07/12/2022
Erin Hopkins, 5th grade teacher at Plainview Elementary with , is an alumna from the fully M.Ed. Curriculum & Instruction program. She shares below favorite parts of her program and advice for future grad students!
🔹What brought you to MTSU?: MTSU has a nationally ranked School of Education. I’ve worked with pre-service teachers and new teachers who come from MTSU and have been impressed with the training that I have seen from them. In addition, MTSU’s close proximity to home was an added bonus.
🔹What was your favorite part of attending MTSU?: As a non-native Murfreesboro resident, I feel that I now have a stronger connection to the community that my family and I call home.
🔹What was your favorite part of being in your program?: I greatly enjoyed the conversation and ability to learn from my peers. Critical thinking is such a crucial life skill, and the MEd program certainly reinforces and reinvigorates that skill set.
🔹What takeaways did you get from MTSU and the program that have/ you hope will impact your career?: Probably my greatest takeaways were 1) Give grace. Life happens, so offer grace to others. It costs nothing to extend but could be priceless in the eyes of the recipient (Thanks Dr. Goodin for that!) and 2) Be reflective. Reflecting allows us to grow and change. The old “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” mindset is just good enough when we’re impacting the lives of others on a daily basis. There is always room for growth and change.
🔹Do you have any advice for prospective or future graduate students?: YES!!! Get a planner. Write down all of the important dates—color-coded even. Ask questions and make sure that you get the answers you need. Don’t be afraid to ask follow-up, clarifying questions. Your professors and advisors are available and WANT to help you (it’s not just their job, y’all). Above all, just do it. Go for it. If not now, then when? You’ll always find a reason not to press forward.
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