My Philosophy
One way that people learn best is through their experiences. Experiences allow people to grasp concepts quickly and apply them in their lives. They also help create a supportive learning community. Experiences can be positive or negative, which encourages problem-solving thinking. Kolb (2015) talks about how learning happens through doing, reflecting, and applying something I try to keep in mind in my own work. As someone preparing the next generation, I know I need to keep learning too. That’s why I try to get hands-on experience with new technology and different skills that will help me grow and be a better educator.
Leadership Philosophy and Style
My style of leadership is servant leadership. In service leadership, leaders focus on their followers and empathize with them while helping them find their strengths (Northouse, 2021). Within this leadership, I plan to take a transformational approach in which decisions will be based on outcomes that benefit teammates (Northouse, 2021). A leader needs to know their teammates and be able to shine a light on their skills to help them grow in any situation. When team members know their strengths and weaknesses, they can maneuver themselves into the groups they will be more efficient. This makes the teammates gain confidence when an issue arises. When leading a group, I like to let everyone know they play a big part in the team. This reminds the team members that each job is essential to make the team successful. Leadership is complex, but if a supporting team exists, communication can achieve anything (Bass et al., 2006). A servant leader can help people in organizations to grow personally and professionally (Northouse, 2021). If people follow directions and never question leadership, they will not grow in any experience. When people become the better version of themselves and put it to good use, doing a challenging task becomes worthy. I enjoy seeing people achieve goals they did not think were possible.
Goals for Upcoming Year
As an educator, I am committed to both teaching and continuous learning, especially as technology continues to evolve rapidly. I recognize the importance of staying current with new tools and ideas to enhance the learning experience. It became clear that I needed to educate myself on effectively integrating technology into my practice. Finding a program that introduces innovative tools and teaches creative implementation strategies was essential. My goal is to become a reliable leader who approaches challenges with creativity. I also aim to develop strong technological skills to support others who can benefit from them.
In the next phase of my career, I plan to transition into a Teacher Tech Coordinator role, where I can support classroom educators in incorporating technology into their curriculum. I aspire to collaborate with teachers to design and implement digital projects that not only enhance student engagement but also align with curriculum goals. By providing guidance on using technology to create interactive and meaningful learning experiences, I aim to empower teachers to integrate digital tools effectively and creatively into their daily instruction. Over the next three years, I hope to expand my knowledge, strengthen my leadership abilities, and grow my professional network to create a positive impact on curriculum development and technology integration.
Professional Reading Plan
To support my professional development as an educational leader, I have created a professional reading plan aligned with my interest in SEL, data-driven instruction, and implementing technology. This reading list will enhance my understanding of how to create emotionally supportive, data-informed, and engaging learning environments.
Brackett, M. A. (2019). Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive: Offers research backed strategies for embedding SEL into schools and classrooms, focusing on the R.U.L.E.R approach developed at Yale. It will support my efforts to create an SEL curriculum and lead SEL-based professional development.
CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning:I will regularly review white papers, framework updates, and blog posts published by CASEL to ensure alignment with evidence-based SEL practices. It will be especially useful for developing district wide SEL implementation strategies.
VanDerHeyden, A. M., & Burns, M. K. (2020). Assessment for Intervention: A Problem-Solving Approach: Explores how to use academic screening and progress monitoring tools like FastBridge to inform instruction. This will help support my dissertation research and teacher training on using FastBridge data to guide planning.
Bernhardt, V. L. (2018). Data Analysis for Continuous School Improvement: Offers tools and models to help educators use multiple types of data and not just test scores to make informed decisions. It helps bridge the gap between data collection and real change in the classroom.
Magana, S. (2017). Disruptive Classroom Technologies: Offers rubrics, goal setting tools, and real classroom examples that help educators move from low impact to high impact technology use.
2023-2024
Complete year one of the Educational Technology Leadership Program at NJCU
Continue to update the portfolio
Take a PD on leadership
Join the ESL after-school program
Attended STEM Summer Institute
Applied for Verizon Technology Grant
2024-2025
Complete year two of the Educational Technology Leadership Program at NJCU
Attend NJEA convention
Attend SEL/technology-related conventions
Choose a topic for my dissertation and get approval
Become a lead teacher for my grade level
Incorporate STEM as a center in the classroom
Apply for Explore e-Learning grant
Attend TXDLA Bite-Sized Learning conference
Attend Explore e-learning presentation
Attended Ozobot 101 Webinar
Participated Canva STEM Planning Party
Participated in Governors AI Task Force Survey
Presented in NJ AI Summit
2025-2026
Complete year three of the Educational Technology Leadership Program NJCU
Become the district's technology coordinator working strictly with classroom teachers to help implement technology
Propose an SEL curriculum to the district including digital tools
Implement the SEL program throughout the district
Expand SEL programming for grades 1-8
Create a workshop to teach SEL practices for parents and encourage usage in classrooms and at home
Present at an education technology conference on SEL digital tools
Propose and pitch my research to FastBridge for potential collaboration
Defend Dissertation
Graduate
Publish my work
Goals for the Coming Years
Create a curriculum through Canva for SEL
Create a workshop for teachers on SEL and digital tools
Promote SEL curriculum to teachers and help implement in their classrooms
Propose an after-school program on SEL with podcasting for 3rd and 4th graders
Propose and pitch my research to FastBridge for potential collaboration
References
Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational Leadership (2nd ed.). Psychology Press.
Kolb, D. A. (2015). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development (2nd ed.). Pearson Education.
Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: theory and practice. Ninth Edition. Los Angeles, SAGE Publications.