In the age of unending to-do lists, critical family obligations, and teaching careers where responsibilities accumulate faster than snow in Buffalo, one might chuckle at the idea of pursuing a master’s degree online. One might ask, “Can I do a master’s program while I teach?” As a teacher, one might research various North Carolina online Curriculum and Instruction programs, examining the course load to see whether or not it is feasible for his or her already bustling lifestyle. In my experience, earning my online Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction at Gardner-Webb University was absolutely attainable due to my implementation of organizational skills, time management, and boundaries.

How I Balanced My Time

Structuring my assignments into a to-do list and prioritizing family and work over school were major contributions to my success. Because I knew exactly what was necessary to complete, I was able to streamline the list into what I needed to be read, written, responded to, and the like. As a new mother during the fall semester, I would read my chapters to my daughter as I held her in one arm and my textbook in the other. At school, I would use part of my planning period to read and annotate parts of the text. However, if my daughter required more of me, I yielded her to needs. Moreover, if there was a meeting at school that demanded my immediate attention, I paused my reading and annotating to address the needs of my career.

In terms of managing time, one might find that reading can be more of a multitasking effort, while writing has to be done in solitude. Therefore, as previously mentioned, I would read in settings where I could also feed my daughter and, if at work, make copies. However, if I needed to begin writing in response to what I had read, I would need to wait until my daughter went to sleep. At work, I could easily use part of my planning to write because I did not have my kids at the time. On the other hand, peer responses could be done in a multitasking environment because of the familiarity with the reading and what I had already written as a response. The background knowledge, therefore, naturally combatted the need for seclusion.

Balancing My Master’s Program and Family Time

Finally, boundaries are essential when considering a North Carolina online Curriculum and Instruction degree. For example, I found that if I had work to do, I would chunk it, just like we teach our students to do when they read. According to my to-do list, I would decide to work on a bullet point for an allotted amount of time that was contingent on dinner being prepared, playtime with my daughter, and other things like going out of town, and family time. Therefore, the allotted time might have ranged from 30 minutes to two hours. I never worked longer than two hours on any assignment or project so as not to neglect my husband, family, or career.

If you find yourself on the fence about pursuing an online master’s in curriculum and instruction, do it. Although you might feel that you have enough on your plate, with no room for another commitment,  it will be equally rewarding if you organize, prioritize, and set boundaries.

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Why an Online Master’s Program Was Best for Me

Gardner-Webb’s masters in curriculum and instruction program is a North Carolina online master’s degree program for teachers who are seeking to enhance their effectiveness as an educator, whether that be in the classroom as a teacher, or outside of the classroom, in a myriad of other roles to which a masters in curriculum and instruction gives one access. After reading posts like this one, and performing other research, I chose Gardner-Webb. In making this choice, I understood that curriculum and instruction as a course of study would enrich my pedagogy as an educator, while also placing me in a role that would help intensify the instruction of those around me.

How the C&I Masters Can Advance Your Career

With a masters in curriculum and instruction, an educator can decide to remain in the classroom and simply lead their classroom in newfound instructional frameworks such as understanding by design (UbD) or action research. Perhaps the teacher will use his or her degree to improve the way in which they assess students. You can also serve in more formal roles such as, as a department head, or on the leadership team. The difference is that in a formal leadership role, the teacher is serving outside their capacity as a teacher. This makes them responsible for creating a rigorous curriculum for teachers of that content within and potentially outside of the school, while simultaneously ensuring that the instruction of that curriculum is properly implemented.

In my case, my master’s led to a promotion from teacher to teacher leader, which progressed my impact beyond my classroom, into my grade-level team, and the school at large. Upon earning my curriculum and instruction master’s degree online, I was immediately designated as a leader in professional development. More specifically, I was appointed to deliver professional development on collecting and utilizing data, as well as differentiation. Moreover, the master’s in curriculum and instruction permitted me to serve on the district’s English curriculum team, where we worked collaboratively to create a cohesive high school English curriculum for grades 9-12. Within my classroom, though, earning my curriculum and instruction master’s degree online allowed me to refine my practices with respect to assessment, differentiation, and overall planning and implementation of curriculum. I pursued a master’s in curriculum and instruction online to ultimately serve as an assistant superintendent of the state of North Carolina overseeing curriculum and instruction. Gardner-Webb’s program has sufficiently prepared me for the fundamentals of this role, and with the experience I gain, I am confident that my effectiveness as a classroom educator will follow me all the way to Raleigh.

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