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PROVIDE A RESPONSE TO EACH STUDENT POST BELOW

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PROVIDE A RESPONSE TO EACH STUDENT POST BELOW. THE RESPONSE MUST BE AT LEAST 200 WORDS. ENAGAGE WITH INFORMATIVE DISCUSSION.

 

 

 

1ST POST:

Balance within leadership is imperative and I am happy that you discussed how balance can impact reflective and action-oriented leadership styles. The differences you gave between the two enabled clear understanding the topics. Analyzing the why with decisions made and reflecting on them is a good trait to have. Do you ever struggle with not finding balance when being action minded?

 

 

2ND POST

Personal Decision: Immigrating from Canada & Becoming a Special Education Teacher

I was born and raised in Canada, attended university there, and began teaching students in elementary school (general education). After teaching for two years, an opportunity arose where the Los Angeles Unified School District desperately sought teachers, even holding, and attending ‘hiring workshops’ in different communities in Ontario, Canada. To be considered, I had to commit to earning my special education credential, as I only held a general education credential at the time. That was no problem as I felt I could never give enough to the students with special needs in my general education class (because of the number of students). With a growth mindset, I began the long process of immigrating and working towards earning my special education credential. These decisions were terrifying initially, but I worked through the fear to make them happen. Once I began teaching in the United States, I gained more confidence in my abilities, which led me to be more curious and courageous (Casullo, 2012). 

Professional Decision: High School Special Education Science - Dissecting Frogs

During my time as a high school special education teacher, I realized that students in my program did not have access to the same curriculum as students in general education. This was abundantly clear in science when all general education students would have the opportunity to dissect frogs. My students were never given that opportunity. Because of my courage to stand up for my students and desire to provide equal access to education, I wanted to change that, so I spoke with my administrator and was encouraged to talk with the lead science teacher (Casullo, 2012). We chatted, and she was thrilled to share some of the deceased frogs. In my science class, students were paired up, and each pair was given a frog to dissect. I led the students through the dissection, using my classroom Elmo to project it from my desk. This experience was even better than I expected for my students and me!

Leadership Decision: Taking the Lead in Building & Launching a Life Coaching Certification Program

While teaching full-time, my partner (a business and life coach) and I saw a need for an ethical, professional life coaching certification program and developed the curriculum. To complete it, I took the leadership role as I am very organized, have great insight, and am good with linear things (such as time management, deadlines, and content creation). This ensured that it would take shape and we could launch it effectively. During the process, I believe I was courageous as this was new for me, and I wasn’t sure it would even work. When I began working on this project, I had some fear, but in the end, my self-confidence grew, and I could see it through to fruition because of my courage. According to Casullo (2012), “competence creates confidence, and in turn, confidence creates courage, which over time and with enormous effort becomes instinct” (p. 73). The process took time and energy, but we are proud of our program. 

 

3rd POST

When I think about action-minded leadership, I think about driving on a road. The road symbolizes the journey, and along the journey are obstacles (roadblocks, construction zones, etc.) all wanting to block myself from getting to the ultimate goal that I have. What am I going to do to reach the goals and objectives that I have? 

I am very action-minded/oriented. I prefer to work out a plan and to get my point/message across while reaching the goals I have set. Within a work setting, I must have a plan for myself. I know that sometimes that plan can be difficult to achieve because of setbacks that may occur. It’s how I bounce back and continue on the “road” that may set me apart. The five C’s (character, commitment, competence, communication, and courage) all can embody what action-minded leadership entails. When projects or committees are formed, I am usually the one that is asked to sit in on them or follow up with them to see where progress is. I am the type of person that does not like to commit to things that I can't follow through on. However, overtime on my leadership journey, I have learned that being transparent and communicating is key for commitment.  Everything is not going to go perfect, well, or just how I may want it too, and If I am honest about that upfront, I can work on what I can control and move from there.

The balance that I strike between being action minded and allowing time for reflection has come a long way. I used to be so hard on myself and would worry about the negative things with the issue during the time of reflection. This would take my focus away from the tasks I was working towards completing. If the issue had nothing to do with me, I would shut down. I believe that came from wanting everything to be perfect. Another issue with the balance was the fear of saying “No”. Because I was action-minded I would be asked to do a lot and I would say yes. Those yes’s did not give me time to adequately reflect because i would move on to something different. Today, I am now in a space where I reflect and communicate to my superior/colleagues about issues and work with them before initiating action. It's okay to ask for help and to say no. That's a big part of leadership, and with being action minded, I can't do everything alone nor can everything be a yes.