Running head: PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PLAN
Professional Growth Plan: A Personal Reflection
on a Professional Path to Leadership
Kristi L. Boettcher
Oakland University
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PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PLAN
Goal Setting
“To be, or not to be: That is the question” (Hamlet, 3.1). Unlike the character Hamlet
from Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, I am not contemplating life or death; I am, however,
contemplating continuing on with the familiarity of business as usual, or stepping out of my
comfort zone into seemingly shark infested waters. By pursuing the Ed. Specialist degree, I have
chosen a path that I never imagined I would tread upon. This is not the first time I have gone
back on my word when it comes to “never say never”; however, that is another story. As a result
of the Ed. Specialist program, I plan to attain the knowledge necessary to determine if
educational leadership is something that is truly within my grasp. The fact that I am willing to
sacrifice time and contend with the financial burden of this program, brings me to the realization
that there is something within me, driving me on this pursuit. Education is what I know and love,
and my curiosity has peaked to a new level in the profession. With the right training and
attainment of skills provided within the program, I hope to see myself as an assistant principal in
a high school setting in five years; and as one who has not lost her ‘teacher-touch’ by the tenth
year.
To be remembered as someone who was able to ‘keep it real’—dependable, candid,
competent, and caring—is the legacy I hope to convey to students, parents and colleagues. By
keeping it real, I am able to keep my ego in check and know when it is appropriate to take a
stand and when to back down; know when to admit I am wrong and know when to advocate for
what is right; know when to agree to disagree; know when enough is enough; and, finally, know
that a sense of humor, a listening ear, and a few sweet treats now and then can go a long way!
Sure, keeping it real has landed me in some hot water at times, but it was all for the good of the
cause, right? Students know they can count on me, parents know I look out for their child, and
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PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PLAN
colleagues know…well, the jury is probably still out on what they think; however, based on my
interactions, it is fair to say that I am professionally competent at what I do.
Platform
Effective teaching belongs in the hands of people who care. It is shown through the
strength of the relationships teachers build within the school community. I am not exactly sure
how levels of care can be measured, but it intrigues me to think about designing lesson plans that
include a caring component. This could be where teachers demonstrate to their students how and
why they care not only about the lesson being taught, but the individual as well. A good school
will not only care about upholding high academic and professional standards, but the social
interests and emotional needs of everyone within the community as well. To facilitate this type
of environment for learning, teachers need a leader who is willing to listen and who also
possesses a “withitness” about them. A school will benefit from this type of leader because he or
she will be able to anticipate the needs of the staff and steer interactions accordingly.
Educational psychologist Jacob Kounin coined the term withitness in the 1970s and is
summarized in an article written by Barbara Pressman, “Withitness encompasses multitasking,
classroom awareness, alertness, intuition, and confidence—all in a way that projects a powerful
image to every student in the classroom” (www.education.com, 2008). These characteristics can
translate into educational leadership as well.
Career Inventory
Significant professional accomplishments in the past twelve years of my teaching career
are not based on any actual awards I have won, which are none that I can think of, but instead on
the experience I have gained and the relationships that have been established along the way.
Whether it was being groomed for special education department chair during my second year of
PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PLAN
teaching, or becoming a counselor with the Upward Bound inner-city youth program while
working on my master’s degree in school counseling, experiences and relationships were taking
me to new heights on path that, unbeknownst to me…never in a million years…how did this
happen?..., eventually led me to pursue a degree in school leadership. Little by little, perhaps I
was preparing myself for leadership role; however, applying for a degree in leadership was the
first step in going beyond my limits of my comfort zone. It was in the summer of 2012 when I
got a feeling, more like a hunch, and I knew there was no turning back. In my mind, I came to
the conclusion that I needed to grow up professionally, and thus began the search for the right
university program.
Leadership Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions Inventory
Based on the quality of my responses in the ISLLC School Leadership Self Inventory,
and then comparing them to the explanations provided on the Educational Leadership Supersite
found at http://wps.ablongman.com/ab_bacon_edadmin_1/0,6183,462533-,00.html, I have an
awareness among all the standards, however, I am much more comfortable, and therefore chose, to rate
myself as ‘developing’ among select standards. Looking back, I believe I am actually ‘proficient’ with
these same standards, yet maintain a sense that I need to learn more educational leadership theory “stuff”
before I can consider myself proficient. Standards related to promoting the success of all students,
sustaining a school culture that is conducive to the student learning and staff growth, and managing
situations ethically and with fairness (Standards 1, 2, 5), are among those I feel most confident in rating
myself as ‘proficient’; whereas, the standards that address operations, community resources, legal and
political contexts, and technology (Standards 3, 4, 6, 7) are clearly skills that I am developing as an
aspiring leader.
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Professional Development Resources Inventory
This section of my professional growth plan is limited, yet, ironically, this section could be
considered limitless with what resources are available. The following resources will be utilized for
professional leadership development as well as for inclusion in my technology tool kit. The items below
have been uploaded from the sites from which is represented in each image. No intent to deem any of
information as my own.
Schools are working to
incorporate more
multimedia into
classrooms, upgrade
online professional
development, and do a
better job using
data to improve student
achievement.
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a
nonpartisan research and educational institute
dedicated to improving the quality of life for all
Michigan residents by promoting sound
solutions to state and local policy questions.
In this opinion blog, Matthew Greenfield and Tom Segal of Rethink
Education examine how innovative ideas, creative people, and marketplace
trends are reshaping K-12 education.
Education Week Assistant Editor Sean Cavanagh covers business
and innovation. In this blog, he tracks business trends and emerging
models in K-12 education.
Introducing the new Amplify Tablet
We don't need more technology in schools.
We need better technology for schools.
That's why Amplify has developed the first
tablet designed for education from the ground up.
Learn more:http://www.amplify.com/tablet
The mission of the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice is to support and disseminate high
quality research and reviews of research for the purpose of informing education policy and to develop researchbased resources for use by those who advocate for education reform.
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PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PLAN
Self-Discovery
The personality inventory conducted as part of an introductory activity to this class was
eye-opening for me. Considering my life took a turn down a gloomy path in 2007, I thought I
was still harboring and projecting some of the negativity that was a result of that time in my life;
however, I told myself that in order to fully appreciate this leadership program, I am going to
attempt to engage honestly and with an open mind. So, on day one of my awakening and
newfound momentum, I get smacked in the face with a True Colors activity. Immediately, my
nervous system hit “fight-or-flight”, and since I am not one to back down on a challenge, I plan
to take on this activity like a bull charging a matador waving a red flag. Surprisingly, and
somewhat relieved, my True Color runs blue. Prior to 2007, I would have also been blue, and I
thought my blueness had faded since that time.
As discussed earlier, I want to be known as someone who is able to ‘keep it real’, and by
being honest about my self perception I believe is a step in that direction. It is the perception
others have of me that I am somewhat unclear, especially within a leadership role. One area that
I am aware of is that many people seek me out for emotional support and my honest opinion. On
multiple occasions it has been stated that I say what other people are thinking. Is that
‘withitness’? Perhaps. Can it get me into trouble? It has. Is it inappropriate? Depends. Am I
following my mantra of ‘keeping it real’? For me, yes. However, the key is to maintain a balance
between being rude and sugar-coating everything. Ideally, people would speak their minds freely
and respectfully; however, realistically, people are often intimidated to do so when those that
typically do are intentionally hurtful. It is in situations such as these (i.e. department meetings,
staff meetings) where I am not afraid to put myself out there, but my ducks are in row before I do
PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PLAN
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so, or at least I hope they are? I am not one of those people who pipes up in meetings just
because I can, or am I? I do know what I am talking about, or don’t I?
As a human being, and a realist, I know that my knowledge base does have its limits. I do
not expect to know everything, nor do I try to know everything; although, with some people, I
am able to pretend that I know everything. However, from what I have learned as a leader in the
classroom, it is okay to ask for help, and, most importantly, who to go to for that help. A major
weakness of mine is with instructional technology, and within our special education department,
we have a teacher working toward her doctorate degree in instructional technology. As a future
leader, it is imperative that if there is one thing for certain to have knowledge of, it is the talents
and skills that all staff can bring to a learning community.
Leadership Development Activities
At this time, I am continuing on with the Education Specialist in K-12 Leadership degree
through Oakland University. Additionally, I will continue as the Student Transition Conference
Coordinator, as well as the Michigan Department of Labor/Economic Growth School
Coordinator for twelfth graders at Stevenson High School. I volunteered to be on the School
Improvement Team, but was denied because I was unable to meet all of the time commitments.
However, the jury is still out with that being the reason.
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References
Educational Leadership Supersite. (2011). Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium
Standards for School Leaders. [Data file]. Retrieved from
http://wps.ablongman.com/ab_bacon_edadmin_1/0,6183,462533-,00.html
Pressman, B. (2008). What is withitness? Education.com. [Data file]. Retrieved from
http://www.education.com/reference/article/using-xray-vision-substitute-teacher/