Adult Education for TeacherEducation: A Student's Perspective

If education is the planting of seeds, then Shelley Martin's college education was a planting of seeds in windy weather. For the 1993 graduate of Midland Lutheran College, choosing a major meant landing on history for a while, then business, then behavioral science, history and English.

In Martin's case, the wind decided her major her senior year: "I went out with an English degree because I'd accumulated enough credit in it,: she said. 

Thirteen years after graduation, having previously declared she didn't like children and would never teach, Martin enrolled at Midland again to complete a teaching certificate.

Even though she didn't imagine this outcome for herself as a twenty-year old, her work and personal life after graduation suggested that a career in teaching was natural.

For 11 years, Martin worked in human resources for health care institutions. "It was good at first,: she said. "I didn't have a lot of corporate yuck to deal with.: But eventually the corporate yuck seeped through, and Martin found herself in a swamp of red tape and power struggles.

In September 2006, the swamp flooded: "I left my job, and on the same day, my mom said she had colon cancer.:  Martin's focus turned from her disastrous professional life to her mother's doctors' appointments, surgery and chemotherapy. 

But her mother's cancer led her to other conclusions: life is short, and Martin refused to work at something she hated. She found herself applying and working as a paraprofessional in public schools - and loving it. "In the job I have now,: she said, "I learn biology, geography, history, art and physical science.:

She discovered the love of learning. "My gosh, I finally figured out DNA!: she said. She also discovered the joy of seeing "light bulb moments: in children.

These moments led to a shift in the wind, a shift in how seeds were planted.

Martin's forays into education led her back to Midland to complete a teaching endorsement, partly through the school's adult education program, iMpact, and partly through online classes.

Currently, she is taking the course, Schools in a Pluralistic Society. For Martin, an online education is preferable to a traditional college classroom situation. "As an adult, I like that I'm working and learning with other adults. If I had to go into a regular classroom, it would be part intimidation and part ''I'm your Mama.' I appreciate knowing there are other people out there who care as much as I do about learning and who can relate to me. They also know what I'm going through when I say that my kids are sick or whatever.:

As a mother, wife and paraprofessional, Martin explains the advantages in time structure afforded by an online course: "I like going at my own pace. If I don't have time, I just know I have to answer this forum by Wednesday, and if I have to do it at 1:00 in the morning, that's fine.:

Martin finds that the other students are very thoughtful in her class. "They're not just trying to answer the questions and get by. The feedback is much more insightful.:

As a paraprofessional, Martin brings her own insights to the course. When the textbook chapter discussed the teacher's role in preparing middle school students for body changes, one classmate wrote that he wasn't sure he was ready to do that. Martin said, "I suggested it wasn't as bad as that. I told him, ‘You'll probably have to deal with using deodorant. They're easier conversations to have.': 

Martin mentions another advantage to an online course:  "I'm comfortable spouting off ideas through my fingertips.:

Martin's goal is to teach English and, eventually, English-language learners. By the time Martin completes her student teaching in the spring of 2010, she'll have done what once seemed impossible: she will have stopped the wind.

Give Midland Lutheran a chance to make you a part of its college family. We, at Midland Lutheran, guarantee an enriching college experience through which students are furnished with the skills to learn and lead with a purpose. Learn more about the online programs offered at Midland Lutheran College today.