Philosophy of Education & Leadership
Philosophy of Education
The purpose of school should be to prepare our students for anything, not something. We must teach students how to think, not what to think, and to be problem solvers and critical thinkers. In order to do this, teachers must educate the heart first by forming relationships with each child and making sure to provide the conditions in which their students can learn. They must empower their students to increase the belief in themselves and their capabilities. Teachers serve as facilitators of learning, while students are given opportunities to engage in productive struggle. Students and teachers must see mistakes and imperfections as part of the process. High expectations must be set from the teacher and they must believe that they are truly the number one difference maker, doing whatever it takes to reach each individual student.
Educational Philosophy of Leadership
A leader must first develop a positive culture with staff, students, and community members. Relationships must be built with all stakeholders. It is important to discover and utilize the strengths of staff and community members. Focus on individual strengths, value their expertise and then push teachers to do more, be better. It is the responsibility of the leader to build leadership capacity among their staff. Staff members must truly believe that they are the number one difference maker and can meet each of their student’s needs, no excuses. We must empower students and staff to embrace a growth mindset, encourage them to take risks, and collaborate and be open to new ideas. Leaders must lead with love and purpose and help and remind our staff along the way of their “why”, their greater purpose. A leader must have open and consistent communication, connect with their staff and students and show they care by serving. All decisions are made based on what is best for kids.
Leadership Style
My leadership style changes based on the situation or circumstance. A collaborative approach is used to make decisions that affect all students and staff. I like to encourage and empower others to do more than they originally intended to do and often more than they thought was possible. I have high expectations of our students and staff and set goals and plans to move toward these goals. I value building relationships and trust with students and staff. It’s important to develop more leaders within the school and build teacher’s capacity. I encourage risk taking and innovation. My door is always open and I'm visible in the building and in classrooms. I value our teachers and staff and make sure to never forget what it was like in the classroom, taking opportunities to serve them as often as I can.
