Welcome to my educational portfolio! At the end of my studies, my intention for my portfolio is to weave together the theory from my educational background with practice from my experience working with the students, their families and mentor teachers during my practicum.
While reflecting on my time in the M. Ed program over the past two years, the analogy that describes it best for me is connecting it to a backcountry ski trip. There is a lot of preparation required before you even think about hitting the mountain similar to my journey on becoming a Teacher for the Deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH).
In preparing for a ski trip, the first step is to decide if this is an adventure that you even want to take on. Once you realize that you will be a better person for doing so, you need to work on your skill as a skier. At first, it is best to take the smaller hills to get the technique down before you take on steeper terrain. You want to be confident knowing that you are good enough that when you’re in the backcountry, if there is an avalanche or an obstacle, you will know how to navigate around or through it. This takes time and is a life long practice.
Next, you need all of the backcountry equipment much like the books, courses, and equipment you need for school. You have to get the backcountry skis, poles and boots, weather-bomb clothing, goggles, a shovel, beacon and an avalanche probe. On a longer trip, you need enough food to eat, the pots and utensils to cook with and your sleeping gear. Preparation extends beyond equipment. To be safe, you have to take an avalanche course so you get better at reading the snow, knowing where all the hazards are and learning where to go. This is where all the theory is and it is a must for this sport. Even with all of the theory, you need to get out there in the snow fields and practice. This hands-on experience is invaluable as you develop your own intuition and get a feel of what the backcountry is really about.
Another key part of preparation is finding similar minded people and decide on a mountain that you want to go explore. You have to research routes, elevation levels, weather forecasts, avalanche warnings, snow conditions, best times of the year, and transportation. Once there, at the bottom of the mountain, feeling as prepared as you ever will be, you start the journey up. It’s never an easy pursuit and requires strength, stamina, and courage. You have to work with others to make your way up, each taking the lead to cut through freshly fallen snow. There is a need for collaboration to make a plan and decide on the best routes to take, where to stop for breaks and food, and where to camp. There can be many obstacles and hardships along the way, but you can find it within yourself to keep going and pull each other through.
Finally, you make it to the top of the mountain! You’ve made it! It feels like you just graduated from a Masters Program. Your heart races with excitement. As you look around to the stunning view below, you think to yourself how much it was worth all that work. You feel whole and ready to take on what ever comes your way. The mountain has been conquered.
Now comes the best part…the ride down. This is what all the work was for. The swishing of the powder under your feet. The sun shining down on you with the cool wind kissing your cheeks. Clear visibility and blue bird skies you always dreamt of. The ear to ear smile across your face. You know there will be challenges on the way down. You may have to stop for a breath and regain your energy, massage out a nagging pain, or redirect your route, but you learn from these experiences. Those bumps and falls along the way are part of the journey. I am ready to take on the mountains ahead of me. I am ready to begin my career as a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing!
I hope you enjoy reading about what I have learned on this trip.
Best Regards,
Starr Vickers
While reflecting on my time in the M. Ed program over the past two years, the analogy that describes it best for me is connecting it to a backcountry ski trip. There is a lot of preparation required before you even think about hitting the mountain similar to my journey on becoming a Teacher for the Deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH).
In preparing for a ski trip, the first step is to decide if this is an adventure that you even want to take on. Once you realize that you will be a better person for doing so, you need to work on your skill as a skier. At first, it is best to take the smaller hills to get the technique down before you take on steeper terrain. You want to be confident knowing that you are good enough that when you’re in the backcountry, if there is an avalanche or an obstacle, you will know how to navigate around or through it. This takes time and is a life long practice.
Next, you need all of the backcountry equipment much like the books, courses, and equipment you need for school. You have to get the backcountry skis, poles and boots, weather-bomb clothing, goggles, a shovel, beacon and an avalanche probe. On a longer trip, you need enough food to eat, the pots and utensils to cook with and your sleeping gear. Preparation extends beyond equipment. To be safe, you have to take an avalanche course so you get better at reading the snow, knowing where all the hazards are and learning where to go. This is where all the theory is and it is a must for this sport. Even with all of the theory, you need to get out there in the snow fields and practice. This hands-on experience is invaluable as you develop your own intuition and get a feel of what the backcountry is really about.
Another key part of preparation is finding similar minded people and decide on a mountain that you want to go explore. You have to research routes, elevation levels, weather forecasts, avalanche warnings, snow conditions, best times of the year, and transportation. Once there, at the bottom of the mountain, feeling as prepared as you ever will be, you start the journey up. It’s never an easy pursuit and requires strength, stamina, and courage. You have to work with others to make your way up, each taking the lead to cut through freshly fallen snow. There is a need for collaboration to make a plan and decide on the best routes to take, where to stop for breaks and food, and where to camp. There can be many obstacles and hardships along the way, but you can find it within yourself to keep going and pull each other through.
Finally, you make it to the top of the mountain! You’ve made it! It feels like you just graduated from a Masters Program. Your heart races with excitement. As you look around to the stunning view below, you think to yourself how much it was worth all that work. You feel whole and ready to take on what ever comes your way. The mountain has been conquered.
Now comes the best part…the ride down. This is what all the work was for. The swishing of the powder under your feet. The sun shining down on you with the cool wind kissing your cheeks. Clear visibility and blue bird skies you always dreamt of. The ear to ear smile across your face. You know there will be challenges on the way down. You may have to stop for a breath and regain your energy, massage out a nagging pain, or redirect your route, but you learn from these experiences. Those bumps and falls along the way are part of the journey. I am ready to take on the mountains ahead of me. I am ready to begin my career as a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing!
I hope you enjoy reading about what I have learned on this trip.
Best Regards,
Starr Vickers