When I first started out in the ADL program and learned about the COVA method, I remember feeling really intimidated and almost frustrated. I had always been the student that thought, "Just tell me what you want me to turn in, and I will make sure I meet every requirement." Because of this, I always received good grades in school. But when I started this program, it was very hard to find my footing. The ball had been put in my court and I didn't know what to do with it. I had been told what to do and how to do it all through my academic career, and I didn't know what to do with the freedom of the COVA model. The first couple of assignments were very difficult for me. I remember asking other people in my class so many questions because I wanted to make sure I was "doing it right." As the courses progressed, I began to grow confident in myself and my abilities. I quit asking for reassurance and asked for feedforward to make it better. I then began to become very proud of everything I had created because it was MINE. It was the product of my own thinking and not someone else's.
Once I grew this confidence, I was able to really focus on my audience. This was not too difficult for me because I have been a part of my school for several years and I feel as though I have a pretty good grasp of our needs and procedures. I remember at the beginning of my program, I did not truly believe that I could create change in my school. My school is a part of a very large school district, and with large school districts comes lots of procedures, politics, and red tape. And I still don't know if I can change on that large of a scale, but I know now I can start in my own environment. I feel as though I have the tools to create significant change, whether that be within my current organization, or elsewhere. When creating my innovation plan, I will say it began as a topic that I just picked because I thought it would be a good idea, but I was not fully convinced I could make it happen. It has been very difficult, given the challenges that the past two years have brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. I have struggled with the resources and the support I need to make it happen. But, in the past year, I have grown my knowledge and skills in blended learning because of my innovation plan, and I do not plan on giving up because I really feel as though it is something that is needed.
Throughout this process of adopting the Learner’s Mindset, I have begun to see how tough this battle can be. As I said before, I am a part of a large district and I am expected to teach the curriculum in a certain way. I have always been told I have the freedom to change it to best fit my needs, but that change doesn’t mean teaching something different altogether. This is the challenge I have faced when trying to create a significant learning environment by using the COVA model in my classroom. But I am determined, and I am continuing to work on different ways I can make it happen, then I hope to get others on board. I am so glad that I joined this program when I did, and I am so thankful for what I have learned along the way. It is definitely going to make a difference in my life and hopefully the lives of those around me.
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