Professional Growth Plan

Professional Growth Goals (2025 - 2026) and Current Year Objectives

When beginning the doctoral program, much of my previous and current work was rooted in making learning engaging, meaningful, and equitable for the learners and communities I serve. I continued the leadership approach of being a servant leader (Northouse, 2013, p. 468) by following the “each one, teach one” approach to influence and share the knowledge I have and continue to gain with the patrons of learners in the school library media centers I serve. This leadership style seeks to create other leaders. My leadership philosophy embodies the servant leadership theory due to its significance in addressing organizational-sized issues, its emphasis on having the instincts and morals to lead by example, and its role in helping others cultivate their potential (Stuber, 2000). This aligns with my work experience, as it fits the context and culture that foster a servant leader (Northouse, 2013, p. 468), and my role as school library media specialist, STEAM, and game-based learning practitioner. In the first two years of developing my Professional Growth Plan, I intentionally targeted fields in the STEAM and educational gaming sectors to explore various new literacies I critically believe are essential for learners to experience in an equitable, engaging, and practical manner. I wish to further examine the theories, research, implementation, evaluation, and development of these new literacies in the context of school library media centers, contributing my knowledge to this field of study and exploring these new literacies with my learners. 

Plans to Achieve Professional Growth Objectives

My goal is to conduct research on exploring new literacies, as described by Kits (2004), utilizing various media available to us today, in collaboration with school library media specialists and other school library professionals. This study will serve as a stepping stone for students to gain a further understanding of the perspectives, implementation, and support of new literacies in their respective library spaces. The results of this study will inspire other studies to further research and develop resources and support for school library staff, spaces, and the school communities they serve. 

Click here for full PGP report.