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I have been an educator for a little over 10 years now and have enjoyed every minute of it! My professional growth journey started at the same time. You see, for the prior 18 years I was employed in a family business back in Portland, OR. Having not finished college, you would have thought that during the 18 years running a business, I would have been big into professional development. While I was to some degree, it was not like it is today. I have, however, always considered myself a life long learner and strongly encourage my staff to do the same. We owe it to the kids we are responsible for everyday.
In 2004 when I became a 3rd grade teacher at St. Paul Lutheran School in Sherwood OR is when I truly understood the need for professional growth all the time. I wanted to give the kids I was responsible for the very best of who I was as a teacher and who God called me to be. 4 years later I became the principal AND teacher of St Paul Lutheran School. I knew I was stepping into a realm I needed to learn more about. I began reading more and more. Thankfully our NW District office began professional development online for administrators and other educators. I was very thankful for that and soaked it all up.
In 2012 I received a call to serve as a full time principal in Ft. Wayne Indiana in a pre-K to 8th grade school. I had never been placed in school of that size and there was a lot for me to learn, including a city and state I had never been to before. Again, I felt there was a lot to learn and I needed to soak it up as much as possible. What I didn't realize was how much of an impact on my professional growth this move was going to have on me.
Part of the reason I took the call was because Ft Wayne had something Portland OR didn't have, The Lutheran Schools Partnership. Over the last three years the Partnership has meant a lot to my professional growth, as have my colleagues that serve with me here in Ft. Wayne. In that time I have, thanks to the modeling of fellow principals and other Lutheran professionals, grown immensely in my profession as an educator.
I started just reading professional books. As many as I could get my hands on as often as possible. I devoured them looking for information to help me do my job better and deliver a quality education first to the kids in my class and now to all the kids in the school for which I am the academic leader.
I started on Twitter a year ago. Initially just to figure out what the big deal was and eventually I found out what an awesome PD tool it is. My Twitter PLN continues to fuel my growth. This is my third blog post. Writing a blog is scary to me because I am putting my opinions and ideas out there for all to read not sure what will be liked, what will be criticized and how I'm going to handle that. But it has been awesome so far! I now have the opportunity to serve on the board of The Lutheran Schools Partnership. I get the chance to impact other Lutheran schools, an incredible opportunity and responsibility. I continue to look for more ways that I can grow everyday, both in technology use as well as to be innovative and collaborative every chance I get. I always want to be the best that God wants me to be.
I tell you all this not to brag, rather to feed the fuel for others to grow. I have experienced more growth and confidence in my last three years than I have in the prior 30 years. Much of what I do and experience now, I occasionally wish I had known earlier in my career. But no regret here. I'm going to make the best of every opportunity for myself, my staff, my colleagues here in Ft. Wayne and those in my PLN. I finally get it and I want others to get it too. To be ignited by the excitement of learning and what that does for you personally and professionally. This blog is my chance to share what I am learning with others AND learn from others.
I pray that someone will find value in these words and serves as a spark to ignite a fire in them to be the very best they can be. That is, after all, what God calls us to be!
Serving Him!
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