-----------Since I have developed an interest in education, I have acquired a thirst that I can’t quench. This thirst is not only to acquire knowledge but also to impart it to others. During my undergraduate work, I gained the knowledge necessary to educate children with the required content. Through my graduate work, both with my Masters and Educational Specialist degrees, I have gained knowledge about my craft and the role as an administrator. This enables me to not only help children but to also assist colleagues in becoming more efficient educators on a day-to-day basis.

-----------Many, many years ago when I first began my college experience, while I was attending the general required classes for the average college freshman, I somehow felt that I wanted to be involved in the educational process. Though I had taken some business classes, I knew that my future career would include the role of educator. As time passed, I had to declare a major and the decision would first be to teach at the secondary level. Therefore, my Bachelor of Arts degree was for grades 7 through 12 in History. I became highly qualified by the state of Tennessee in Social Studies 7-8, History 9-12 and all other subject areas K-6, except Art and Music. I truly felt the satisfaction of making a mature career decision. I was content, and the pedagogy of educating children seemed to be why I was here.

-----------Much later, as time saw it, I began the Masters program to further my education. Through this experience I delved deeper into my passion for education. I became an Assistant Principal at Powell Valley School. As a school leader, I began to enjoy the completeness and contentment of working with colleagues my own age as well as children. I immediately followed-up my Masters degree by attaining my Educational Specialist degree in Educational Administration and Supervision as well.

-----------Now, I desire to further quench my thirst for knowledge by nearing a Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership at East Tennessee State University. As a well-seasoned and experienced learner, I believe that education is ever-changing due to the fact that it deals with everyday children and adults in a world that doesn’t wait on change. Therefore, educators in general must be willing to keep up with the needs of our ever-shifting world, the earlier mentioned change that I was referring to. Just as the classroom is constantly changing, the curriculum extends beyond the classroom walls. The curriculum does not stop at the end of an eight-hour day; it continues at home as well. There is certainly a need to better know one’s school community on a daily basis. After all, with leadership comes choices, and how we respond to them determines our life’s progress. In order to make good choices, one must possess knowledge. With the acquisition of knowledge, comes wisdom. Learning is the process that takes mankind from the concept of knowledge to the plateau of wisdom.

-----------The vision and confidence necessary for educators’ ongoing motivation and support for their students should be a way of life for the best educators as well as their leaders. Just as the leader provides a safe, comfortable, and orderly place, our colleagues need to feel accepted, not intimidated or made to feel inferior towards others. In essence, leaders must empower others. The school community should be willing to speak out in participation as they feel free to question in an orderly manner. In achieving this type of school atmosphere, the educator may perhaps need to enhance such things as collaborative learning with clear, worthwhile projects.

-----------As an educator first and foremost, I am student-centered. The concerns and/or what is important to the student have always been important to me as well as the main focus throughout my educational career. I strive to shift as much responsibility to the student as he/she will allow. Therefore, teaching and facilitating truly go hand and hand for me. Also, I strongly believe in comradery/collegiality among my peers. I try to avoid any types of negativity and replace it with a positive attitude as I strive to always appear professional with all those I come in contact with throughout the school day. Powell Valley School, in which I am proud to be a part, is a school that reflects its community and the people that reside therein.

-----------I deal with much of the discipline issues in the middle school setting. I believe in assertive discipline whereas the student knows what is expected and consequences for not following classroom or school rules. I simply shift the responsibility for the individual behavior towards the student. This is in an effort to create a desire to do better because they want to, not only because they have to.

-----------I feel as though I am good at relating to others. Though I may not agree with others at all times, I can still respectfully understand and appreciate or relate to them in order to teach or be taught. Being able to relate to individuals is a necessity in empowering them to perform at a higher level.

-----------I enjoy scheduling my work in order to better utilize time. I believe planning and time management are simply how to achieve more with your time. It is an essential component in moving an organization that is good to an organization that becomes great. In the classroom, it is an important component in the pedagogy for educators.

-----------Listening is a major part of my decision making. I listen before I react. I always put students first. This student-centered approach is simply a way to predict how I should or should not handle situations whether it is in reference to student discipline, scheduling, security, evaluations, etc.

-----------At Powell Valley Elementary, some of my job description consists of, monitoring and working with student teachers, various scheduling, teacher evaluations, grant writing, maintaining the school webpage, organizing fundraisers, testing coordination, after-school coordination, reporting school news, overseeing the following intervention programs used throughout the entire school: Princeton Review, Study Island, Destination Math, etc. I have also worked with outside companies/organizations such as Randa Solutions, Pearson Access and Turnleaf for various testing: TCAP Writing Assessment, TCAP Achievement Test, Learn 360, NAEP, TVAAS, 21st Century, etc.