Part of the reason I chose the MAT@USC program is because I am very interested in reform and policy making, and one of the foci of USC’s program is on problems of practice within the field of education. So far, I have learned a lot about the realities of issues that teachers face in their classrooms everyday in this country. …
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Anissa Fay
I am a first-generation college graduate, with a BA in English-Creative Writing from the University of Southern California. I graduated from USC in May 2009 and use any and every excuse to visit the campus these days. I am a big Trojan fan, and the only football games I missed over the past five seasons were during the semester I studied abroad in New Zealand. USC has truly shaped my idea of what a degree experience should be: exciting, challenging, and full of opportunities. In my opinion, the MAT@USC delivers on all of these points. I currently live on the Central Coast of California in the small(ish) college town of San Luis Obispo, tutoring students at all levels (from elementary through college). I completed my primary education in Maui, Hawaii and Massachusetts, and my secondary education in California. I am a member of the September 2009 Cohort of the MAT@USC, and I am studying Single Subject English instruction. My long-term goals include teaching, education reform, and policy-making. Fight On!
Posts by Anissa Fay
New school
The first course of the MAT@USC was an eye-opening experience for me. I started out observing at the same high school that I graduated from, so I had many pre-conceived notions about the school, the surrounding community, and the students. Our assignments for the first four weeks of classes included interviews with community members, parents, and the school …
Learning from your classmates
I attended USC for my undergraduate degree, so I am accustomed to small classes of 8-12 students where each lecture depends heavily on class discussion. The online format has not diminished the quality of my interactions with classmates. If anything, the online format has enhanced the experience by allowing students of all ages from all over the country and from …
Has it really been ten weeks?
Maybe it’s a no-brainer for others, but my undergraduate experience was in semesters and ten-week classes are surprisingly short for me! In the MAT program, things move quickly: one unit per week. There are several iterations of the information each week, however, with readings, asynchronous forum posts, 1.5 hours of class time, videos to watch, and an analysis paper. Each …
Introduction
I like the question “where do you see yourself in X number of years?” because the answer I give rarely ever comes to fruition. Don’t get me wrong; I believe that goal setting, time management, and self-regulation are extremely important aspects of being successful in any endeavor one pursues. Such motivational skills have been reinforced through the MAT@USC program, both …
