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Author of Wipro Urban STEM rocking the boat shares her experiences as a teacher leader-coach. "The reality series of being an educator is a body of episodes that is unending," says Myerson. "Having the opportunity to relive and live this emotional series has brought a prospective detour"
Author of Wipro Urban STEM rocking the boat shares her experiences as a teacher leader-coach. "The reality series of being an educator is a body of episodes that is unending," says Myerson. "Having the opportunity to relive and live this emotional series has brought a prospective detour"
Author of Wipro Urban STEM rocking the boat shares her experiences as a teacher leader-coach. "The reality series of being an educator is a body of episodes that is unending," says Myerson. "Having the opportunity to relive and live this emotional series has brought a prospective detour"
insight in deriving qualitative data about her analysis of the levels of leadership. As a teacher
Leslie Armstrong
Wipro Urban STEM
February 15, 2015
leader-coach, I have learned that knowledge of my
colleagues leadership characteristics produces a beneficial collaborative process and product. I can associate this with the forming of the teacher, parent and student triad; whose focal point being knowledge of student. Myersons work quantifies the undulating leadership journey that I am striving to balance to remain a proficient educator. The style, content and format of her writing ushered me into palpable and palatable experiences of others life experiences. As we flick the channel advance buttons on our remote controls, there is a plethora of reality shows. The reality series of being an educator is a body of episodes that is unending. I saw my roles being played out as the mental filmed rolled. Having the opportunity to relive and live this emotional series has brought a prospective detour to my current actions and sent me into a time machine that drew me into the reality of my past. Will you take this journey with me? I began teaching at the age of 22; at the same school where I am presently employed. 1996 was my year to cause a revolution. The first five years consisted of a titanic battle between the Dominate Culture and my Fight the Power attitude. In
Leslie Armstrong
Wipro Urban STEM
February 15, 2015
retrospect, I am sure that this placed me at the far
end of the tempered radical spectrum because resistance was the result I achieved. I am certain that my resistance could not be classified as tempered because of my inexperience as an educator. The constant verbiage at every meeting or powwow was an annoying and persistent Why and my actions would be entitled Im not doing that. Still swimming in a bubble of Thats How Its Done and my inability to stay afloat, I found another target to blame. Teacher training institutions can often give you the false impression that you can come in and make sweeping changes. The veteran jury and the administration judge swiftly struck down that verdict. Accepting the reality and the need to stay employed, I began rummaging around that teacher tool kit that was issued by the university that assigned me a diploma. I was missing a few screws, nuts and bolts. I decided that I would use the parts that I collected to enhance the educational machine. The tempered radical was born. My goal was to make gradual changes, whose actions were nonthreatening, but made a quiet impact. I began to tune up the negative aspects of prepackaged, scripted curricula that were designed for urban students. The first phase of the tune-up was to
Leslie Armstrong
Wipro Urban STEM
February 15, 2015
analyze the curriculum and make amendments
that centered on researched best practices and strategies that applied to all learners, visibly providing artifacts and pedagogy that complied with administrations edicts and infusing personal interests into the fabric of my class. Now that administration was pacified, I began presenting at team meetings. The presentations were further amplified with offering my colleagues the opportunity to observe my classroom like a see through kitchen. Lastly, I learned to be a collaborative listener. I would schedule times to talk with veteran teachers and turn our conversations into thematic units and co-teaching opportunities. Cloaked behind the wisdom and acceptance of veteran teachers, administration saw my actions as less threatening and embraced my techniques. Who am I now? Which tempered traits do I display? I am a tempered radical that now has the sense to initiate change through a series of phases; not by the pounding of a fist. I am holding on to the mast of the dominate culture while I balance the undulating movements of my feet; waiting on the opportunity to catch a collaborative wind. I know that I must employ a crew of colleagues that
Leslie Armstrong
Wipro Urban STEM
February 15, 2015
represent each level of temperedness to create a
balance. I have the ability to embrace institutional constraints. Being held down is not the same as being held back. Being held captive can be thought of as a time to reflect research, innovate and practice. With time served, I can begin again; taking gradual steps to make applicable change.