Professional Growth Plan
Educational Leadership Philosophy:
As an Educational Technology Leader, I want to be transformational, creating a shared vision that our schools can strive toward and inspiring innovation to make impactful change in our educational system. Transformational leadership is dependent on both leaders and followers and requires building trust, fostering collaboration, setting goals and empowering followers which leads to change and growth. Kouzes and Posner’s model of fundamental practices for effective leaders includes five elements: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act and Encourage the Heart (Northouse, 2022, pp.199-200). These behaviors are practices I strive for in my leadership style and I believe are key elements in successful educational technology implementation and leadership in schools.
Model the Way. I often think of the saying “live your truth” when thinking of how educational leaders should have a clear understanding of their values and use this in decision making and behavior. For me, vision and courage are key values that I aim to model throughout my life and career.
Inspire a Shared Vision. I strongly believe that leaders need to work with members of their team to create a shared vision that everyone can aspire to, believe in and move toward together. Collaboration is inspiring and through clear communication, teams can successfully set goals, build trust and establish a positive working culture.
Challenge the Process. In our rapidly changing world, it is important for us to continually challenge the process; experiment and try new things that will help our schools and society change and grow. This is where courage comes in, not letting fear hold back progress.
Enable Others to Act and Encourage the Heart. I think this is especially important in schools where educational leaders need to support and empower teachers and students, enabling them to develop confidence, strengthen their skills, and feel valued in the school community. This will foster an environment for meaningful learning.
Technology offers powerful opportunities to innovate, empower, and create shared learning experiences so by employing the practices in Kouzes and Posner’s model, I can be the impactful leader that I want to be while continually strengthening my own leadership effectiveness.
References
Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory & Practice. SAGE Publications Inc.
Palmerino, E. (23 April, 2021). How to align your team around a shared vision. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesfinancecouncil/2021/04/23/how-to-align-your-team-around-a-shared-vision/?sh=5edd9cbecae9
