Leadership Reflection Ioana Larion Although

Leadership Reflection

Ioana Larion

Although I am teaching full-time and working on a Master's in ESL, I do not think I am at the peak of my educational career at the present moment. This is a good time to ask myself why and to try to figure out a strategy for future growth.

Looking back at the years I spent in Europe as a foreign language teacher for French and English, I only remember myself as a young enthusiastic, dedicated and responsible teacher who rapidly asserted myself in the learning community. In my first year after college graduation, I taught adult colleagues using my translation, mentoring, networking, word processing skills. It seems like I did a good job since experienced, senior colleagues trusted me enough to name me head of international relations at my research company over several other experienced ladies and a man. As a translator, I dedicated countless hours to teach, tutor and accompany departments in conference presentations in many trips all over Europe and Asia and enjoyed every minute. Because I was young and had no family of my own at that time, I was always available and ready to offer my expertise. This situation made me a leader in the foreign language department in less than a year after graduation.

What were my particular leadership styles? I was very young and respectful, always greeting people first, opening doors for ladies and older colleagues, and listening and following directions. I respected my students (some being older people with an international reputation in their field) and answered them courteously. I was always on time and prepared, and was very organized and enthusiastic. I think that giving my "body and soul," interacting correctly with others, having no family and being so focused in my ascending career made me quickly become a leader.

After coming to the U.S., I became a French itinerant teacher where I hardly had a base school, a staff to belong to or any "leadership" opportunities. During this time, I was appointed the Itinerant Head of the French Department at the county level and a mentor. I did not think there was any other way "to advance on the ladder" when I was an itinerant teaching French who was overshadowed by the status of a certified teacher.

Currently, I teach French in a middle school and I'm a mentor, a member of the school improvement team, and an advisor for the Student Council and Beta Club. Having a base school changed my career somehow, but the stigma over foreign languages and French is still present. The status of the subject you are teaching matters a lot in the U.S., determining if you can be a leader regardless of the particular leadership style or qualities that you might possess. Because of this, my positive leadership skills are sometimes affected in my interaction with others. However, I try to always remain positive, finding solutions to problems and overcoming the difficulties that others have vis-a-vis a non-native speaker of English.

Students and staff sometimes need some time to adjust to my accent and point-of-view and to really accept my cultural differences even after I have spent ten years in the U.S. Even so, I feel I can be a good leader because I always look to constructively resolve problems; I am enthusiastic, eager, organized and open to different points-of-view whenever a problem occurs.

How do I interact with others? I respect the people I work with and I immediately see the strengths and the weakness that one might bring to their work.