Educators are uniquely positioned to lead. We impact more lives than any other group of people outside of the home. In a single career, one educator can literally build positive personal connections to learning for thousands of people. Our opportunity to influence is unparalleled.

By creating space for teachers to dedicate themselves to growth and taking risks, our students will follow suit and be better prepared to lead in the emerging knowledge economy. Students and educators thrive when the school culture moves away from a compliance driven mindset and embraces our natural human desire to learn and belong.

Traditional ideas about education need a massive overhaul. Consider that most teachers are working in roles that were defined more than a century ago. The only way forward is to promote educational leadership among teachers and administrators so we can tackle the traditional setbacks plaguing education. I am poised to lead.

Among my colleagues, I have heard countless new education initiatives prefaced with, "This (insert new initiative here) is the same as (insert old comfortable thing here) - it's just re-packaged with a few tweaks." A dynamic education system is not not like a box of Cheerios that we can simply re-package to boost popularity. The default setting in education to marry old ideas with new buzzwords encourages apathy. We need to create and move into new spaces for how we think about education. Generating useful ideas is not easy and getting those ideas off the ground takes leadership and a willingness to take risks. I am inspired by my colleagues who take ideas, combine them with their talents and push students to new heights because they take action.

Most teachers begin their careers with lofty goals and a natural ambition to innovate and take risks. That incredible journey as a beginning teacher includes the type of trial and error we should embrace for teachers at every level of experience. In education, we should aim to strike a balance that celebrates well-intentioned risks and honors the skills that are developed through practice and dedication.

Growing a passion for exploration and discovery within students starts with educators that are passionate and eager to explore. Ours is a career that requires us to be intentional in order to be our best. We need to re-think the purpose and design of our schools and educators are the best equipped to lead the charge.

It is our professional obligation to advocate for students in the public arena and use our collective talent to solve challenges.

Education leaders need to fight for a place at the table with policy makers because we are experts. Our career demands that teachers and school leaders continue to strengthen their political resolve and engage in the hard work necessary to effect change - change we desperately need in many of our schools.

I have dedicated that last few years of my teaching career pondering the big changes we need to make in education in order to improve. I experiment in my classroom and I share my ideas with the world through my writing, public speaking and photography. Equally as important, I learn from others constantly and seek to challenge my own strongly held beliefs.

For me, putting an emphasis on true learning and moving away from the more restrictive task orientation of school is where I feel I need to be for students. Honestly, my teaching methods need to improve and that motivates me because it is something I can grapple with and understand. Outside of my own practice, our profession operates in a state of perpetual confusion. Whether it is funding, shifting priorities or stretching educators too thin - it often feels like the education profession is under siege. The challenge seems to rest in three big questions:

1. How can our profession honor the voices of a diverse body of professionals and engage in a paradigm shift away from ideas that hold learning back?
2. How can we unite families, school administrators, teachers and elected officials in order to systemically improve “the way we do education”?
3. What are our priorities when it comes to improving the way instruction is delivered to our students? ​

I am a proud teacher and my students demonstrate learning and feel valued in my classroom. I want more though. Feeling vulnerable as a veteran teacher can be tricky. Wanting to give more and master the craft is humbling. I love the challenge. I now have the experience and perspective to know how my mission fits into bigger life goals. I have a lot of room to grow and that excites me.

Building relationships, working hard to engage learners and aiming for growth have been at the foundation of my educational philosophy from the beginning. Those are the common denominators that will never change. I am deeply satisfied that a career spent in education has been my calling.