Program+Goals

= Goals: =

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Envision and guide organizational change
I tend to be a “thinker”. What I mean is that it takes some time for me to picture an idea in my head in a way that truly make sense to me. However, once I see it clearly, I am able to work toward a change rather quickly. For example, this past school year I was on the first grade Science curriculum committee. We knew what we wanted to be included in our curriculum, but I did not immediately know how I wanted to show this to my colleagues. A few days after our initial meeting, it finally came to me and when I shared the idea with my group, they agreed with my suggestion. A week later at our next meeting, we were rolling out the pages for our curriculum binders.
 * Spring 2011

I believe that everything happens for a reason and God has a reason for every situation. When change happens in my life, my initial reaction is to get a little riled up before I am able to take a deep breath, pray, and prepare for the next step. When change happens, I follow Robert Bascal's //Cycle of Change// of first denial, next anger and resistance, followed by exploration and acceptance, and finally commitment. I do not spend much time in the second anger and resistance stage because I do not find it to be productive. I like the Haw's handwriting on the wall in Spencer Johnson, M.D.'s book //Who Moved My Cheese?// "The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese" (2008).
 * Fall 2012

Communicate effectively, engage constituents, develop people, and build community
My ability to communicate effectively usually varies based on the topic at hand. If I truly do not know about the topic, I tend to keep my mouth shut. I typically do not ask questions (I would rather ask someone close or research it myself).
 * Spring 2011

If I am educated about the topic at hand, I can usually share my expertise easily. However, I am not always quick to respond to others. I do feel that I do a pretty good job of developing others and building a positive community. (Really, who likes to be with crabby people?)

My ability to communicate with colleagues has improved since beginning this program. My district recently adapted The Sister's "Daily 5" and CAFE practices. Three weeks into the district-wide implementation we had a chat session in-service on how it was working. Having practiced these implementations for three years, I was able to share the strategies that I found have worked. I have also let go of some pride and have improved my ability to ask questions. This year we were blessed with a very educated and passionate reading specialist. I respect her knowledge and I feel very comfortable asking her for help and suggestions. Being able to share with colleagues helps build a stronger school community.
 * Fall 2012

Advocate and promote equity for diverse populations and respect for individuals
This is an area that has been weighing heavily on my heart recently. Many leaders who are not educators are pushing hard for common practices where every aspect needs to be the same across the board. However, when we’re dealing with young children, we need to remember that they are not just statistics but children who are dealing with a variety of issues and who come with a whole bunch of different needs. It reminds me of the saying, “Fair isn’t always equal”.
 * Spring 2011

I continue to believe that children are not statistics and "Fair isn't always equal". However, I believe that this educational leadership goal is so much more. When I have had students from different racial backgrounds in my class, I made it a point to talk about how one's race does not determine the integrity of the person; it is the heart and actions that tell about a person. However, I did not always do this when my students were the same race. I have really tried to make sure that I infuse cultural, racial, economic, etc. differences in many of my lessons through various formats. The students in my class come from a wide variety of economic backgrounds. I do not expect my students to provide materials for class. I also work with my school's Parent-Teacher Organization and school nurse to help provide necessary items to these students. When their lower level needs (Maslow, 1943) are met, they are better able to focus on learning.
 * Fall 2012

Integrate theory, data, research, and ethical standards into the context of one’s practice through continuous learning
I admit, I am fairly young, and I do not know it all. If I want to strive to be the best that I can be (for my students and myself) I need to continue learning. I enjoy learning new things. In the past few years, I have taking several courses and attended various workshops that have allowed me to implement new and best practices into my teaching.
 * Spring 2011

​Since beginning this program, I have been reminded of the importance of staying informed. I have done this in many ways. Subscribing to educational journals has been very enlightening. Keeping up-to-date on current practices and seeking answers to questions about best practices has helped me stay inform. I was able to attend the WSRA Reading Convention this past February. I was introduced to many people who shared their experiences and activities that were based on best practices and had positive learner outcomes. I really enjoyed searching the ERIC database of educational journals when completing the Review of Related Literature for my research proposal. I found many articles that I saved for future reading in areas of interest.
 * Fall 2012