My Philosophy of Educational Leadership

--
Presented to the Department of Educational Leadership
and Postsecondary Education
University of Northern Iowa
--
In partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the
Master of Arts in Education
--
by
Amy L. Garrett
American School of Bombay
Mumbai, India
February 22, 2013
--
Dr. Tim Gilson





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From a young age, I was encouraged and raised by two of the most inspiring leaders I
have met in my life. My mother and father epitomize my vision of what a leader does, believes,
and shows in a variety of positions and settings. They opened my eyes to the accessibility of
leadership and reinforced the idea that everyone is born with leadership qualities that can be
developed and added to as we learn and grow in life. Some of their leadership roles were
defined and tied to professional obligations through their work in the banking industry and local
school districts. However, much more of their leadership took the form of volunteer committees,
social work, and community improvement projects in small towns in Iowa.
I saw the way community members looked up to my father for the way he genuinely
listened to their problems, how he put in the time and effort to enact fair and just positive change
for local businesses, and lead our church in a variety of roles over the years-actively engaged in
building relationships and taking on leadership to move a church community through decisions
and growth. My mother is well-known in every town weve been a part of for her activism in
community centers promoting literacy and local libraries, environmental improvement efforts,
and advocating for enriching educational systems and programs available to students to meet a
variety of needs. Their ability to lead in our church, our schools, and local businesses while
raising and leading our own family of five presents them as excellent role models in my life for
balanced leadership.
I made the decision to pursue further education in the field of teacher leadership because
I see influences of my parents personalities and leadership traits in myself. Though I am an art
teacher by profession, I know there are a variety of ways I can serve as a leader in my school
both currently and in the future as I have capacity to grow. I did not join this program because I
ultimately want to be a principal or superintendent but rather because I see myself as a teacher
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leader in the work I do and plan to continue throughout my life. Individuals do not need titles to
influence others or instate change (particularly in schools), and teamwork plays a vital role in
leadership (Ramsey, 2006). I am eager to learn more about methods for improving and
developing my skills as a leader in any setting through this program.
Of the personality traits I value most when considering myself a leader I appreciate the
kind, family-centric Midwestern disposition I have towards others. While I was living in Cairo,
a local watch seller guessed I was from the middle states because that is where happy people are
from. Though it is a huge generalization, it is largely accurate. Many people from the Midwest
are brought up with nurturing family values and have smiles and gentle hearts that allow them to
connect with others and develop personal relationships. Ramsey (2006) gives a list of 15 ways
that a leader can get the most from a team or staff in chapter three of his text. One of these
points suggests that leaders must be family-friendly. Realizing the importance families play in
the lives of leaders and team members will make a difference in the level of commitment and
quality of work produced by a group effort. Already having this as a personal priority will help
me relate to other colleagues and truly understand what is important in their life. I genuinely
care about others and often smile, which nurtures a level of trust and ease among colleagues and
peers. I believe a leaders ability to relate to the group they represent can greatly dictate the
success of the leader.
I also see in myself the ability to think ahead and identify a problem or need; then
activate a solution out of self-driven initiative. Ramsey (2006) also addressed the importance of
anticipatory thinking in his text and stated leaders think about what they want to happen
tomorrow and then do what it takes today to bring it about (Ramsey, 2006, Chapter 8, Section
1, para. 7). This has lived out in my life in various roles in school, church, work, and play. As
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the program director for a study abroad trip to South America I was responsible for organizing,
preparing, and leading a group of college students. My involvement in various churches over the
years has provided leadership roles as both youth and adult members forming a vision plan for
physical relocation, implementation of college ministry, and development of arts ministries
stateside and abroad. I have provided services and filled many roles acting as a student
ambassador and representative for the University of Northern Iowa. Daily I am faced with the
responsibilities and challenges of thinking ahead in the classroom as an elementary teacher,
which requires constant anticipatory thinking (as I have quickly learned-at times the hard way- in
the past 2 years). Currently, I have been organizing and leading specialist collaboration meetings
at my school. These opportunities and many others have helped me develop the value for and
ability to think ahead and anticipate the next needs or moves or decisions for various groups.
My ability to maintain balance in my life has been a focus for me over the last two years
as I have really gained independence and the ability to fully decide how I fill my time and
consequently my life. Though I still overcommit at times and still feel pressure rise in certain
seasons, I have seen significant progress in self-assessing and identifying where my limits are
pushed, when I am wasting time addressing someone elses problems, and when I am better off
delegating and utilizing another persons strengths. Ramsey (2006) identified this as a vital need
for a successful leader to find and continually seek balance and effective use of time. This has
also positively boosted my own self-confidence, as I am more successful in the areas in which I
narrow my focus and can see beneficial change occurring.
In my current role as a teacher leader, I have been living out many of the functions listed
in the Teacher Leader Model Standards (Teacher Leadership, 2010). As the specialist
representative for the elementary school leadership team, I model the functions of a team leader
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in domain four through the gathering of skills and knowledge to address student-learning needs.
Recently, after realizing the lack of collaborative planning we have as specialists, I took the
initiative to establish regular gatherings for single subject teachers to improve our teaching
practice and enhance student learning which exemplifies domain three. This has provided a
platform for me to initiate positive change within my direct sphere of influence at school that
will better not only my own teaching practices but also those of my colleagues and in turn
enhance student learning.
As a leader, my hope is to lead among a group of passionate individuals who are engaged
and driven in what they do. I believe I possess a number of the skills required for successful
leadership and am inspired to develop even more in my data collection and analysis, succinct
communication, and decisiveness. My goal is to lead in a community that wants to succeed and
sets high expectations, and commits to striving for and achieving those high standards. In the
event that this is not true for the community I serve, my hope would be to inspire the change
necessary to reach that point and for open-mindedness among constituents to pursue growth and
success. I strive to lead like my parents: in formal and informal settings; in established roles and
self-elected capacities. I hope to strive for balance between my work, my family, and my
passions. Leaders foster positive change, enable decision-making, and empower teams. I look
forward to making a difference as a leader and continuous personal and professional growth in
this process throughout my life.






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References

Ramsey, R. D. (2006). Lead, follow, or get out of the way. How to be a more effective leader
in todays schools (2nd ed.). Kindle Edition.
Teacher Leadership Exploratory Consortium. (2010) Teacher Leader Model Standards.
Retrieved from http://www.teacherleaderstandards.org/standards_overview