As a rising educational leader, I have many principles of leadership and organization that

I have developed and will implement as I strive to increase student achievement in the schools in
which I serve. Some of the ways in which I will accomplish this lofty goal include creating a
vision for learning, fostering a positive school culture, and developing a deep and mutually
beneficial relationship with the community. In addition to sharing some of the best practices
that I have acquired through this educational leadership program, I will also reflect on my overall
experiences as a student at the University of New England.
Creating a vision for learning is one of the fundamental tasks of a highly effective school
leader. Leaders establish and communicate their vision for learning to their teachers,
stakeholders, and students. Once the vision for learning is communicated, leaders are tasked
with the responsibility of ensuring that their vision is realized. My vision for education is that
every child can, and should, be successful in every classroom every day. Each student deserves
the opportunity to grow and develop in ways that allow them to reach and exceed their potential.
Educational leaders in the 21st century must foster and develop a positive school culture
within their organizations. This is done in a variety of ways including asking for and
implementing feedback from students and teachers. Todays educational leaders need to be open
to hearing positive and negative critiques to decide improvements needed in their
schools. Another way in which I plan to promote a positive school culture is by expecting
student centered instruction to be taking place in my classrooms. Gone are the days where
teaching involves a teacher at the board lecturing for the entire class period. Lastly, I will strive
to incorporate technology and differentiation into the classrooms within my school. Students
who feel that their opinion and needs matter will be much more likely to participate.

Differentiation paired with student centered learning will allow students and teachers to
exemplify the positive school culture that I will expect.
As an educational leader of the 21st century, I know that I will need to actively engage the
community. One way that I plan to do this will be an open line of communication between the
school, the stakeholders, and myself. I will have monthly or quarterly parent meetings which
include a time for open discussion regarding the news of the day in our school. Various media
outlets will be another way for me to engage the community such as the local newspaper and
local television. Finally, I will encourage parents and the community to contact me should they
need anything. They may email, call, or come down to the school to meet with me
personally. Highly effective educational leaders leave their office doors open so that they can
easily be reached when needed.
When I entered the UNE educational leadership program, I was a good teacher. The
program has strengthened my confidence and pedagogical skills in the classroom. I have also
gained an actualization of myself as a vital cog within my educational organization; therefore, I
now view myself as a true educational leader. The first class in the educational leadership
sequence is teacher as leader. This class does a great job of getting teachers to view
themselves as leaders in their schools. Moving through differentiation, motivation,
organizational theory, leadership, school finance, and school law; I have been able to critically
analyze my role in my schools as a teacher and as an eventual administrator. Upon completion
of this program, I believe that I am ready to start tackling the school level and district level
challenges that present themselves to educators on a daily basis.