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Making Learning Visible

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Education is a challenging field. No one ever disputes that statement. The issues and concerns that make it a challenge, however, are often argued and disputed. Decisions, laws, and mandates are made by those in local, state, and federal power that alter how, what, and why teachers should teach, usually without the input of the actual classroom teachers and without fully informing parents. Most educators would agree that the decisions, movements, curriculum sets, and standards are all fine. Many of them are backed in reliable and valid research so they do have the ability to improve student achievement and create more educated adults. The problem, however, is not the movements, curriculum, standards, or methodology. The problem is that nothing is kept in place long enough to actually make a difference. I teach in a district where personalized learning was once the new gold standard. The overall goal was to create student-centered learning environments in which students could work wit...
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Autobiography of a Teacher Leader

I never wanted to be a teacher. Until I almost flunked out of my first semester of nursing school, I wanted to be in the medical field. I could not memorize the parts or functions of the inner workings of the human body but I knew I wanted to get a degree in something. Finishing college was important to me. After I decided that nursing school was not my path, my amazing mother drove eight hours in a horrific storm to help me pack up my dorm so I could come back home, feeling like a complete failure. She handed me a catalog for the University of Central Florida and said, "Circle all of the classes that sound interesting to you." So, I did. From there, she helped me narrow down possible majors based on my interests. Two years later, I graduated with a degree in English Literature. I still did not want to be a teacher, however. I worked in an office part-time and decided to become a substitute teacher to supplement my income. I worked both jobs for two years, during which...
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Moral Imperative

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Moral Imperative is a concept that many professions seek to implore of their professionals and wish to share with those who use their services. Doctors, lawyers, public servants, politicians, and educators are all expected to practice, make decisions, and educate under a mindset of morality or with a deep moral purpose. While not every person in such professions is a truly moral person and may not always make decisions with morality, they are expected and believed to do so. Fullan and Quinn (2016) stated that effective leaders do the following: Build relationships with everyone Listen and understand the perspective of others  Demonstrate respect for all Create conditions to connect others around that purpose Examine with staff evidence of progress As an educator, I seek to become an effective leader in and out of my classroom. Moral Imperative filters my words in public, including my personal social media posts and "friends" I accept in such arenas. I do fee...
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