Educational Leadership Merriam-Webster's New English Dictionary defines a leader as being, "a person who has commanding authority or influence" (Merriam-Webster's New English Dictionary, 2011). Most would agree that this definition adequately captures the essence of what is a leader. However, I believe that anyone in a leadership position (especially one in the educational arena) should be extremely proactive and thoughtfully responsive to the various issues presented to him or her on a daily basis. Furthermore, ideal leaders are charismatic and knowledgeable, with a wide skill set ranging from conceptual talent to interpersonal proficiency. In fact, according to leadership expert Dr. Warren Bennis, "Only someone adept enough to motivate and mobilize people can be considered a truly effective leader" (Bennis, 2010, p. 1). Therefore, with a wider idea of what exactly is required of leaders, I continue to consider myself a qualified candidate. Noting the broad nature of an educational leader's responsibilities, I feel like my diverse background in leadership roles has adequately prepared me to accept this duty. I have extensive experience interacting with staff members and students at a multitude of levels and in order to effectively assume my current occupational role(s) I have had to construct relationships quickly and efficiently. In doing so, I have been able to strategically interact with many knowledgeable administrators, parents and staff members, thus allowing me to create a clear and thoroughly developed vision of what strong leadership means to me. Bearing in mind that my education is never truly...

My role as Coordinator of Discipline called for me to construct a clear disciplinary standard and subsequently endorse that standard to teachers and students throughout the Marsh Avenue Expeditionary Learning School. Also, my role as Physical Education Leader allowed me to create an in depth PE program applicable to students at various stages of their education and physical fitness.
Both of the job roles mentioned above mandate clear and effective communication on my part. Sharing my ideas and visions with staff members, administrators, parents and students requires various communicative means and a great deal of patience and understanding. Moreover, other areas of my previous experience have also called for strong communication skills. For instance, my position of the Building Safety Committee has required me to engage in extensive collaboration with many of my peers and co-inhabitants (our building houses three other schools).

Additionally, while the aforementioned position certainly required a great deal of cooperation and collaboration, my role as Crew Leader has also helped me to directly communicate my ideologies regarding leadership to students in a collaborative environment. This group of students (known as "Crew") will stay together throughout their time at Marsh Avenue Expeditionary Learning School and will be taught several critical skills regarding outside problems, issues and future opportunities. In other words, this program provides students with an additional forum to communicate their ideas and concerns to a reliable and collaborative group of their peers and educators.

During my time as Coordinator of Discipline I have collaborated with staff members on a regular basis. Being that I continuously strive to be proactive rather than reactive, I am chronically interacting with staff members regarding their knowledge of…