Discussion 1
Part 1
Over the years, I have had many goals and motivators aligned with my vision for life. Now that I am further along in my career, my goals have become more concrete; one of my professional goals is to be a leader in the community and step into a mentor role. Transitioning into a support role will be more beneficial as I wind down my career. My primary motivator is helping individuals live a better quality of life, but financial empowerment drives me. My vision is to leave a legacy of empowering people to be the best they can be and inspire the next generation to not only dream but make the dream a reality by setting small goals to achieve the primary goal.
Part 2
Values are vital to being successful in leadership, communication, and technology. Some of my values are integrity, my word means something, and I believe in truth and accountability. Being authentic, believing in myself and my capabilities, setting high standards, and setting firm boundaries to protect my professional integrity. One of my most important values is my faith, which keeps me centered and grounded. I am an empathetic person, which serves me well in leadership positions. Understanding the individuals I serve and work with is very important.
Continuing education is vital to my professional advancement. Staying abreast of all the latest technology serves me and my clients well. I believe in fairness and justice for all, so I use my words and tone wisely when communicating with clients and staff. Leadership involves reaching back to help others and respecting the rules and operations of the business and team members. I value my connections and enjoy my creativity and willingness to nourish new relationships and possibilities. These goals and motivations make me the professional I am proud of.
I have had trials and tribulations with technology over the years. I have had communication issues and a lack of leadership. Lacking in many areas has allowed me to become a better leader by observing what I had been missing in leadership, technology, and communication. I ask my peers for help and remain rooted in my faith to stay on track. These attributes have always helped me reach my goals personally and professionally.
Discussion 2
Part 1
I am a Special Education teacher in Cobb County Georgia and have been teaching for 23 years. I started off as an Emotional and Behavioral special education teacher that taught in a psycho education facility and am now in a Severe Intellectual and Profound Intellectual Disability (SID/PID) classroom. I have a passion for what I do. I don’t do it for the money nor the accolades. I do it because I want to be a voice for those that can’t speak for themselves. I didn’t choose this job it chose me. I will be retiring in the next 2 years. When I do, I would like to create a non-profit organization which provides after school hours services for students that suffer with emotional and behavioral needs, as well as students with intellectual disabilities.
Part 2
As a special education teacher, my values encompass empathy, advocacy , and a desire to be a lifelong learner. I understand the impact that these qualities have on my students, their families, and my colleagues and are a starting point of how I approach my relationships with them. These skills also impact my areas of leadership, communication, and technology. For example, me being an advocate allows me to advocate for inclusive practices for my students because I understand that they need to be exposed to their peers in both the general and special education settings. I create learning opportunities for all of my students which is all part of me creating positive leadership skills for myself. My ideology on empathy requires that I be able to effectively communicate with others, as well as helps me build trust with others. My commitment to lifelong learning requires that I be abreast of the most current technology. This is important to and for me because I rely on differentiated instruction to teach and engage my students. By doing this I can meet their unique individual needs.
