Developing as a Professional Educator
"Courtney has tremendous passion for children and she works tirelessly to ensure that students are provided many opportunities to meet their academic and social potential." -Brian Martes, Principal
This Year
My overarching, long-term goal for this year has been to focus on collecting and analyzing data to inform my practice. I have grown in this area tremendously, using data as a driving force behind all that I do as a school counselor. I have used data about student academic performance, attendance, and behaviors to identify students that receive services, to create counseling goals, and to monitor the impact of my work.
Beyond the impact that this goal has had for me and my students, data collection and analysis has become a district-wide emphasis among the school counseling team. I have created and shared multiple systems for data collection which my peers have embraced. These tools have allowed us to share concrete data about our work with stakeholders, including school administrators and the school board.
An area for continuous improvement is to create data collection systems and routines that are efficient and sustainable over the long term. My systems have evolved over this year to capture the most salient and useful data. Moving forward, I will continue to improve my data analysis routines, including designating specific dates throughout the year (such as at the end of each grading cycle) dedicated to data analysis.
Looking Forward
I intend to remain a connected educator throughout my career by attending and presenting at professional conferences and being an active member of associations. One of my ongoing professional goals is to continue to share my ideas with other educators through conference presentations. I find staying connected with others in my field, but outside my school/district, to be refreshing and energizing. These experiences often help me remember my "why". Additionally, sharing my ideas with others and engaging in dialogues about best practices inspire me to continue to improve my practice.
I recently was chosen to be a School Counseling Emerging Leader with CASC (California Association of School Counselors). This position will give me multiple opportunities to connect and share with other professionals.
In addition, I continue to stay connected with Teach For America, another community of like-minded educators working towards educational equity and social justice. I will be doing so this summer by working as a Dean of School Culture at the Los Angeles Institute for incoming corps members.
Know Your Why
My best advice for new teachers: Know your "why" and surround yourself with reminders of it!
Why are you becoming an educator?
What has led you to this career field?
Being an educator is one of the most difficult jobs - and also one of the most rewarding. We are shaping the lives of many young minds, and that is no small task. There will be days when you think you are not doing a good enough job. There will be days when you wish you could do more. There will be days when you feel overwhelmed with the burden of the job. And on those days when you are ready to throw in the towel, your passion - your "why" - will get you through.
Courtney Lloyd is a school counselor, former elementary school teacher, innovator, and passionate advocate for students and families.