Lauren K. Zebula

      Today, as I sit here just a few weeks from graduation, I am beginning to reflect on these goals and where I stand with these goals now. I stayed true to my original intentions and completed my concentration in P-16 Leadership.  While my knowledge has increased immensely and my thinking on many important education topics has developed and changed, my goals remain the same. I desire to continue to grow as a teacher and learner, keeping up with best practices in our ever-changing field. I also still have a desire to lead- my students, the athletes that I coach, my colleagues. Additionally, I still have a desire to be a teacher leader or an administrator in the future. While this will require continued growth and likely will require additional education, I have taken large steps towards achieving these goals. My increased knowledge in the areas of leadership skills, adult learning styles, developing educators, and working with diverse students and families are merely steps in achieving these goals.

 

      I may be at the completion of this journey through the MAED program, however I see this program as merely a large stepping stone in the larger journey through my career. The knowledge and skills that I have gained from this program have helped me to become a better leader for my students. They have helped me widen my knowledge of the changes that are going on in education. But while I don’t hold any official leadership position, most of all I think that this program has taught me the value of leading by example. Instructional leadership isn’t just reserved for department heads and administrators. It’s something that good teachers do every day. I’ve learned that, for now, I can lead by providing quality instruction to my students, by collaborating with my colleagues, by analyzing data, and by simply leading by example.