Educational Philosophy of Leadership
I believe that schools are the foundation where we can help to build a better world. So that anything we try to grow is rooted in physical, mental, and spiritual health, I believe it is crucial to begin with a foundation anchored in well-being. To develop global citizens who are well poised to make a positive difference in the world, schools should be a place where children explore their interests and talents; where children may exercise their agency; and where the adults model a love of learning. As a leader, it is my ultimate goal to support the school community in creating a caring, reflective nurturing learning environment where everybody feels safe to learn and grow, and where the systems and processes enable the community to thrive. To support my core beliefs, the following tenants guide my practice.
Inspiring Visionary: Recent research has pointed to the value of hope and aspirations for individuals and organizations. The argument is that we must all have something to strive towards to keep us pushing forward, growing and stretching our capacity along the way. To that end, I aspire to bring innovative visions to the organizations with whom I work, and I inspire and motivate my teams to pursue their personal passions. I keep abreast of developments in education and other industries, and constantly imagine how we might improve our practice to support learning. I believe it is important to collaborate across disciplines so we might implement what those in research and development, design practitioners, and even neurologists are uncovering in their research. I ask: How might this improve what we are doing? How might educators inform the practice of others? And perhaps most exciting: How might we collaborate together, and with interdisciplinary industry leaders, to solve “wicked problems”?
Culture of Accountability: It is not enough to have a vision; any smart leader can have a vision. Great leadership knows how to support and inspire talent towards bringing the vision to reality. To help achieve a meaningful vision, leaders must be brave enough to have difficult conversations with compassion and grace, while holding a team accountable to agreed expectations. In leadership roles, I seek to recruit excellent talent who demonstrate the skills and disposition necessary to advance an organization’s mission and vision. I take responsibility to support teachers, coaching where necessary to help teachers achieve their personal best. I hold myself and teams accountable for living into our vision and values. I use feedback from stakeholders to know if we are on track towards achieving our vision, and seek feedback to know if my leadership is effective in supporting our community towards success. I work closely with teachers to ensure they are moving forward, and do not shy away from difficult conversations when needed.
Culture of Care: In her Daring Schools work, Brené Brown speaks of the importance of setting clear expectations and safe boundaries, creating clarity in roles, and having crucial conversations if we expect to lead towards something bigger than what already exists. Teachers must feel safe to be vulnerable, supported in making mistakes, and know that they are accountable for great work. Knowing where the boundaries lie and the vision they are working towards enables them to contribute meaningfully. Teachers must also feel acknowledged and celebrated for the contributions they make. As a leader, I strive to create a culture of care and support, one where teachers know they matter, and feel safe to be vulnerable enough to take risks. I extend this same culture of care to all stakeholders in the school community, from the bus drivers to the cleaning staff, to the parents and students. Schools are networks of individuals who are all working towards supporting the learning taking place; everyone within that network needs to know that they matter.
Pedagogical Excellence, Inquiry as a Stance: A good school leader has a strong understanding of the pedagogical approach being implemented in the school, and has a thirst to deepen that understanding to help others understand it as well. My pedagogical approach lies in concept driven, constructivist and inquiry-based approaches to teaching and learning. Learning happens best when the various components (social-emotional, academic subjects, arts, etc.) work together in an interwoven helix, with all components coming together to help a student uncover their strengths and areas of interest while learning about the world around them. As a voracious learner and experienced consultant/ coach/ workshop leader, I am able to lead teachers towards success because I understand both the “what” and “why” of the programs. I network with schools and outside industry to support innovation, and value collaboration to strengthen our approach. Schools should be child centered, aiming to meet learners where they are, seeking to find strengths, believing that everyone can learn.
Collectivist Village: In the international school setting where families come from many cultures, the school often becomes the common ground, and so we have a responsibility to create a sense of home and belonging within the school environment. The constructivist approach extends to the ways that we work with parents: we must build trust and understanding through a series of intentional interactions and experiences. I know the importance of clear communication, parent education, and bringing parents into the fold if we are to meet the aspirations of an organization. As a leader, I create strong relationships with the parent community to nurture trust and collaboration to harness the energy of a vibrant community.
I believe that schools are the foundation where we can help to build a better world. So that anything we try to grow is rooted in physical, mental, and spiritual health, I believe it is crucial to begin with a foundation anchored in well-being. To develop global citizens who are well poised to make a positive difference in the world, schools should be a place where children explore their interests and talents; where children may exercise their agency; and where the adults model a love of learning. As a leader, it is my ultimate goal to support the school community in creating a caring, reflective nurturing learning environment where everybody feels safe to learn and grow, and where the systems and processes enable the community to thrive. To support my core beliefs, the following tenants guide my practice.
Inspiring Visionary: Recent research has pointed to the value of hope and aspirations for individuals and organizations. The argument is that we must all have something to strive towards to keep us pushing forward, growing and stretching our capacity along the way. To that end, I aspire to bring innovative visions to the organizations with whom I work, and I inspire and motivate my teams to pursue their personal passions. I keep abreast of developments in education and other industries, and constantly imagine how we might improve our practice to support learning. I believe it is important to collaborate across disciplines so we might implement what those in research and development, design practitioners, and even neurologists are uncovering in their research. I ask: How might this improve what we are doing? How might educators inform the practice of others? And perhaps most exciting: How might we collaborate together, and with interdisciplinary industry leaders, to solve “wicked problems”?
Culture of Accountability: It is not enough to have a vision; any smart leader can have a vision. Great leadership knows how to support and inspire talent towards bringing the vision to reality. To help achieve a meaningful vision, leaders must be brave enough to have difficult conversations with compassion and grace, while holding a team accountable to agreed expectations. In leadership roles, I seek to recruit excellent talent who demonstrate the skills and disposition necessary to advance an organization’s mission and vision. I take responsibility to support teachers, coaching where necessary to help teachers achieve their personal best. I hold myself and teams accountable for living into our vision and values. I use feedback from stakeholders to know if we are on track towards achieving our vision, and seek feedback to know if my leadership is effective in supporting our community towards success. I work closely with teachers to ensure they are moving forward, and do not shy away from difficult conversations when needed.
Culture of Care: In her Daring Schools work, Brené Brown speaks of the importance of setting clear expectations and safe boundaries, creating clarity in roles, and having crucial conversations if we expect to lead towards something bigger than what already exists. Teachers must feel safe to be vulnerable, supported in making mistakes, and know that they are accountable for great work. Knowing where the boundaries lie and the vision they are working towards enables them to contribute meaningfully. Teachers must also feel acknowledged and celebrated for the contributions they make. As a leader, I strive to create a culture of care and support, one where teachers know they matter, and feel safe to be vulnerable enough to take risks. I extend this same culture of care to all stakeholders in the school community, from the bus drivers to the cleaning staff, to the parents and students. Schools are networks of individuals who are all working towards supporting the learning taking place; everyone within that network needs to know that they matter.
Pedagogical Excellence, Inquiry as a Stance: A good school leader has a strong understanding of the pedagogical approach being implemented in the school, and has a thirst to deepen that understanding to help others understand it as well. My pedagogical approach lies in concept driven, constructivist and inquiry-based approaches to teaching and learning. Learning happens best when the various components (social-emotional, academic subjects, arts, etc.) work together in an interwoven helix, with all components coming together to help a student uncover their strengths and areas of interest while learning about the world around them. As a voracious learner and experienced consultant/ coach/ workshop leader, I am able to lead teachers towards success because I understand both the “what” and “why” of the programs. I network with schools and outside industry to support innovation, and value collaboration to strengthen our approach. Schools should be child centered, aiming to meet learners where they are, seeking to find strengths, believing that everyone can learn.
Collectivist Village: In the international school setting where families come from many cultures, the school often becomes the common ground, and so we have a responsibility to create a sense of home and belonging within the school environment. The constructivist approach extends to the ways that we work with parents: we must build trust and understanding through a series of intentional interactions and experiences. I know the importance of clear communication, parent education, and bringing parents into the fold if we are to meet the aspirations of an organization. As a leader, I create strong relationships with the parent community to nurture trust and collaboration to harness the energy of a vibrant community.