With another chapter of my formal education coming to a close, I have identified several opportunities that will help me continue learning and prepare me for future leadership roles in an educational context. I understand that leadership requires not just theoretical knowledge about organization management, but also – and perhaps more importantly – the ability to successfully interact with people. The resources identified below will help me continue developing relevant knowledge and skills in both areas and are all feasible for me to pursue in the near future given my current context.
There is still much for me to learn about the various educational structures that exist in our society and how to effectively lead them. I am grateful that my current position allows me to gain insight into how a large, international institution operates. At the same time, from my experience earning my Master of Arts in Education (MAED), I know I can further enhance this learning by combining my professional experiences with more formal education. The structure and intentionality that a formal program offers allows me to build connections between theoretical knowledge and real-world examples from my own professional context. I believe this has contributed to a deeper understanding of these concepts than I would have gained if I were not working while earning my degree. Therefore, I plan to pursue a Doctor of Education (EdD) in Education Policy, Organization and Leadership with a concentration in International Education Administration & Leadership at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in a similar manner. I am particularly excited about the courses such as Education and Human Rights, Global Youth & Citizenship, and Race, Gender & Sexuality Issues, which focus the intersection of education and larger global issues of injustice. The EdD program can be completed entirely online, and most courses are offered after work hours, so I will once again be able to enhance my learning by working and studying simultaneously.
The EdD program will allow me to explore educational administration specifically, but I am also interested in learning about the field of organizational psychology as a whole. The study of leadership falls in the field of organizational psychology, but I have found that other concepts and ideas from this field can benefit individuals at all stages in their professional careers. For example, what are research-backed methods to interview potential candidates, provide and receive feedback, or negotiate with others? Up until now, my experience exploring these kinds of questions has been limited to workshops offered by the Human Resources and Administration department for managers at my current institution, but recently a colleague recommended I listen to Worklife with Adam Grant, a TED podcast that is hosted by one of the most renown organizational psychologists and a top-rated professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Adam does a great job explaining the various concepts that each episode focuses on and links these concepts with real-world examples from people in his wide-ranging network. Not only that, but he includes a brief reference list at the end of each episode, so the listener is able to look up research that supports the content in that episode. A new episode of Worklife is released every week, and each episode is only around 40 minutes long, so it is a very manageable amount of time to dedicate to learning each week.
Finally, I am dedicated to learning about how I can become more anti-racist. The Black Lives Matter movement has highlighted racial injustices that pervade our society, including our systems of education. Educators must be aware of and be active participants in the movement to dismantle systems of inequity, and although it is clear that undoing structures that perpetuate systemic racism will take a prolonged and persistent effort, this process relies on individuals educating themselves about their own role in these structures. I have realized that I have not been doing enough in this regard and but have noticed various resources have sprung up in the wake of the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others to help individuals become better allies to the black community. One such resource that has organized an incredible wealth of material into more manageable chunks is Justice in June. I am committed to going through all of their recommendations as a first step to educating myself.
The combination of these three resources represent a continuation of academic, professional, and personal development even past the conclusion of the MAED program. Though the content of each is rooted in distinct disciplines, together they form a strong foundation for me to build on as I continue developing as a leader in international education.