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Jessica Quezada
TTE 403
May 6, 2015
Professional leadership, advocacy, and professional development career plan
During my last two years in the CREATE (Communities an Resources in Early
Childhood Teacher Education) at the University of Arizona, I have gained great amounts of
knowledge about early childhood education. This information has helped me become the
educator that I am today. Through the different courses that I have take, and more specifically
Reflective Professionalism and Leadership in Early Childhood Education, I have expanded my
view of education, and have began to see the role of the educator in a much broader sense. The
teachers responsibility isnt only to the children in the classroom, it also extends to classroom
families, and the community as a whole. As I go out to begin my career, I have created a plan for
how I will advocate for the children and families in my community, and also at global level. My
personal belief is that students have the right to be in a classroom that values who they are as an
individual. Something as simple as respecting different language that is spoke, or a childs
culture can make an immense difference in a classroom. Another important part of my
philosophy has to do with the childs voice. Students should have a voice in what they are doing
in the classroom, which also leads to a sense of ownership for their classroom. We should be able
to trust students, just as we want them to trust us. My plan for the future is one that directly
correlates to these teaching ideologies.

Advocating for children and families, both within the classroom/school and in the greater
community/state/nation/globally

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One of my areas of interest when it comes to teaching is the education of English
language learners. As a person who was once an ELL student, I know the difficulties that these
students can go through, and how misrepresented they often are. There is a large need for
educators that are willing to advocate for English language learners. There are several steps that I
will take in order to do this. One of the ways that I can advocate for theses student, is by
informing people, and particularly teachers in my community about the best teaching practices
when it comes to students who are acquiring a second language. I could do this by offering
seminars at different schools in my community. During theses seminars it would also be
important to stress the importance of creating a welcoming classroom community for all
students. It is especially important to represents people of different backgrounds so that they
know they are welcomed and appreciated. I will start this within my own community, and then
expand in order to give this knowledge to people in the Tucson area.
Another goal that I would like to achieve in my career is to teach in a different country,
and advocate for second language learners in those areas. One of the places that I would
eventually like to move to is Mexico. There are areas in Mexico in which educators need
knowledge on how to effectively teach second language learners. Similar to the professional
development meeting that I would be conducting in the United States, these seminars would help
educators understand some of the most effective practices for teaching second language learners.
Additionally they would discuss the importance of the school and classroom environment. We
would talk about how to make children feel welcome in the school settings. I hope that by
advocating for students in these different areas I will be able to bring to light the issues that
second language learners face, and in return help change the problem.

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Leadership in the profession and the community (locally and/or globally)
Being a teacher, also means helping educate the people in your community, and there are
a couple of ways that I plan to do this. The only way that I would have ever been able to learn as
much as I have, is through the amount of time and effort that my mentor teachers took to
supporting me during my years in school. Since those kinds of educational experience are so
important for teacher candidates, it is my hope to be able to provide that environment for them.
More specifically I want to be a mentor teacher for students in the field of early childhood
education, and I hope to do this after about 7 years of being in the field. This will give me time to
find the teaching styles that works best for me. At that point I feel as though I will have enough
experience in the classroom, and it will be able to effectively teach my students, and the student
teacher. As a mentor teacher I hope to provide a classroom environment in which the student
teacher can see the effective use of early childhood practices in an elementary setting. I feel that
elementary settings are slowly shifting in order to include more elements to early childhood, and
I want my classroom to be a model of that. I would like to continue being a mentor teacher for
several years after that.
Another one of the ways that I hope to be a leader in the field is by eventually become a
teacher educator. Since I am from Tucson I would like to eventually teach at the University of
Arizona. Because of my interest in English language learners, I would like courses that I
eventually teach to have that focus. Since my degree will be in early childhood education, I
would like to teach this course to early childhood majors. Being an educator of teachers is a way
for me to further advocate for students. Due to the fact that there is a large population of English
language learners in Arizona, I think that I can make a big impact on this community.

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Lastly, one of my goals during my teaching career is to be a presenter at different
conferences within the United States, but also in other parts of the world. Since my largest area
of interest has to do with teaching English language learners, I would ideally like to be a speaker
regarding best practices for second language learners. I would like to inform other professionals
on the best ways to teach second language learners in the same settings that mainstream children
are being taught. I personally dont believe that the pullout method, and the 4-hour blocks for
ELLs are the best practices. I would like to let professionals know that ELLs can learn, and
preserver in any classroom setting, what really matters is how the student is being taught.
Additionally I would talk about the importance of creating environments in which ELLs students
feel secure enough to step out of their comfort zones, and push themselves to learn. The
classroom should also be a place where all cultures are recognized. When this happens, families
also feel welcome and the barriers are broken for them. Creating an environment in which all
ideas, cultures, and languages are welcome can lead to a classroom in which ELLs can learn
successfully.

Further professional development

As I go into my first year of education it will be my goal to continue to educate myself
through different mediums. During my years at the University if Arizona I have had the
opportunity to read may different books that relate early childhood education, which have all
helped my expand my ideas on education, as well as and aiding me in gaining a plentitude of
knowledge. As my career moves forward career, I will continue to expand my knowledge by
reading books pertain to education, and more specifically early childhood education. Another
way that I will further my professional development is by becoming a member of different

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professional associations and, attending conferences. Two of the organizations that I would like
to become a member of include NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young
Children), and SAzAEYC (Southern Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children).
Being a member of these communities will make me aware of different professional
development events that are going on in my community. When I am involved member in the
early childhood community, I can become and advocate for the education of young children.
In addition to looking into the Tucson community for professional development, I will
also look within my on school community to further educate myself. In my first year of teacher,
and as the year go on I will look to my colleagues for support and guidance. I will attend the
professional development courses that are held at my school site, as well as in my school district.
This will help me become more connected with the people at my school, as well as the
employees of my school district as whole. When I have a better understanding of the community
in which I am teaching, I can more effectively advocate for them.
Lastly, I want to further my professional knowledge by going back to school to receive
further education. Since one of my goals for the future is to advocate for children that are second
language learners I plan on going back to school to get my Masters degree in Second Language
Acquisition and Teaching. My plan is to teach for at least 5 years before going back to school. I
want to have a couple of years of classroom experience before going back to school. I hope that
it gives me a different perspective on education, and more specifically education with early
childhood education. After getting my masters degree I hope to go back to school to get my
doctorate degree. Before I do so I hope to go back to teaching for a couple of years. I feel as
though going back into the classroom will give me a chance to apply what I have learned. After
having applied that knowledge I will be able to go back to school with a different perspective.

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Hopefully bringing that knowledge to the table will give me a different point of view, and help
make my learning experience a more meaningful one.
Education is not stagnant, therefore as an educator I cant be either. If I truly want what is
best for my students and my community as a whole, I will have to be evolving constantly. While
I may not achieve all of the goals that I have set for myself, I do know one thing that is for sure.
During my life as an educator I will continues to educate myself, and others in order to create a
better world for children.