When Tracy Haraway went to Judson College after high school, she had dreams of a rewarding career in education. She was going to earn her degree in English and later pursue the components necessary to become a teacher, but her plans changed on the way to her degree.
“I realized there was a little more to it than that, and long story short, I ended up becoming a dental hygienist first and did that for about seven or eight years,” Tracy said. It was when she had her twins in 2014 that thoughts of teaching popped up again.
“I went back to work after I had them, but we realized I was essentially working to earn enough to put them in daycare, so I took it as my opportunity to go back and finish my education.” Tracy completed her bachelor’s in Elementary Education through Athens State University.
Shortly thereafter, Tracy had her third child, and decided it was time to go back for a master’s. As a full-time mom of three, she found her path toward higher education through The University of Alabama’s 100% online master’s in Elementary Education.
“It’s certainly been a challenge,” Tracy said. “I’ve always enjoyed being a student, and I’m always interested in learning more, but the difficult thing has been finding time when you have a little one.” Thanks to her twins starting school and a Mother’s Morning Out program for her youngest a few days a week, Tracy said Spring 2020 was the easiest semester yet in terms of finding that balance. “It gave me just enough time during the day to knock some assignments out, but school closures sort of killed that, and my schedule went out the window.” Despite the challenges brought on for the spring semester by social distancing measures, Tracy has found the time to complete her assignments and maintain progress toward her degree.
“UA has been really great to work with when it comes to distance learning. All of my classes have been catered to online learning. The professors have been great, and they’re all super willing to work with me,” Tracy said. The program requires that students fulfill a certain number of practicum hours, and since Tracy is not currently a full-time educator, they’ve been flexible with her school placements. “I’ve been able to complete my required practicum hours in my time as a substitute teacher.”
The course concepts she has learned in the program have allowed Tracy to build on her experience in elementary education. “It’s changed my way of thinking. Lots of classes focused on diversity and tactics to reach each child individually. I feel like I am equipped with more strategies to take back to the classroom.”
Tracy’s bachelor’s coursework helped her to know how lesson plans and teaching can be most effective, but her master’s coursework has filled in the gaps to help her understand why those best practices exist. “The curriculum focuses on the theory and history behind education. Understanding this helps me adjust and adapt as needed to better reach each student in my classroom. It helps me ensure that everything I’m doing and asking my students to do has purpose.”
Tracy is on pace to complete her master’s in December 2020. Her passion for learning has been contagious, too. Her wife, Ashley — who already holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees — is currently pursuing a second bachelor’s in Religious Studies from UA. Their family places a high value on education – and on getting that education from the Capstone.
“We’re big Alabama fans at our house. I’ve really enjoyed being part of The University of Alabama. Honestly, it’s why I chose UA. I wanted to be able to say I had gone to The University of Alabama, and then I found out that they had this really great distance learning program. It’s been perfect for my master’s!”
Published: August 31st, 2020