What are the essential qualities of a leader? It’s a question I grapple with a lot. Early in my career, I thought of myself as a leader because I was comfortable in the role of a more classic authoritarian leader – as a coach and a teacher. I have a strong voice and am comfortable sharing my experiences and ideas to encourage, mentor, and connect with others. Over the last ten years of teaching, I have begun to shift my work, teaching, coaching, and leadership style towards making opportunities for my students to find strength and growth on their own accord. While I may think I have the answers, it is a much more powerful experience for others to have those aha moments through their own discovery, so I have grown from a leader that knows the answer to a leader who asks the question. I believe great leaders know themselves, understand others, can read situations, and use their skills and understanding to move a group forward. How can I provide opportunities for my students to identify their own areas of challenge, growth, and success? I want my students to be seen, to be heard, and to be encouraged. I firmly believe that the independent school environment has the power to change education as we know it and transform learners into independent thinkers and creative beings who will do things beyond what we think is possible.

As a leader in an independent school, I hope that I can foster conversations of change about how we teach and why we teach. Through my work as the Director of Professional Learning and as a member of the Department of Equity, Inclusion, and Justice at Milton, I have the opportunity to look deeply at how we are learning and developing as teachers and community members. I believe that students learn best when the adults in the community are equally invested in their own growth and lead by example. For me, the best part about being in a school is that the whole community is learning and growing. I find I learn just as much from my students as I teach them. Their experiences, thoughtful engagement, and eagerness to improve and learn help me grow as an educator and person.  

My current sphere of influence is as the Director of Professional Learning, a Class Dean, a classroom teacher, a coach, an advisor, a member of the Teaching and Learning Team, an elected Faculty Council member, and a part of the DEIJ. While I am energized by the array of opportunities I have in these different areas, I am also eager for more. I want to guide a community to being committed to improving itself and supporting the individuality of every member of the community.

At the start of my teaching career, I had the opportunity to work at a school for children with severe intellectual and physical disabilities, The Camphill School in Pennsylvania. As a full-time dorm parent, classroom assistant, and community member, I was fully immersed in the school and all it had to offer.  I learned an invaluable amount from my year there. One of the most important things that I learned is how interconnected our learning is between the adults in the community and the students we guide and care for. 

What The Camphill School does so well is to articulate the reason behind every decision. There is a reason to say a blessing at every meal, there is a reason to teach Ancient Greek history, and there is a reason to work in the barn. No child is expected to do anything without first having a clear understanding of why that expectation exists. The same transparency and thoughtfulness exist throughout the community. By having a purpose and meaning behind every expectation, the community demonstrates that it trusts and admires every member of the community. It is a profound experience to see how strong a community can be when everyone truly works together and how a strong community will boost the individuals within.  As I bring that experience back to my high-functioning students in a rigorous independent school environment, I think about the simple moments when I can make a difference. From saying hello to each student as they enter my room to encouraging and providing the opportunity for individuality and expression, meaningful connections go a long way in developing any community. I am lucky to have rejoined The Camphill School as a Trustee and, through that role, will continue to learn from exceptional forward-thinking colleagues.  

While I see myself as a leader and want the opportunity to hold a leadership position in an Independent School, what I really want is to be a part of a team that is building the foundation and understanding of how to create a community where every member, each student, teacher, and staff, feel like they are seen and heard and able to grow. How do we create leaders of the next world, and how does my knowledge and understanding of leadership encourage and support that growth? These are the questions I will continue to ask.