Our first task within LF Academy was to articulate a problem of practice within my educational community. As a high school teacher, I knew that the impact I could have on this problem was in a different capacity than most Learning Forward Academy members due to the fact that I was the only teacher in this graduating class. This was entirely daunting in the early sessions of the experience. However through learning about institutional change and professional learning practices, I realized that my position as a ‘teacher-leader’ truly placed me in the ‘front-line’ of implementing change.

I grew in my knowledge, skill and application in three areas. First, I have increased my capability to facilitate others leaders’ capacity to understand the Standards for Professional Learning and move the Standards into practice. Second, I have revisited my notes and used the content from our sessions on change management and implementation of change in a many learning activities. Third, my greatest growth has been in the area of assessing the impact of professional learning. Revisiting this topic in multiple sessions during the Academy allowed me to sharpen my skills and deepen understanding. The inquiry-based learning model served me well.