Degrees Earned:
M.Ed. in Administration
Job Title and School District:
Assistant Principal, Compass Academy Charter School
How has this degree affected your professional outlook? What about personally?
Earning this degree has broadened my professional outlook. Before earning my degree, I was completely content working in the classroom. Now that I have completed my degree and become a certified administrator, I have a stronger understanding of the inner workings of school systems. Earning this degree has also given me more self-confidence. I am better equipped to deal with the variety of situations that present themselves on a daily basis.
What was your single biggest takeaway from the program?
The biggest thing I learned from the program was the importance of understanding all the data that schools are presented with. In testing and accountability, the data is overwhelming. The program helped me to break it down into manageable chunks that could then be used to formulate strategies for success.
How much time per week did you spend on your studies?
4 to 6 hours.
Describe how having an online option made a degree more accessible for you.
The only way I was able to complete the program was by using the online option. I would not have been able to complete any traditional program. My schedule as a teacher and coach was not flexible enough to allow me that freedom. Additionally, travel time and expense to a university would have been an issue.
What was one of the biggest challenges during the program, and how did you overcome it?
My biggest challenge was self-management of time. I procrastinate until the deadline is imminent. That caused me some stress when I had assignments due. If I had spread the work out over each week, I would have been much more relaxed.
Why did you choose to earn your advanced degree from Lamar University?
I chose Lamar because of the affordability and the fact that it was entirely online. I was able to use the structure of the classes being 5 weeks to pay for each individually. This seemed to reduce the burden of going back to school. I was also happy that the pace of the course was quick. I didn't have a long, drawn out semester to have to maintain focus through.
What advice would you give to a prospective student who is considering this program?
I would advise anyone taking a program through Lamar to schedule a little bit of time each day to work on the coursework. Allow yourself some flexibility, but always try to devote part of your day to the course so that you don't get overwhelmed at the deadline.
What helped you get through the program the most? What helped you make it to the finish line?
The biggest help for me completing the program was the faculty. They were all very helpful whenever I had an issue or ran into a problem. There were a couple of times where I had problems submitting assignments and they were always considerate and gave me the help I needed to fix the problem.
Describe your family's thoughts and feelings about you earning your degree.
My family was supportive and excited that I completed my master's degree. They encouraged me to keep working even when I was frustrated and looking to quit.
If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?
I would be more structured in my studies. I was not good at working through the coursework until the end of each week. It caused me a great deal of stress on more than one occasion.
