As an instructional leader, it is important to me to ensure equity and access for ALL my students by setting  high standards for every single one of the students and staff in my building. I know that if a student is provided with the motivation, materials, and support then he/she can be successful. I believe in instilling confidence in my students because this is how they will achieve academically.  It is important to me that we not only impart knowledge onto all students, but that we also provide personal support. School is the place where a student is educated as well as challenged: academically, socially, mentally, physically, and emotionally.

  I believe that a school should be a safe, enjoyable, and comfortable learning environment where a student never feels threatened or unsure of what is going on. Structure in a school is important because many students that I have encountered on my journey thus far, specifically in low income neighborhoods, have unstructured home lives and school is one of the more structured parts of their day. A school that is warm, inviting, structured, and promotes learning makes a positive impact on the students. 

My belief is that a student learns best when educators take the time to get a deep understanding of who they are. It is important to me that we all establish relationships with the students in the school. This allows educators to create a culturally relevant and  responsive classroom, which in turn leads to the students being engaged and eventually learning and making progress. 

It is important for a school to have  a sense of community and  for there to be respect between myself, the staff, the students, and the families. It is also important for me as the instructional leader to involve the families of my students in the best way that I can. The families of my students deserve to be updated on the progress that their child is making. The family of the child knows them best and as a school, our job is to create opportunities for the families to participate in aspects of their child’s schooling. 

As an educator, I find that it is important to also support those who I work with. It is important to assess where the educators who I work with are at, to know how to best differentiate the support that I am providing. For example, a teacher who is new to teaching may need support in classroom management while a more veteran teacher may want to expand their technological expertise and how it applies to the classroom. 

Overall my role as an instructional leader involves that I know my students and the staff that I work with very well, that I make the learning relevant to them, and that I accommodate the diverse learners in my school community. My philosophy on education derives from the fact that I care about all students, I am compassionate towards them, and I am concerned for their success in life. Therefore, I will do what needs to be done in order to ensure that success.