Professional Growth Plan Submitted by: Audrey Medlin Oakland University Education Specialist Program Department of Educational Leadership

EA 701-Internship I June 2012

Completion of the Educational Specialist Programs Upon completion of the Education Specialist Program I will have acquired the necessary standards of a school leader. I feel confident in my abilities to lead a middle or elementary school community as a principal. The Educational Specialist Program broadened my perception of what it takes to be a successful leader in the 21st century. My experiences with my mentor have provided me with resources and professional knowledge to draw upon when making decisions. I have a clear understanding of my ethical beliefs, and who I am as a leader will translate into the decisions I make. By approaching situations applying knowledge of Boleman and Deals, Four Frame Analysis, data, law and ethics I am confident that under my leadership a schools vision and goals will be accomplished. I will lead an educational team and empower others to take action. My keen ability to empathize and appreciate culture and diversity will promote stakeholder involvement which is the key to a successful school community. Five Year Career Goals Five years from now I will be at the beginning stages of a successful career as a building principal within an elementary or middle school. Making the transition from teacher to principal will not be difficult for me. I have prepared myself for this moment for the last twelve years. I

have a vast amount of knowledge from teaching grades 1st-8th that I will contribute on a larger scale as the instructional leader. My desire to see all children succeed regardless of race, ethnicity, gender and social class motivates me to work diligently. My experience and passion for engaging the community will provide resources to the students and staff. I understand that with todays limited resources collaborating with all stakeholders and thinking outside the box can be the key to a buildings success. I perceive the community as an untapped gold mine waiting to be accessed. Ten Years Career Goals In the next ten years I see myself engaging with other districts on building relationships between the business community and local schools. I have been active in my efforts to create partnerships with schools and community resources. This began as a building director for Camp Phoenix a YMCA academic program in partnership with local colleges, businesses and schools. I have realized over the last twelve years that many community organizations want to build relationships with schools and are waiting to be pursued. It is my goal to be able to bring in 21st century resources through the pursuit of grants and partnerships. My belief is that schools should provide all students with real world experiences along with state of the art resources regardless of location.
Core Values:

As the school leader, I will live and behave according to the school mission statement. I will inspire and motivate my team by recognizing their many talents. I will build trust among stakeholders. I will reward and recognize staff and student

success. I will ensure that high standards are met through the allocation of resources and providing constructive feedback in a non-threatening environment. Guided by the ethic of Justice and Care I will provide students with a quality education that prepares them for college and beyond regardless of gender, class, race or background. I will promote and build a climate and culture that is caring and safe. By providing students with opportunities to lead and promoting high expectation each student will feel challenged to do their best. Together the staff, community and I will celebrate our students achievements. Through the ethic of Profession and Care I will support educators to think outside of the box. I will provide educators with an opportunity to lead and learn from each other. My goal is to inspire them to be motivated as agents of change. I expect a warm and friendly environment to be replicated in each classroom. Through the ethic of Justice and Care I will communicate that education is a shared commitment of all stakeholders. My objective is to inspire stakeholders to believe that significant change in any community will take a partnership between schools, families and businesses. We must bridge the gap between the community, classroom and the rest of the world. Providing students with real world application with opportunities to practice what they know in and outside of the classroom will prepare them for the work force.