Statement of Educational Philosophy and Practice
My educational philosophy focuses on deepening student learning through the collaborative development of an interdisciplinary curriculum in a technology infused environment that is enriched and supported through community partnerships. While serving in a variety of educational leadership positions – from K-8 to Middle School to Technical High School – I have developed the ability to transform each setting into a unique professional learning community (PLC) dedicated to improving teaching and learning. I currently serve as principal of Sebastian Middle School in St. Johns County, Florida, where I am head learner as we build an inquiry program with an AVID program and a STEAM program certified by the University of Florida.
In our shared vision for the PLC, the core subjects of science and math are connected to language arts and social studies through interdisciplinary activities and units integrated with the arts and technology. I have led our Curriculum Council in developing a 1-to-1 laptop program, makerspace lab, and engineering labs so that students engage in inquiry activities and make real-world connections as they produce both digital and project-based artifacts. My teachers experience ongoing professional learning to support their implementation of the STEAM initiative. Across subjects, capstone projects incorporate the engineering design process and multiple technological tools such as 3D printers as students take on leadership roles and deepen their understanding of the conceptual connections within subjects. Students have opportunities to share their projects and portfolios with authentic audiences through our partnerships with Northrop Grumman, the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, St. Augustine University, Rotary, Kiwanis Club, etc. These community stakeholders are actively engaged to support learner success through feedback, mentoring, project collaboration, and financial backing. Parents experience the results of this deep engagement at our “Night of Arts and Sciences” events and offer their perceptions, opinions, and questions in feedback surveys and at my monthly “Communication Cornerstone” meetings. The process of developing and implementing the SMS STEAM program has been a transformative school improvement process over the past two years.
This transformation is occurring because of a team effort inspired by my instructional leadership, which is highly engaged, welcoming, and “hands-on.” I continuously cultivate a culture of collaborative inquiry among the staff that is informed by observation, reflection, and feedback. I believe it is essential to connect daily with my administrative team, teachers, parents, and community partners. These efforts are guided by data and I strive to consistently communicate an expectation for all to leverage research based, high impact practices. To this end, I have implemented a cycle of formative assessments, data analysis, interventions, extensions, and summative testing as part of the PLC process following the DuFour model. This school wide initiative is guided by our Curriculum Council of teacher leaders, as PLC Teams meet at least twice monthly and collaborate using OneNote to focus on answering the four PLC questions. These teams build common assessments and disaggregate data to respond to SMART goals. I meet with these teams every quarter to review student performance data related to interdisciplinary unit plans built around common goals and scales. I use Webb’s Depth of Knowledge framework to ensure alignment between curriculum, instruction, and assessment, and this process has deepened the rigor of instruction. As students engage in inquiry to answer complex questions and collaborate on creative solutions to real-world problems, I believe the collective effort to implement my educational philosophy has ensured students will experience a rigorous, meaningful, and future focused experience at Sebastian Middle School.