means that with the opportunity to lead, it is a requirement that consideration be given to others and time be spent understanding alternative perspectives. While there are leaders that do not take these steps, it is those that lead with greatness that show great respect to others and to themselves. They are not rash thinkers. They do not act without careful thought. They ensure what is decided is providing the greatest good for the greatest amount of those influenced by the decision, including thinking of future generations.
When thinking through what elements of this course were more beneficial than others, I honestly would say I wouldn't change a thing. Being able to learn the material in a self-directed manner as we went through modules together allowed for personal reflection and personal accountability. Reading through the course material allowed for us to glean the necessary information to build upon as the course continued. Completing action research papers and projects allowed us to take the material we learned and turn it into something that was pertinent in our own lives.
While I would say that coming to the end of this course saddens me, it is not so. I know that by advancing to the next course in the MSLD program of study, I am taking this course with me into my next class. I am taking the thought processes, the lessons learned and the habits formed into each assignment, each course reading and each project. So it is with great pleasure that I reflect on MSLD 500 journey and smile thinking of those I was able to walk alongside in our shared learning experiences.
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