RUNNING HEAD: GED 8501 TRSL B Educational platform

1
TRSL B: Educational Platform
Amy Hewett-Olatunde
Without risk, new opportunities are limited and visions are diminished. With risk
comes spontaneity and innovation. This year has held numerous changes that have contained
risk and opportunity for personal and professional growth. Leaders who have guided or
provoked their organizations to change have had a vision, developed a shared vision with
their co- workers, and valued the organization's personnel. Leaders who have changed their
organizations were proactive and took risks. They recognized shifts in the interests or needs
of their clientele, anticipated the need to change and challenged the status quo. Educational
leaders of change have these characteristics (Bellon & Beaudry, 1992, p. 12). Being
innovative and taking risks has not only allowed me to scale the professional ladder, it has
trickled down to the students I teach and helps provide them with tools for the future. Some
of these tools surface in the form of confidence, independence, and critical thinking.
Risk taking has been my most successful approach when teaching English Language
Learners (ELLs). It is something that I do not do carelessly or without forethought. I
encourage my students to be innovative by providing an environment that makes this safer. I
put myself in a position to make mistakes, and I challenge my students to do likewise to
promote independence. Risk-taking and innovation entail a level of discomfort and
accountability, but it also sets students up for a future where these concepts will be crucial to
finding jobs and solving problems critically. There should be passion, enthusiasm and
individualism in teaching. Encouraging our children to question the world in which they live
and to have inquiring minds is key. When risks are taken with my students, there are
triumphs and losses, but no regrets. In return, they express authenticity because a milieu of
RUNNING HEAD: GED 8501 TRSL B Educational platform


2
security with risk taking has been set. It is okay to look stupid, cry, do something new and
fail miserably, and be true to ones self.
Specific memories surface from teaching the past 13 years at LEAP. My level five
college preparation class also known as the Super Fives puts on a year-end play for the
student body. The student-created play includes writing the script, creating backdrops,
designing playbills, and presenting the play. This is a climactic event for the staff and
student body. The first half of the semester is based around community building activities,
acting out vignettes, and working on characterizations among other things. Modeling is
paramount for students to understand tone, pronunciation, and stage presence correctly. This
is where risk taking is pinnacle and a true community is built, because those who take risks
together, become stronger together. Because my students are non-native speakers of English,
helping them find their voices and put themselves in the spotlight boosts their confidence and
prepares them for interacting with others in varying venues after high school.
Just as many of my students aspire to adorn a cap and gown and receive their degree,
completing this last portion of my education has been a life-long dream and a risk worth
taking. In school, it means putting forth my full effort with the understanding there is always
room for improvement, varying perspectives, and constructive feedback. I should heed my
own advice if I expect this from my students. "You must believe totally in your goal, have
all the data, stick to your beliefs, understand your purpose and then charge ahead" (Hallinger,
P. & Murphy, J.F. (1986a), p. 17). I see the greatest challenge of my life ahead in the next
five years, but the reward beyond it leads me forward without a second thought. It not only
affects my future but my students futures as well.

RUNNING HEAD: GED 8501 TRSL B Educational platform


3
References
Bellon, T. & Beaudry, J. (1992, April). Teachers' perceptions of their leadership roles in site-
based decision making. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American
Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA.
Hallinger, P. & Murphy, J.F. (1986a). The social context of effective schools. American
Journal of Education. 94(3), 328-355.