Learning in Action

How My MAET Journey Transformed My Practice

Earning a master’s degree is often seen as a professional milestone, a box to check, a credential to add. For many, it’s just another step on a path of advancement, another plaque for the wall, or a line on a resume. But for me, the MAET program was never about just earning a title. It was about transformation. I entered the program as a capable, curious teacher who worked hard to design effective lessons, connect with students, and make math accessible. I’m leaving with something far more meaningful: a renewed sense of purpose, a deeper understanding of learning, and a new lens on what learning really is and who it should serve. It also sparked a more personal kind of growth, one that’s changed how I think, how I collaborate, and how I see myself in the field of education.

Throughout this program, I’ve questioned long-standing assumptions about assessment, authority, engagement, and even the role of the teacher. I’ve let go of practices I once clung to and embraced approaches that felt uncomfortable at first but ultimately reshaped how I see my students and myself. In the end, three courses in particular challenged and expanded my thinking: CEP 813: Electronic Assessment for Teaching and Learning, CEP 811: Adapting Innovative Technologies to Education, and CEP 810: Teaching for Understanding with Technology. Each course played a distinct role in changing the way I approach my work, and together, they helped me move from being a manager of instruction to a designer of learning experiences. They each pushed me to move from reacting to student needs toward anticipating them, crafting thoughtful learning environments rather than simply planning lessons.

This process hasn’t been linear or always comfortable. There were moments when I felt unsure, like when I tried out new grading approaches and received pushback from my students, or when my students struggled with the open-ended tasks I thought would empower them. But those challenges were essential. They reminded me that meaningful change often requires persistence and vulnerability. The MAET program provided a supportive space to experiment, reflect, and iterate not just in my lesson planning, but in my professional identity.

Letting Go of the Points and Embracing the Process

I used to think of assessment as something fixed, something that happened after the learning. Tests, quizzes, exit tickets. A way to measure what students could or couldn’t do. But CEP 813 helped me reframe assessment entirely. Assessment, I learned, isn’t the end of the process, it is the process. It's how students learn about themselves, how teachers learn about their learners, and how feedback becomes a form of instruction in itself. Assessment became a way to cultivate reflection, dialogue, and trust, which are all key ingredients for meaningful learning.

One of the most impactful shifts came from exploring formative feedback strategies that center student voice. I started building routines for self-assessment and peer feedback that weren’t just add-ons but essential parts of learning. I also experimented with tools like Google Forms to streamline feedback, making it timelier and more meaningful. But even more than tools, I started to ask better questions. What does this student need to grow right now? What kind of feedback will help

"What does this student need to grow right now?"

them tak the next step? I learned that how I frame feedback matters. Feedback became less about correcting and more about connecting with students' ideas, identities, and goals.

I also began having regular one-on-one conferences with students, using rubrics as collaborative tools to co-construct goals rather than grading checklists. This practice gave me powerful insights into how students saw themselves as learners and where they wanted to grow. By inviting students into the assessment conversation, I saw increased motivation and ownership in their work. For many students, this was the first time they felt like school was something they could help shape, not just something done to them.

The biggest change was internal. I moved from a focus on grading to a mindset rooted in growth. This course gave me language, research, and models that have helped me advocate for grading reform at my school and design a classroom where students aren’t afraid to revise, iterate, and keep going. I've begun inviting my students into the process of co-constructing rubrics, developing learning targets, and tracking their own growth over time. That shift has made assessment feel more human, more honest, and more hopeful. Now, assessment feels like an ongoing conversation with students rather than a final judgment. That shift has created a space where students feel empowered to take risks, and I feel more connected to their learning journeys.

Reimagining Learning Spaces through Play and Design

If CEP 813 was where I began to deconstruct grading, then CEP 811 was where I started to reimagine the learning space itself. This course didn’t just invite me to use new tools. It challenged me to think like a designer. I had to ask: What kind of environment sparks curiosity? How can we build systems that support experimentation, failure, and play? What barriers exist in my current classroom setup, and how might small shifts lead to big changes in how students experience math?

The idea of maker education was a revelation for me. I had always assumed math had to be rigid and procedural, but CEP 811 showed me that mathematical thinking thrives when students have opportunities to build, tinker, and explore. Through projects like creating my own keyboard with a Makey Makey and exploring UDL (Universal Design for Learning), I saw how powerful it is when students have multiple ways to show what they know and when risk-taking is rewarded rather than penalized. It helped me see how even highly structured subjects like math could benefit from a more flexible, creative approach.

"What kind of environment sparks curiosity?"

This course also gave me permission to experiment, not just with students, but with myself. I let go of the fear of not having all the answers and started embracing ambiguity. My classroom now has more space for student-driven inquiry and open-ended problem-solving. CEP 811 helped me realize that innovation isn’t about flashy tech. It’s about mindset, flexibility, and the courage to try

something new. I’ve restructured parts of my physical and digital classroom to reflect this shift, such as adding flexible seating, more opportunities for choice, and more space for students to share work in progress. The classroom now feels less like a stage and more like a studio. I’ve also started involving students in classroom design decisions, such as what routines we use, how we share ideas, and what success looks like. When students help co-create the learning space, they show up differently. They feel ownership.

Designing for Depth, Not Just Coverage

CEP 810 made me slow down and ask a question I hadn’t fully considered. What does it really mean for students to understand something? I had always worked hard to explain clearly, check for comprehension, and provide support, but this course helped me think differently about understanding as a process of meaning-making, not just information transfer. Instead of racing through content, I started looking for the deeper patterns that help students develop insight.

One of the biggest takeaways was the value of conceptual change. I learned that misunderstandings aren’t just mistakes to correct. They’re windows into how students think. I began using strategies like TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) and case-based learning to more intentionally plan learning experiences that invite students to grapple with ideas, make connections, and construct their own understanding. Rather than frontloading all the content, I began designing more “productive struggles” that invite students to wrestle with ideas before I step in.

"What does it really mean for students to understand something?"

Technology wasn’t the focus of this course. It was the enabler. I learned to use tools like interactive simulations, collaborative concept maps, and discussion boards in ways that helped students go deeper rather than just move faster. More than any specific tool, this course taught me how to use technology to honor complexity, support inquiry, and make thinking visible. It made me more intentional in my planning. Instead of just asking “What tool fits this lesson?” I try to ask “What tool helps establish understanding, supports equity, and

encourages collaboration?" This shift changed how I see time. Instead of feeling pressure to ‘cover’ everything, I’ve become more comfortable slowing down for the sake of deeper learning. By focusing on depth over breadth, I’ve been able to restructure units to center essential questions, allow time for exploration, and encourage reflection. I’ve also become more focused on how my students transfer the things we have done to situation that occur beyond my classroom. That has become my true measure of success.

A Shift in Identity

Before this program, I saw myself as someone who delivered content and managed instruction. Now, I see myself as someone who designs experiences and facilitates learning. That may sound like a subtle shift, but it’s been foundational. I'm no longer the keeper of knowledge. I’m the architect of space where learning can unfold. This shift has also impacted how I collaborate with colleagues. I now see curriculum not as something to follow, but something we can co-construct and adapt to serve real students in real time.

I used to think teaching was about getting students to comply, complete, and achieve. Now I think it's about helping them connect, question, and create. That shift required me to question deeply rooted practices, and that’s what this program gave me: the time, the tools, and the community to do just that. Instead of aiming for control, I’ve started aiming for connection. My job is not to manage behavior, but to design structures where my students can engage and thrive.

"I’m the architect of space where learning can unfold."

Each course in the MAET program gave me something different, but together, they helped me build a new professional foundation. From CEP 813, I gained the power of feedback. From CEP 811, I learned to embrace play and design. From CEP 810, I began to think more deeply about what understanding really means. Beyond that, each course helped me evolve not just as a teacher, but as a thinker, designer, and leader within my school

community. But maybe most importantly, the program has reignited my passion. It reminded me that teaching is not just about what I do in the classroom, it’s about who I am. And who I am now is someone who listens more than tells, invites more than assigns, and builds more than delivers. I’ve reclaimed a sense of joy in my practice. I look forward to what’s next with curiosity and confidence.