If I were an administrator in a school, I know that I would have very high expectations of my teachers. With that said, I must also hold myself accountable to very high expectations and standards. There are a few things that are non-negotiable to me; things that I would fight really hard to ensure exist in my school. The first idea that I would work to embed into the culture of the staff is a commitment to excellence. Meaning that I would expect my teachers (and self) to always be willing to learn and grow. I never want my teachers to become stagnant or lazy in their teaching style. There are always going to be newer, better, and more engaging ways to deliver content to students. Teachers should work hard to always be the best teacher that they can be. As a leader, I would need to model this for my staff and share my love for learning. This commitment to excellence would become contagious and affect the students in a positive way. My second non-negotiable item is that faculty and staff need to be team players. Being willing to work with others is essential to building community, creating a positive atmosphere, and growing in our profession. Along with that, I would hold myself accountable to supporting my staff and always having their back. I know from personal experience that parents or other stakeholders can become upset about situations in schools. I think it is really important that the leader always stands up for their teachers and has their back (even if it means that there may need to be a serious conversation with that teacher at a later time). If teachers and administrators don’t stand up for one another, it creates an unhealthy divide in the school. It is important for the integrity of the school to remain a united front. Lastly, something that I feel very passionately about, is that every teacher working under me must believe in every single student. Every student can be successful, and that starts with the teachers who are working to educate them each day. I would expect my teachers to go above and beyond to support every student in their class. That belief in each student could be the factor that carries them into their future.
I would consider myself a democratic leader. I believe that everyone’s unique experiences create a wealth of knowledge when brought together in a collective. All teachers are leaders to some degree. They all have different opinions and expertise, so it does not make sense to silence their voices or demand that they do certain things. With that said, I also believe that schools need structure in order to accomplish their goals. By demonstrating servant leadership, and distributive leadership, you can create a culture of mutual respect and at the same time ensure that teachers feel empowered and that they have some control of their work environment. When administrators and teachers come together to make important decisions about the school, everyone is going to have the students’ best interests at heart. That will drive the decisions to be the best fit for each stakeholder in the community. As a leader I would also be sure to have an open door policy. It is important to have an open line of communication between teachers and administrators, and also to build that sense of trust and reliance. I think that the majority of people who have chosen education as their path, are more likely to be intrinsically motivated people. By empowering teachers, giving them a say, and respecting their knowledge and experience, a school staff can work together to accomplish great things.
I started my path in education with 4 years of study at the University of San Diego where I earned a degree in liberal studies and my teaching credential. During my time at USD I spent a semester abroad in Madrid, Spain where I learned to speak Spanish which has helped my greatly in my career. Through the education program at USD I experienced many different types of classroom settings through my 5 practicum experiences. I worked at a range of schools from elementary to high school serving a variety of student populations. I student taught at Ocean Beach Elementary under a master teacher for half of a school year. After student teaching I spent the spring long-term subbing in a 2nd and then a 3rd grade classroom at Balboa Elementary. It was at Balboa where I was trained in teaching English Language Development. I also participated in an hour of very focused reading instruction based on level each day. This provided remediation, intervention, and enrichment for students. I received my first full-time teaching position at Saint James Academy in 2012. I have been teaching 4th grade at SJA ever since. During my time at Saint James Academy I have become the technology chair and coach. We have a 1:to:1 iPad program so I have had the opportunity to attend multiple professional development conferences around iPads and technology. I have put on several technology in-service workshops for the faculty and staff at my school. I've implemented project based learning into my classroom and have worked with other teachers on using PBL in their own classrooms as well. I continue to share my professional growth with my colleagues at our monthly curriculum meetings.
My story (and my belief system), though shorter than some, has been evolving my entire life. I remember developing a sense of compassion, acceptance, and love for helping others early on in life. In elementary school, every day during recess, I would go to the special ed classroom (back then special needs students were separated from the rest of the school) and volunteer as a helper. My favorite days to help were PE days, when we got to play with the students, help them stretch, and share a lot of laughs. I vividly remember thinking at such a young age that it was unfair that the special needs students were separated from the rest of the school. They were just as kind and hardworking as everybody else. I learned a lot at a young age about how people are different, yet we’re all the same. I carried this feeling with me throughout my entire life. That is why my strongest belief in education is that people are people; kids are kids; some have just had more opportunities, experiences, and support along the way- and some need a little extra.
Later in life, this belief solidified when I worked at a YMCA summer camp as a camp counselor. It was the most magical place to work! Nobody wore makeup, or worried about the clothes they were wearing, or talked about what cool toys they had at home or the boys they had crushes on. It was a place where people could be themselves and be accepted for who they were. During my summers at camp I counseled cabins of girls aged 8-15 from all walks of life. Some campers were bussed in from the local Indian reservation, others were on scholarships and brought to camp through a social youth program, while some campers paid the full cost and came from beautiful homes on the south hill. Once everyone got to camp, it didn’t matter where you came from, kids just bonded over being kids and their shared interest in having fun. Everyone thrived at camp. I heard a lot of tough stories from campers during my summers on the lake, and sometimes I had a really hard time saying goodbye, knowing they were going back to a tough place. As I said goodbye each week, both myself and the camperss with tears in our eyes, I remember thinking “I am so fortunate to have been able to be a role model, make an impression, and give that kiddo some love… even if it was just for a few weeks of their life.” It was working at summer camp that made me want to become a teacher. I knew I could connect with kids, help them grow, and give them the love and support that they need- especially those not getting enough at home. Soon after, I became a teaching major at USD. It was during my time in this program, observing classes and doing student teaching that I deepened my thoughts and feelings about education. USD does a really good job of exposing their students to all different types of school settings. I did classroom observations in wealthy suburbs, in barrios, at a continuation high school, and in areas of south San Diego where the majority of the school population were English learners. During that time I observed a lot of great teachers. Teachers that clearly knew their students well, and loved them. Teachers who went the extra mile to help kiddos in their class that were struggling. Teachers who were in touch with students’ physical and emotional needs- sometimes offering them a snack if they knew they missed breakfast, or a hug if they were having a tough day. I saw the admiration that some students had for these special teachers and it made a huge impression on me. I wanted to be like them. I was very inspired by many of the teachers I observed and worked with during my time at USD. I also saw quite a few bad teachers, and learned from them too. I saw teachers who had appeared to have given up on some of their students. I saw teachers who blamed the students for not being motivated or trying hard enough. I saw lazy teachers who had become jaded by the system. It was during those times that I always wondered how it was possible that adults could treat kids so badly. I think the worst thing I saw was a 4th grade male teacher scream at his classroom for a solid ten minutes. I remember in that moment vowing that I would never ever yell at my class. It was unproductive, cruel and embarassing. Later that year, I’ll never forget, I was telling a woman on an airplane that I was going to become a teacher. She turned to me and told me very frankly “When you work with kids and they don’t understand something, it’s never their fault, it’s yours”. That statement made such a huge impression on me. Everytime my class doesn’t understand something, instead of being frustrated with them, I think about how I must not have been clear enough, or maybe I should teach them the concept in another way. Since my student teaching experience I have worked in south San Diego and I’ve worked in north San Diego. I’ve worked in schools where the students were very impoverished and the majority of the population qualified for free and reduced lunch each day. I’ve worked in a school where money is abundant, divorce is rampant, and I even had a student bring in a martini shaker as a water bottle one day (no joke). In both situations I saw students succeed with the help of good teachers and role models. After working in schools of different populations my belief still stands. People are people, kids are kids. Some have had more opportunities than others, some need more support. Everyone has their own set of problems and needs. All students need to feel accepted, cared for, supported and encouraged. With those things, all students have the ability to achieve success. It is our job to give it to them. I’ve lived a very blessed life and I know it is my calling to give back to others through teaching. I am dedicated to work hard toward becoming a better teacher and leader each day. |
AuthorHere is where I will share my beliefs about education and work to live these beliefs in my career everyday. Archives
October 2015
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