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Reflect Questions
At which level (emerging, developing, performing, or transforming) do you NOW place yourself for each of your four chosen competencies? Name each competency and the level at which you started and now place yourself
Overarching Competency # 1 (Interpersonal Effectiveness) I placed myself at developing at the beginning of this process and I consider myself to be performing after the TLI process.
Overarching Competency # 2 (Communication) I placed myself at developing at the beginning of this process and I consider myself to be performing after the TLI process.
Foundational Competency (Explore and Challenge Inequity) I placed myself at developing at the beginning of this process and I believe I am still at developing at the end of the TLI process, due to the many layers of this competency.
Leadership Pathway Competency (Facilitating Collaborative Relationships) I placed myself at developing at the beginning of the process and I consider myself to be performing at the end of the TLI process.
How did the TLI experience impact your growth as a teacher leader in each of your four chosen competencies? Include in your TLI assessment the module curriculum portfolio assignments, and the Capstone Project. Cite evidence to support each of your assessments.
The first Overarching Competency I chose is Interpersonal Effectiveness. One reason I believe I moved to emerging from developing is the ability to lead discussion to identify and define a shared vision. When I first started this project, one of my colleagues was feeling frustrated because the school had ordered two sets of tribal flags but they were still sitting in a box. Sometimes, the first step is the hardest one. I was able to listen with empathy to this situation and build trust by brainstorming ideas with members of the IEFA committee. I think teachers sometimes want to walk in a room with a solution already in place. However, being able to encourage and inspire others to take action is very powerful. I feel that I have shown growth in this area of Interpersonal Effectiveness. The evidence of this growth is shown in Artifact #9. The artifact shows the evidence of the brainstorming session. Because everyone had a voice at the table, I was able to gain trust with my fellow educators.
The second Overarching Competency I chose is communication. My path from developing to emerging is evident by my ability to embody a strong passion for the shared vision and conveying information through our shared IEFA folder. One aspect of communication in the performing level is differentiating the message in accordance to the audience. The diversity of the message conveyed is evident in Artifact #10. This artifact shows the gathering of information from a kindergarten, middle school, high school teacher and myself as we gained knowledge at the IEFA conference. Using communication skills, we were able to divide the conquer all the amazing sessions that happened at the conference. Knowing that if we all attended the same sessions, we wouldn't be able to offer a wide variety of information that would be available to our staff members. The collection of data is expansive and helpful for every grade in the Florence Carlton School.
The Foundational Competency of Explore and Challenge Inequity is the competency that I consider myself still developing because we have so much to do in this area. Our school staff needs to continue to apply knowledge of cultural differences, especially in regards to IEFA. When I was in Helena for the last TLI meeting, our cohort attended the beginning part of the Board of Public Education meeting on Wednesday, July 16th, 2025. Artifact #11 is the first page of the agenda of this meeting. The lawsuit, Yellow Kidney V. Montana, alleged that progress still needs to be made to achieve IEFA. Artifact #12 is the website explaining the history of the lawsuit and necessity of the changes we need to make at each Montana School. In the Board of Education meeting, McCall Flynn presented settlement requirements to a leader from each tribe in our state. The fact that a lawsuit had to be filed to get schools to be more accountable for the IEFA demonstrates how the majority of educators in Montana, myself included, continue to be in the developing stage of this competency. We must all work diligently to engage in ongoing self-education and self-reflection regarding cultural differences and equity.
The fourth competency I focused on was the Leadership Pathway of Facilitating Collaborative Relationships. Teachers thrive when they have the ability to work and collaborate with others. Throughout my capstone challenge, I was able to move from developing to emerging in this area. In order to organize a school-wide project, I had to facilitate collaboration to implement activities surrounding the Tribal Flags presentation. Participating in a constructive collaborative culture allowed this assembly to happen. As evidence of this collaboration, I wanted to share an activity created by a kindergarten teacher as Artifact #13. With my experience as a primary teacher for 30 years, I discovered that activities for K-1 are sometimes difficult to create and find. Educators want to use a lesson that is meaningful and educational but developmentally appropriate for the younger students. By facilitating collaborative relationships, the kindergarten teacher was able to create a lesson and worksheet that met the needs of her students while satisfying the curriculum requirement.
What was the most valuable part of the TLI process for you? The most valuable process of TLI is getting to know other educators. I felt supported and knew they would help me in any way needed. The safe space created by Gia and Teresa allowed us to be vulnerable and honest. My heart was touched as I learned how teachers were struggling, not only in education but with things in their personal lives. The camaraderie and laughter reminded me of how blessed I am to be a life-long educator. Another valuable part of the RLI process was working with the staff at Florence Carlton School. Even though I taught at Florence for 30 years, I often didn't have time to collaborate with my colleagues as much as I would have liked. With more time on my hands, I know that I want to continue to build these relationships and use my experience to support teachers as they move along their educational journey.
What are your next steps to continue your growth as a teacher leader? I plan to continue my relationship with the staff and administration at Florence Carlton School. First, I want to further the progress we have made with the IEFA curriculum and I am happy to be present information or lessons regarding this subject. I am interested in researching more of the IEFA guidelines and lessons especially with the Yellow Kidney settlement requirements. I would like to continue to recommend IEFA books for our school libraries. I also look forward to being an advisor when it comes to union issues at Florence School. I will always be available if the school staff needs to talk someone, needs advice or needs help with any sort of project.
Artifact #9
Artifact #11
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