Leading the Learning...Personal Development Matters

Leading the Learning:  Personal Development Matters

As a self-proclaimed BEAST (Be Enthusiastic About Students and Teaching), I am relentlessly focused on my own personal and professional growth and development.  I am curious and one of those people who wants to know "why".  I always wanted to be a good teacher, and continually engaged in professional learning opportunities that enabled me to enhance my practice and in turn, increase student learning.   I knew that the more effective I was, the better I could be for my kids.  As I entered into administration, I continued to take advantage of every learning opportunity that came my way.  Teacher development became a major focus of my practice.

Research says:  The most important factor in a school that contributes to student success is a high-quality teacher.  Quality teaching matters.  The second is the principal.  Quality leadership matters.  

My assumptions:  Learning is the heart of education.  It needs to be the primary focus at a school.   Educators need to demonstrate a love of learning and engage in professional learning on a daily basis.  We need to model the learning we want to see our kids engage in.  

As I enter my 25th year in public education (I started when I was 12 so please feel free to do the math from there) in a new assignment as Lead Learner (principal) in a struggling school, I know exactly what is going to anchor our work.  Learning.  Period. A relentless focus on adult and student learning will be the primary ingredient in my school improvement.  As principal, I commit to holding myself accountable for creating the constructs and utilizing resources to design standards-based, research professional learning experiences for our teachers.  Excited to begin our journey to building and fostering a collaborative culture of learning.