Megan Paul MAT’18
For Megan, the most valuable aspect of the M.A.T.L. program so far has been the variety of courses and the network of people she has met.
Megan Paul will complete her M.A.T.L. in 2018. She is currently a tenth grade geometry teacher. Megan explains why she was initially drawn to MHC’s M.A.T.L. program: “I was interested in growing my practice as a teacher. I wanted to get my master's degree in education, but I wanted to expand my courses beyond my undergraduate degree in mathematics education. I was interested in the M.A.T.L. program because of the leadership skills that I could grow as a teacher leader. I was looking for a program that would help me grow as a leader in education without moving into administration and this program fit that perfectly.”
For Megan, the most valuable aspect of the M.A.T.L. program so far has been the variety of courses and the network of people she has met. She has taken courses on education policy, coaching/mentoring, research, data, equity and social justice. She has met the most amazing educators in her cohort. Her course instructors are inspiring educators.
Of her ability to balance the demands of being a teacher and a graduate student, Megan says, “The M.A.T.L. program makes it easier for teachers to attend school because every class allows you to apply what you are learning to practice. For example, I have planned a professional development session in one of my classes that I presented at my school.”
Megan credits the M.A.T.L. program with helping her realize her interest in instructional coaching. Working with her school, she was able to begin peer coaching this spring, which is part of her capstone project. After completing her M.A.T.L., Megan will continue to be in the classroom as a math teacher and continue to grow her skills as an instructional coach.
Megan’s capstone project is on instructional coaching. She conducted research on the impact of instructional coaching compared to traditional professional development. Her project involves her working as a math instructional coach at her school. She is working on developing her skills as a coach and growing her practice as an instructional coach. Reflecting on why she chose this project, Megan says, “One of the first few course I took in the M.A.T.L. program was ‘Coaching, Mentoring, and Facilitating Instructional Improvements.’ After that course, I became interested in instructional coaching and decided that was my next move as a teacher.” Megan’s coach is Christina Donohue.
