Professional Growth and Future Goals
I am a born leader. Even when I am not looking for leadership opportunities they always seem to fall into my lap. My life has been one that is based on service to others, so I regularly volunteer for committees and extend myself to help others. It is important to me to be the best teacher I can, I regularly attend professional development sessions and implement my new learning in the classroom. However, upon starting the Teacher Leadership Master’s program at Lamar University, I was just beginning my career as a teacher leader. I had not had many opportunities to show leadership outside of my grade-level team. During team planning meetings, I normally directed the discussions. My coworkers looked to me for guidance and interpretation of the curriculum. I regularly made suggestions about teaching strategies. Additionally, I was a member of various campus committees including the Campus Performance Objective Committee (CPOC) where worked together with campus administrators and community partners to develop the Campus Improvement Plan. However, I did not view these tasks as leadership opportunities. Over the course of my studies I feel I have grown as a teacher leader. I no longer take leadership opportunities for granted. The courses here at Lamar have shown me that no matter if the leadership opportunity is formal or informal it still can have an enormous impact on student success. I also attribute my growth to the additional
As a teacher-leader, I have been assigned a number of wide-ranging and important informal roles in my career thus far that have enabled me to support and contribute towards the success of not only my students, but also my department and my school as a whole. By assuming these diverse leadership roles, I have been able to develop professionally, improve student attainment, positively influence the teaching and learning practice of my peers and contribute towards the culture and ethos of the schools I have worked in.
This has kept me out of many of the elected leadership positions in our school. However, there are many other ways that I exemplify my role as a leader. One of these ways is by being a part of athletics. I have always felt like a leader in this environment, as I have always exceeded at sports. As an underclassman, I would be the one who helped out with cleaning up, and pushed my teammates to get better. Being apart of these smaller groups allows me to feel more comfortable when leading others. I also lead the team to getting better by helping to set up practices when the coaches were not allowed to coach in the off season. This made me a better leader in everyday life as I am now a more active leader. I lead in group projects, telling people what needs to be done and when. I make sure people are on track, and do not act out. Despite not being a leader to the many, I have still been able to make a big difference by being a leader in my everyday life as an athlete and a
Leadership has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I have always found myself taking on leadership roles, whether it be by volunteering or coordinating different projects for the benefit of my school or community. Taking on leadership positions has allowed me to develop skills in communication, delegation, and managing multiple tasks and deadlines. As a member of National Honor Society and an officer of Student Council, I am presented with various opportunities to show my leadership skills. For example, I have been in charge of planning multiple pep assemblies for my school. Helping coordinate blood and canned food drives, angel trees, as well as organize an abundance of fundraising events has created a sense of reliability
Firstly, in my Academic Career, I have held a multitude of leadership roles. My sophomore year , I was a class representative for Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America, commonly known as FCCLA. It was my duty to alert members and keep them up to date regarding meetings and activities. As a representative of FCCLA, I learned how to work as a unit leader and a team member.That same school year, I ran for the district office of secretary for FCCLA. The nomination and election process, gave me the opportunity to grow and nurture my leadership abilities. It was eminently challenging; but I learned the importance of discipline and hard work. I accomplished my goal and was nominated Secretary for FCCLA. This office allowed me to meet plenty
My leadership skills have greatly increased throughout my high school years. I started off as the history fair project group leader to the Development Director and speaker of my Philanthropic Board in Education class. I used to be the type of person who was shy and stage fright but I learned to face those fears and became the outgoing person I am today. My purpose was to be in charge of and interface with my classmates to create a fundraiser for a non-profit organization in our community. I had to communicate with each individual in order to bring the plan together, which wasn’t a piece of cake since not everyone interacts in the same manner. Although it was only a group of twenty-one students, I still faced challenges that I eventually conquered.
School communities must have leaders that continually strive to learn, grow, and reflect on their experiences to make a significant impact. I plan to incorporate these same ideas when embarking on my new role as a supervisor. I have expanded and refined my experiences as a teacher since I embarked with cohort four on this leadership journey, and I feel equipped to be the effective leader that will truly make a difference in our schools. This year’s courses and high expectations from our faculty have provided me the opportunities to reflect on my strengths and weaknesses on a scale larger than that of the classroom. Our projects and meaningful discussions have helped shape my leadership philosophy.
There have been several times where I have shown leadership here at Saint Viator. I have been a part of Service and Song every summer, where I have lead 6th through 8th graders who are interested in helping others, and dedicated in bettering our community. Every year I have been a group leader, leading them through our service trips, leading them through group discussions, and leading icebreakers. When doing this I made sure to get everyone involved and make everyone feel comfortable with each other. I also had the honor of really getting to know the kids who will one day be walking through our halls. For me being, a leader means always doing the right thing and inspiring others. Another time I have shown leadership is when I didn’t have a
I occupy my time in clubs and activities that both captivate my interest and are most important for my peers and me. These include but are not limited to my positions in Link Crew, Student Council, and Senior Board. They range from Senior Class Representative to Vice President. Many of my teachers and mentors have identified a characteristic of mine as a great leader, and I wanted to improve on these skills. I don't dominate discussion or action, I simply guide it. I take all of my positions seriously and always bring my best attitude; my leadership methods distinguish me from other
In my future endeavors, I would like to pursue a master’s degree in nursing as an education specialist. This specialty of nursing is something that has always intrigued me and after working within the hospital setting I know this is where I aspire to be. I believe helping current and future nurses expand upon their knowledge would be very fulfilling for me.
It is easy to determine where you are and also consider where you want to be but looking back to where you were, is often the most interesting aspect of the journey. I am currently teaching special education at Central DeWitt High School. Along with teaching, I am also a coach and have taken on a leadership role within the Teacher Leadership Grant. Through the leadership opportunities and the skills that I have learned through the St. Ambrose Masters of Educational Administration program, I would like to become an instructional leader and motivator on a larger scale.
Choosing a career in medicine is my first career choice, and in many ways it is the only career choice I want. From professional athletes that we see on television, to the educators that have taught me and many others through the years, they all have committed themselves to extensive study. They have practiced countless of hours to master their individual skill set for their profession. I see myself following in the same footsteps, but as a pediatrician. I want to also master the skills that it takes to be a great doctor. It may not be simple and the outcome may not be near, but with extensive studying and practice I want to achieve and master the set of skills of pediatric diagnosis and eventually improve the medical process. This is my
My leadership can be seen in my experience as the Director of Resource in my school of 600 students, Preschool through the eighth grade. I supported parents, teachers and administrators as they maneuvered the obstacles involved in identifying learning needs as well as the challenges that follow after identification. I worked directly with teacher and families to complete the necessary paperwork and advocated on their behalf with the public school system. Under the role as director, I was solely responsible for
When reflecting on my experience as both a student and a life learner, I never would have considered myself a leader. In fact, I have always been the shy kid who hides in the back of the class and panics whenever it is their turn to respond to a question. College however provided me with an opportunity to develop myself as a leader. I became more active in school activities and actively sought out leadership roles. As I’ve progressed in my professional life, I’ve become more interested in what it takes to make a strong leader. When assuming leadership roles, I’ve always considered myself an authentic leader but I know I’ve often struggled in detailing clear goals for my group or organization. Thankfully, Enrolling in the effective
Question: How has my project work this semester contributed to my development as an emerging professional?
There have been times in my life in which I have sat back and watched things happen. I often wondered why they happened. I now realize that it is important to be a leader. Effective teachers need to take charge and make things happen. I am becoming a teacher to make things happen and not sit back and let them happen as I used to do. This is very important for a teacher to realize. I will take charge and make wonderful things happen in my classroom.