ASTL PORTFOLIO REFLECTION POINT 4

Leyla Jordan
EDUC 615 has been a wonderful experience of professional and self-
discovery. Before taking this course I would have considered myself an
experienced teacher after only five years in the classroom, but the ideas and
perspectives I have gained in this course have taught me that I am only at the
beginning of the continuum toward becoming a professional educator, one who is
a change agent and a teacher leader at their school. I realize that I am a part of
a larger system that thrives when teachers collaborate and take initiative to
respond to change and make improvements in their classroom and school. I feel
capable of going beyond my teacher responsibilities to my own students and
identifying areas of need and taking action to find solutions for all students.
In the first weeks of class we started with a conversation that centered on
school reform, gaining exposure to the myriad of issues affecting education.
Initially I felt overwhelmed by so much need for change and responsibilities
placed on the teacher, especially after watching Ken Robinson and Bill Gates
identify teacher effectiveness as being the primary role in determining a students
learning. The needs affecting education today seemed so great that I wondered
how I could make a difference. I then began to focus in on areas where real
need exists in my own school setting. I was able to recognize professional
capital, what Hargreaves and Fullan call a marriage between high quality and
high performance in which decisional, social, and human capital thrive upon one
another. I became more aware of my surroundings and started to identify
potential for change by analyzing my school in terms of these elements and their
interaction. Reading from Hargreaves and Fullan about professional capital also
opened my eyes to what a professional educator looks and acts like, a clear
vision to which I aspire!
In addition to building awareness for how professional capital functions at
my school, I also learned about my own self as a teacher leader. According to
the Teacher Leadership Readiness Scale, the majority of my attitudes, values,
and beliefs corresponded to leadership qualities. I felt that I had the
characteristics that Katzenmeyer and Moller identified for potential teacher
leaders, which include competent, credible, and approachable. I now feel a
greater duty to serve in my role as a leader at my school, beyond my classroom
walls. Like Katzenmeyer & Moller, I believe the purpose of teacher leaders is for
educators to make commitments to use their new leadership knowledge to
improve their schools for all students (2009).
As the scope of this course narrowed down to suit my own context at Point
Loma High School, I became more informed about my school site through
collecting data for the Equity Audit. I started to analyze this data and monitor
student learning, which allowed me to identify many areas of need. The
experience of creating the Equity Audit, Policy Brief, and Action Plan simulated
steps I need to take to be a change agent and bring improvement to my school. I
realized that necessary actions, resources, and timetable depend on the
collaborative effort of teachers, staff, and administrators. The hard work and
dedication required to implement change has increased my commitment to
students and their learning. In this course, by systematically thinking about my
practice and realizing that I am competent and capable of creating change, I am
empowered to serve my school as a change agent and a teacher leader.