University Spotlight

Three reasons you will love getting a master’s of education from Concordia University Chicago

When I decided to get a master’s of education from Concordia University Chicago, one of the most important factors in choosing a school was convenience in planning around my work schedule while balancing a busy family life. I was also nervous that if I didn’t pursue a traditional degree, I would somehow miss out on quality instruction.

Without a doubt Concordia University was the most convenient option that allowed me to balance all three of these concerns. I absolutely loved getting my master’s in education with Concordia University, because of how convenient it was to complete coursework whenever it best fit my schedule. I also enjoyed the convenience of saving time and money by avoiding unnecessary travel, while quickly improving my instructional practice and helping my students achieve better educational outcomes

1 – Convenience, Flexibility

As a public school teacher, I have a busy work schedule with many professional responsibilities, including lesson planning, grading, meetings, tutoring sessions and facilitating afterschool clubs. Every professional teacher knows how these responsibilities will easily take the entire work day and often more!

I realized a traditional program with inflexible hours wasn’t going to work with my busy modern family lifestyle, but Concordia gave me the same high-quality educational experience combined with the ability to complete coursework whenever was most convenient for me.  I also had the convenient option to plan my degree work around my professional work schedule, ensuring that my work performance (and my students) didn’t suffer.  I also avoided those awkward conversations with the boss about missing work commitments in order to pursue a degree.

2 – The Online Convenience 

The convenience of completing coursework online from home or work also allowed me to avoid the nuisance of wasted time and money on travel costs that many people forget to consider when applying to a traditional degree program.  In the past, I spent almost as much time in a car or on a bus as I did in class, but with Concordia, I was able to maximize my time because of convenient and constant access to online classes.   Whether I was enjoying homemade breakfast on my weekend morning, sipping mocha at my favorite local coffee house, or hanging out at work in the downtime between classes and parent teacher conferences, I always had my class available.

3 – Concordia Made Me a Better Educator 

The best part about the convenience of getting a master’s degree through Concordia University was the high-quality content and instruction that was immediately applicable to my instructional practice. Both led very quickly led to improved educational outcomes. In each class, I had the chance to apply the knowledge and skills I was acquiring daily by creating and implementing better lesson plans. I was also able to closely align my instructional objectives with relevant district and state standards.  Concordia’s online format allowed me to anticipate and plan for how future course assignments could align with my curriculum I was often able to plan for lessons while completing coursework at the same time. One of my favorite and most effective civics lessons was created as part of my coursework for Concordia!  The convenience of a flexible schedule, combined with a more -effective use of time, cannot be underestimated in the busy context of the educational profession today.

Michael Bolthouse
Concordia University Chicago

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