Fortuitous Incidents in an Educational Environment

To understand the application of knowledge that has happened through the program, there needs to be an expansion of the background that brought me to the point where I entered the program.  To demonstrate how the program has changed and enriched my abilities, there has to be a review of where I was in my life when I started here. I came into the doctoral program with one type of expertise, and am most certainly finishing the program adding on a very different set of specialized training. 

Like everyone else who started in the program, I did not just fall off the proverbial “turnip truck” when I sat down for snacks and a photo opportunity in the mansion at “St. John’s by the sea.” When I entered the program, I had finished five other college programs, obtained one national certification and had been teaching a wide variety of classroom settings.  I had a lengthy history of teaching outside the K-21 classroom environment through college courses, in-service and workshop presentations.  These have continued through my years in the doctoral program, being refined and expanded where and how my talents were needed. 

There are aspects of all of the required competencies contained here. While the narrative is all about my experiences, my learning, leadership and scholarship are reflected throughout the document.  Each section of the portfolio will contain specific artifacts as required. The narrative looks at the interconnectedness of much of this material. A wise sage implored me over a glass of fine wine to always look for patterns, discrepancies and outliers. After writing this, I found themes that have been carried throughout my career. 

These themes are talents, mentoring, technology, and a work ethic tempered by practicality.  I look at the discrepancies as correction points or events that affect what happens beyond a particular incident or milestone.  These tend to be significant, some for the better, others creating a need for review and reflection. These fortuitous incidents often lead to a totally different approach to what will follow.  Regarding outliers, anyone reading through this document will see that I AM an outlier, and will hopefully see why there needs to be more outliers, windmill tilters, and change agents in the educational fabric.

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