Blog

To say that my experience in the MAT@USC has been transformative would be an understatement. I may have to invent a word that sums up my feelings about what I have learned over the past year. I went into my placement to start my internship with high hopes and even higher expectations. I was extremely impressed by the students, yet the educational system and those who work within it left me wondering how improvements could be made. Luckily, the MAT@USC program directly addresses the questions I was having. Not only that, but the program asked, dare I say demanded, that I apply my theoretical knowledge to my classroom teaching practices and then reflect on those experiences. I was asked to share my experiences and insights, questions and challenges with my peers, professors and students in order to push my teaching further and creating new ways of approaching old problems.

My placement was challenging and, let’s be honest, less than ideal if I had been looking for the perfect Mentor Teacher, in the perfect school, with all the bells and whistles of a perfect school support system. The new Principal is in the process of improving school climate and creating a paradigm shift that is in alignment with the MAT@USC. But large-scale change takes time to implement and takes create and time to support and maintain. I walked into a volatile situation where institutional racism is running rampant and unchecked, curriculum standards are low and expectations are even lower and I was asked to teach in a very new and different way.

My challenge was clear: teach in a hostile environment. How to do that was not so clear. But thanks to the strategies and support from the MAT@USC program I was able to make great gains with the faculty and students and contribute in a small, but significant way. And I learned a great deal. I learned what not to do. I learned what doesn’t work and why. I was able to see examples that had previously been discussed in my classes online and that I’d read about in the selected articles from those classes. As I applied the strategies I learned in class, I was able to document my experience and how the classroom climate was changing towards a receptive, active and respectfully engaged environment. I learned that rocking the boat can lead to social justice, even if it’s reflected in only the smallest of ways. One of my students learned to speak up, another learned that his social protest could be more effective if he stopped fighting with the teacher and started writing letters to the Principal. Another one improved his reading comprehension skills and turned into a scholar who acquired a new love of reading before my very eyes. A girl who only spoke of college as, “a nice idea,” went to visit UT and talked with an admissions counselor. And a boy who didn’t think school was that important, learned that he can effect social change as an adult if he applies himself in class and focuses his anger and insight on earning great grades.

Perhaps the most important thing I learned is that the knowledge I’ve acquired in my MAT@USC program applies directly to the classroom and can effect immediate and positive change. I’m happy to report that my new placement is as close to ideal as one could hope for and I’m being allowed to spread my wings and help students learn to fly. I’m walking away from this program with usable, powerful skills and the research to back up what I know works in the classroom. I’m proud to report that being a “change agent” can be a pleasant and worthwhile pursuit. All I have to do is remember, it’s not about me, I’m working hard to facilitate learning and help students see themselves as active member of a learning community and larger society. I’m here to serve, and I’m happy to do it. I’ve become a rebel with a cause. Fight On!

Want to earn your Texas teacher certification and become a teacher in the Lone Star state? Learn how MAT@USC can help by contacting our Admissions office at 888.MAT.1USC or email us at matadmit@usc.edu.