Wednesday, August 14, 2013

A little about me and this blog's purpose...

I am a disciple of Jesus, husband, third grade teacher, and aspiring administrator in Columbia, South Carolina.  I am married to my beautiful bride, Sarah who is by far my better half.  We have a puppy child named Boone and love German Shorthaired Pointers.  Education plays an enormous role in my life and serving children is definitely my calling.  I teach third grade at Horrell Hill Elementary in rural Richland County School District One.  I love the community of students, parents, and faculty members that I work alongside each and every day.  I am passionate about teaching and learning, integrating technology in the classroom, and building strong communities with each class I have the privilege of teaching.  In addition to teaching, I am also the PBIS coordinator for my school and a facilitator for science professional developments for third grade teachers in Richland One.  My mother is an educator and the best mentor a teacher could ever ask for.  My younger sister commences her journey as an educator and is teaching third grade.  I'm so thankful for the support and encouragement that my wife and family give me to assist me in reaching my dreams of being a school administrator.  I just completed the educational administration master's program at the University of South Carolina this summer and I am one of twelve teachers selected to take part in the Visionary Leadership Academy for my district.

In addition to my passion for education and leadership, I am also an avid outdoorsman and conservationist.  I enjoy spending time exploring the world around me learning about wildlife and nature in general.  During the fall and winter, my wife is gracious enough to allow me to spend quality time hunting and photographing deer, quail, ducks, doves, and turkeys in the spring.  I love the tranquility found from being in God's country, which I consider to be the farms in Lancaster, Kingstree, and Silver, SC where I spend most of my time outdoors.

This brings me to my overall purpose for creating this blog.  I will mostly reflect on the various leadership activities and characteristics that I experience through my participation in the Visionary Leadership Academy (VLA).    I intend to describe different leadership traits that I witness and reflect upon the different topics that I encounter during the VLA.  I anticipate that this year will grow me and mold me in tremendous ways through the VLA and the various leadership positions that I hold at my school.  There will probably be times where I reflect upon or share other life experiences not directly pertaining to leadership or education.