My professional growth plan for the near future includes goals for both furthering my education and my career, which are described below.  However, I would also like to add that I feel it is important for ongoing self-reflection, which is why Kim Marshall’s “Principal’s Time Management Rubric” (attached below) becomes a useful tool for any school leader (not just principals) to reflect and maintain dynamic professional growth plans.

Educational Goals

I believe in the importance of lifelong learning and feel that I would benefit from further instruction surrounding the standards related to:

• Education Law
• School Facilities and Finances
• Learning Environment
• Accountability Systems

I need to build my depth of understanding in these sections in the coming years.  A lot of what I have to learn exists in the workplace, and I hope to get the opportunity to work in an educational setting where I can begin to both apply and further learn from what I have outlined in this portfolio.

Also, as I am open to the opportunity to work overseas again, the standards may be altered somewhat, depending on the location.  Whatever country I am in will adhere to different laws and relate to different issues.  That being said, my educational platform and ways of thinking should only become more enriched and dynamic with these opportunities.

Career Goals:

The Headmaster for the school in which I interned said that I have great people skills and am astute and professional, but that I need more opportunities to show how I can work with children.

My next career step, I believe, is to work in some type school leadership capacity, though not at the principal level.  I need time to find my educational niche and make a name for myself.

Also, as a young, female, soon-to-be administrator and having researched the demands of the modern-day principal, I feel concerned about the feasibility of meeting the professional demands while succeeding in other contexts.  I believe I have a lot to learn as I lack experience as a school leader and would like to pursue other, personal roles while being professionally successful.  This implies a need for further research on other successful models that have found ways to successfully approach and maintain both professional and personal lives.