all good things must come to an end

As the culminating reflection of my time in MALT I will admit quite honestly that I am struggling with, what are the next steps? It always seems to me that at the end of a significant undertaking or journey I find that I feel that there is so much more I need and want to learn. And, that feeling of “What now?” or “I don’t know where to go from here?” permeates my every thought. I find myself currently in a state of continual reflection and thought. Forgive the answers below that lack detail. It seems I am in process.

Part 1: Reflection

How has your view of yourself as a professional changed in the last year?

• Realizing the myriad of options beyond the classroom or even within the world of traditional education and that there are other avenues in which my skills can be used and/or other possible career trajectories
• Perhaps most of all is the realization that I am qualified to grasp and accept opportunities that until now I believed to be out of reach.

What is one positive thing that you have learned about yourself in the last year?

• Many opportunities to solve disputes, calm chaos, and personally determine outcomes were presented to me while working as  lead teacher and vice-principal this past year. I found I am a problem solver and I really enjoy it.

What is one negative thing that the last year has shown you about yourself?

• As a follow-up to the previous question, I found I little tolerance for ineffective people placed in leadership. Or, more bluntly stated, I seem unable to understand perceived/actual incompetence in a leader which results in everyone under that individual to have no clear direction.

What is your biggest strength as a professional?

• A strength of mine for which peers and others have often commended me is that I have a fairly broad knowledge base and am able to identify what I need to use from that knowledge base in a given circumstance.  I now see that in myself.
• I suppose another way of saying it is that I am able to see the big picture and what needs to take place in order to get from point A to point B. Being a fairly pragmatic person, there is an element of perception or discernment in knowing what to focus on and what not to focus on;  when to open my mouth and when to not.

What is your biggest weakness as a professional?

• Acknowledging that I don’t have tolerance for people who are not competent or who do not accept responsibility by making excuses and or feeling sorry for him/herself which can be perceived as uncaring.

Imagine you are in the perfect job for you, doing exactly what you want to be doing at a very high level.  You go to a professional conference as the keynote speaker.  What does the person introducing you say?

• That person would be encouraged  to focus on what I want to accomplish rather than what I’ve accomplished. And, that I am doing my part to change the system of education as we currently know it, or to be more succinct, be upheavaling.

What external obstacles  are standing in the way of you becoming that person?

• Knowing what the next steps are. I feel like I have this idea or interest and I am uncertain in how to move forward.

What internal obstacles are standing in the way of you becoming that person?

• Honestly, it is the same as the external ones...Perhaps my observed biases should be included but not really having a grasp on knowing the direction of the next steps is somewhat inhibiting. I feel like I have this idea or interest and I am uncertain in how to move forward.

What attitudes and beliefs are holding you back?

• A lack of confidence believing there are many more competencies still needing to be met   before I am qualified succeed.

Part 2: Planning

What 3 things do you need to learn to achieve your goal?

• Do others recognize or believer there a void to fill or a need for change...in other words, am I the only who sees the need?
• Is it sustainable? Is it ongoing?
• Is it financially prudent?

Describe 3 people that you need to connect with in order to move closer to your goal.

• Credible people in the field
• A mentor who sees what I see and has ideas and direction.

Who are the gatekeepers on the path to your goal?

• Education
• Money
• Probably myself...dangit

Who are your biggest supporters?  How can you use their support to help you?

• Administration
• Ancillary support services/people I work with
• Family and faith

It is up to me to inform them of my goals/desires and needs. From there…

• Using their encouragement to help support me and keep me going
• Editing papers and assignments to make sure I am not writing or creating jibberish
• Watch my dog.

What groups should you be a part of?  How do you join them?

• I think this is still an unknown. I don’t even know what groups are out there.

How should you market yourself as a professional for maximum impact, and who should you market yourself to?

• LinkedIn
• Administration or in the teaching of teachers
• Do I need to look more into the private or corporate sectors

Part 3: Action

In two years, I want to have accomplished the following:

• Clear Admin credential
• Depending on one year goals, have made arrangements in the direction that I have chosen.

In one year, I want to have accomplished the following:

• A decision of whether not to pursue my doctorate
• Administration in the running of the school or into the education of teachers or classroom or…? Do I want to stay in 8th grade or move to high school? College? Private? Public? Do I want to focus on a specific aspect of education or topic? Do I want to work more around the topic of Design Thinking as a tool in education?

In six months, I want to have accomplished the following:

• Complete classes for my administrative credential
• Set up a stronger online website and profile
• Create a Professional Learning Network to help me further identify my area of focus/goals

By August 1, I want to have accomplished the following:

• register a domain
• Identify and search for organization or groups and join them

Before July 7, when this assignment is due, I have completed the following steps:

• Honestly the biggest thing for me has been reflecting and regrouping. After this last school year, I needed to re-evaluate and give myself some room to breathe. So I am doing just that.

What can you do to help yourself complete these steps?

• I think setting aside time to seek out opportunities and connections and then take advantage of those opportunities and connections is going to be the most important thing for me.

{KS} Cog Tools: "Why" Journal Reflection

I work at a school. The “why” should be fairly clear but that is not always the case at a school site. It is, however, at my site. The “why” is the kids. NES is all about creating and fostering learning in students. The “why” is (as cheesy as it sounds) tapping the potential and interest in each individual student so that each of those students has the tools, skills and ability, should they choose, to accomplish whatever goal or dream they have and to ultimately be successful in life. It is not just about students passing tests either. The “why” that drives my organization is the person that student will become. We look at the kid as a whole person, one that will one day have a larger role in society and we want to make sure that the student is equipped to handle challenges, is kind and sees beyond just herself/himself.

Our “why” is central to the larger organizations (the District) activity as well. While it can be mired down by politics and funding, I work in a district that truly seeks to support and foster education.

Over the course of this year, my why has evolved. And, with the help of this program and some probing questions from a friend, my “why” is as follows:

Passionate about deepening educator and student knowledge and critical thinking I strive to expand their world and introduce them to the fundamental truth. Through the vehicles of Educational Leadership, Technological 21st Century Skills, Holocaust Education, Writing and Literature my desire is to awaken them to the individual story and their appreciation of their responsibility as an educator and global citizen.

This is what I want to do with my life. It is what makes me tick, what gets me up each morning, and what directs the choices I make.

Over the course of the last 2 months I have experienced quite a bit of change and that has in turn, heightened my need for personal reflection. A couple of weeks ago I spent some time on my computer writing. It was one of those soul searching, “what am I doing?”, “what is my purpose?” kind of moments. I would not say that I am the eternal optimist, but I love the quote “dwell in possibility” by Emily Dickinson. While my moment of intense reflection a couple weeks ago began out of frustration, fear and what felt like extremely overwhelming decisions, it came to an end with a sense of peace and purpose. Somewhere in my rant I was redirected to my “why” and the idea of dwelling in that possibility.

In many ways my “why” is a more specific and detailed version of my institutions “why”. We both exist to foster and deepen learning. And, while I am ready for some change in my daily work life, I am thankful to be a part of an organization and institution that aligns to and supports my own personal “why”.  As I stated earlier, there are times when policy, budget and state mandates, etc. can be frustrating or annoying. But, ultimately, I spend each day doing what I want to do. I get to support teachers and students. I get to learn, challenge and be challenged. It makes me good at my job, pushes me to improve and inspires me to find new opportunities.  It is a job that allows me to live most days in the “possible”.