Who Do You Become When You Lead?

We’re recording from the NCASA Conference in Wellington, North Carolina, and we sit down with Ashley, a fifth grade teacher from Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools who’s stepping into a new season of education leadership. After 14 years in the classroom, she’s now a principal fellow through North Carolina Central, preparing for an administrator internship next year. That transition brings a big question: how do you move from being responsible for one room of learners to leading adults, systems, and school-wide success?

Website: spotlight4success.com

Transcript

Welcome And Conference Setting

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Welcome to Spotlight for Success with American Book Company. I'm your host, Derek Pentozi, and we're here at the Anne Cassa Conference in Wellington, North Carolina.

Meet Ashley The Fifth Grade Teacher

SPEAKER_01 0:14

We're here with our special guest, Ashley. Ashley is a fifth grade teacher at the Chapel Hill Carborough City Schools. So it's so great to have you here with us today.

SPEAKER_00 0:23

Thank you. Yeah, I'm happy to be here.

Why She Is At NCASA

SPEAKER_01 0:25

Yeah, and what brings you to this um to this conference?

SPEAKER_00 0:28

I'm currently here with North Carolina Central. I'm a principal fellow for North Carolina for my district. I am a teacher and I'm trying to be um learning how to be a really good administrator. So I start my internship next year, and this was the spot they wanted to send us to to learn as much as we could.

Inside The Principal Fellows Program

SPEAKER_01 0:47

Great. And tell me about um how your experience has been inside that principal program.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

Um it's been really great. I have opportunities that I feel like I am fortunate to have, to travel, to um learn from so many different people and keynote speakers that uh other people who are in a program might not be they might not have opportunities. I feel like I've grown as a leader, as an educator, um, and with everything that I've learned, I feel like I'm gonna be successful.

SPEAKER_01 1:18

Absolutely. And uh how'd you get hooked up with that program? How'd you find out about it?

SPEAKER_00 1:24

Well, we had to apply for the program and it was a very rigorous uh process where you had to complete an application and then you had to interview, um, and they only selected the best.

SPEAKER_01 1:35

Yeah, I think it was eight, right? It was only eight, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:38

Um, I think no, we have a cohort of 14.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

14, 14, okay. Yes, but a lot of people very rigorous. It is. Yeah.

Learning To Lead Beyond Classroom

SPEAKER_01 1:45

Wow. So uh what what do you hope to get out of this conference?

SPEAKER_00 1:48

Um, I hope to but the most thing I the most important thing I hope to get from this conference is um how to be a leader. As a classroom teacher, I've been a classroom teacher for 14 years. Um I haven't been a coach or um any another leadership role like other people, so I am learning, I just want to know how to lead and how to lead effectively to make the most impact for this teachers and for students and um any processes that's gonna help me get to that success because I've only unfortunately been only able to see the classroom teacher lens, and so having all these different um sessions that I get little insights helps me build the knowledge that I need that's gonna help me be successful next year.

SPEAKER_01 2:29

Absolutely. And what is something you look forward to bring bringing to your classrooms next next year?

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Um something I'm looking forward to from learning here for my internship next year.

SPEAKER_01 2:40

Yeah, or just anything.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

Or anything.

Networking As An Education Resource

SPEAKER_00 2:43

Um I love knowing people and building connections, and so the social aspect of this conference and being able to build my network is really important because people are resources and people are especially in education, can be allies, and so when I'm in a situation, who have I connected with? Who can I get information from? And so I'm looking for I'm looking forward to that in building my network, my educational network.

SPEAKER_01 3:09

Yeah,

Reflection And Farewell

SPEAKER_01 3:10

absolutely. And do you have any last words for the NCASA community? Any last words for the NCASA community?

SPEAKER_00 3:17

Um, thank you for this opportunity. I felt like I just did a little reflection and made me just center my why and why I'm here. So I really appreciate that. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 3:26

Well, it was a pleasure to have you on our podcast, Ashley. Woohoo! Yep. Well, see you next time.