Marcie Hughes

Just Keep Learning

An Essay About Continuing Education by Marcie Hughes

 

            I consider myself to be a life long learner.  I have a bit of an obsession with gaining knowledge about topics I find interesting.  I read and listen to audiobooks daily and I feel so privileged that all of the knowledge I want on any topic is just another book away.  Reading is one of my favorite hobbies and I primarily read nonfiction.  I am currently a photographer and there is a world of information to learn about to continue to grow and enrich my craft.  I would say, “perfect” my craft, but I do not believe in perfection.  I believe in always trying to do something better each time you do it and in order to do that one needs to continue to learn.  Before I started my photography business I taught middle school students.  I found myself drawn to trying to try new things and bring technology into the classroom as often as possible.  Each time I would incorporate technology into the classroom my students would have a refreshing burst of interest into the content.  So as a lover of technology myself and a believer in trying new things I thought it would be beneficial to study more about the different ways teachers can teach math with technology.  I plan to continue to expand my library of technology tools by studying more about this topic to keep a fresh perspective on new ways to incorporate tech in the classroom.  I am not currently teaching, as I have stepped away to pursue my photography career full time, however I do see myself becoming involved in education again in the future.  I am not sure if I will teach math, try teaching photography, or move towards an administrative position.  Between my experiences running a classroom and running my own business I feel I may be suited for an administrative position so I also plan to continue education in leadership and administration as well.  

            I am a self-taught photographer.  I learned everything I needed to know about equipment, starting a business, how to use my gear, natural vs. studio lighting, editing tools, and wedding photography through reading.  I have chosen several successful photographers to learn from by following their blogs, purchasing their educational videos and tutorials, and doing research.  This is in fact the age of information and learning a trade is only a few clicks away if you have access to the Internet.  I currently do a lot of wedding photography, family photography, and senior photography.  One new area of photography that I am interested in learning more about and getting better at is newborn photography.  For newborn photography you need a whole new set of skills that differ from the skills you would use for the other types of photography.  I am currently following the photographer Kelly Brown of Little Pieces Photography on her blog and Facebook, who is an expert with newborns.  I plan to purchase some of her tutorials and editing tools in order to continue to grow my skills in this field.  Here is a link to her blog with her educational tools that I plan to purchase. http://www.littlepiecesphotography.com.au

            As a former math teacher I am incredibly interested in teaching math with technology.  I am always looking for new ways to incorporate math in the classroom and I spent a lot of time researching this concept throughout my masters program.  Something I am constantly trying to do as a teacher is individualize each student’s learning while still teaching an entire class the common core standards that aligns with their daily learning objectives.  I believe that there are numerous ways to do this with technology since students can work at their own pace with many online math programs.  One program and technology tool I have recently come across that claims to do this is the dreambox learning program.  I am planning to learn more about this technology tool and how I could incorporate it into the math classroom to help enrich the education of my students.  Here is a link to a site about dreambox learning: http://www.dreambox.com.

            Lastly, I have discovered that I have a good ability to manage adults.  As a wedding photographer I have hired many second shooter photographers to work with me and we do a wonderful job working together.  As a teacher, a teaching colleague, and a lead photographer, I am very encouraging and understanding as well as efficient when working with others.  I also have a knack for solving problems and I am not afraid of changes or challenges.  I listen well to other’s ideas and am very supportive.  I also understand it can be stifling to come up against a leader who does not have an open mind and is not ready for change.  For these reasons I feel I would make an excellent administrator in the education field.  I plan to do some research and read articles like this one https://www.edutopia.org/blog/qualities-of-great-school-leader-elena-aguilar about what makes a great school leader to continue to explore this possibility for my future. 

            Although I cannot say for sure what the future holds for me, I can say that the opportunities are endless and I will continue to learn on a daily basis about every hobby, interest, and passion that I possess.  Weather it be continuing to learn how to grow my photography business and be the best entrepreneur I can, teaching mathematics with technology to my middle school and secondary students, or learning a whole new field in administration, I know I will continue to learn and peruse to reach my full potential.