
Goal Evaluation and Target Setting
Mirror, Mirror: A Self-Discovery Journey
​As a student in the Master of Arts in Education program, my general goal was to help combat the internal challenges faced by educators serving in under-resourced communities. I was inspired to serve as an agent of change and create innovative solutions to promote educational equity and to close the socio-economic gap. I wanted to use my graduate degree and experience with Teach for America, to serve as an advocate for marginalized groups and to provide equal opportunity for students so that they can reach their full potential.
As I began my academic journey, my leadership and organizational development course made me analyze the true meaning behind servant leadership. Through this course, I grew to understand how collective success results when we prioritize the peoples’ needs first before our own. As I learned how empowering individuals creates a safe place for the people to move toward a shared collective goal, I began to understand the need to be proactive in leading instead of managing. This realization made me shift my focus to promoting respect and trustworthiness with the people I am aiming to serve rather than seeking to control the vision and plan for change.
When I started graduate school, I was very much solution-oriented. It made me believe that proposing my ideas could essentially solve the issues faced in the school system. However, with time, I have realized that I cannot solve collective problems merely through my own ideas. Instead, I must approach the community myself and hear the people’s perspectives to promote solutions that serves the community’s best interest. This shift in mindset has motivated me to reset my goals and to focus my efforts in understanding the individual experiences of those I am aiming to serve.
Goal #1: As an aspiring leader, a new goal I have is to become heavily involved with the community I want to help. This includes active listening and gathering feedback from teachers and students, to discover areas where there is room for growth. I want to use communication as a bridge to sharing power, and to building authentic relationships. By getting to know the people first, I can provide support and commit myself to serving the best interests of those working in the forefront.
Goal #2: Next, I want to use platform to bring awareness to the struggles teachers and students are facing in the educational system. I want to engage in opportunities that can help elevate teachers’ voices while supporting them in becoming their own advocates. My desire is for teachers and students to be able to effectively vocalize their concerns to help them eliminate the struggles they face in the classroom environment.
Goal #3: Last but not least, I want to center my efforts in becoming a reliable resource others can approach during critical times. I want to use my role to build others up and to show both teachers and students the power they have within themselves. As I finish my graduate degree, my hope is to be in a leadership role that allows me to serve others authentically and which leaves space for perspective and long-lasting change.
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