Introduction
My name is Madeline Lench and I am currently the Upper School World Literature teacher at Cambridge Christian School in Tampa, FL. I am a mother to a sweet baby boy and a wife to the most supportive husband. I am also the proud owner of two Labrador Retrievers who love to run and play at our local dog beach. I was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan but truly believe I am a southern girl at heart. The constant sunshine and ocean breeze have called my name since my feet first hit the sand at only 2-weeks-old. I can finally say that my dreams of living by the beach have come true now that my family has relocated to South Tampa.
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Teaching has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I was always the student who aimed for the A+ and felt defeated when I earned any other grade. I absolutely LOVED when my peers would ask for my help or advice on their assignments and projects. I knew teaching was the career path I wanted to take with how much I enjoyed learning in class and tutoring my peers. Furthermore, so many mentors and coaches in my life have expressed the natural leadership they see in me, which has led me to strongly consider and, ultimately, choose to pursue a future in educational leadership. Following in my father's footsteps, my purpose in becoming an educational leader is to ensure that all students are given the opportunity to be successful and that all teachers feel safe, supported, and valued.
Leadership Philosophy
I believe education is the number one component in building a meaningful, successful,
and welcoming society. In order for a society to thrive, the members must be knowledgeable, innovative, creative, hard-working, and in partnership with one another. All these skills, and more, are first seen and learned inside a classroom. The essence of a society begins with education.
I believe all students, no matter their race, gender, ethnicity, disability, or socio-economic status, deserve to have the same opportunities to receive an education and become successful in their individual and desired learning goals. Learning, though it may look different, is at the core of each student. It is the role of the educators to meet students where they are and guide them toward both academic and personal accomplishments.
Leadership Style
My purpose in becoming an educational leader is to create a safe space for both students and teachers to learn, collaborate, and grow in knowledge and partnership. I envision my role as an educational and instructional leader as one that is tactical and transformational. My personality and innate leadership skills first align with a tactical approach due to a need for organization and clear decisiveness in most situations. In addition, my vision for instructional leadership corresponds with a transformational approach due to my strong belief that the influence of a leader dramatically impacts the school environment and motivation of their teachers and students.
My goal as an educational and instructional leader is to establish a highly-rated school by first understanding the school as a learning organization. To achieve success, all stakeholders of the learning organization must share the same vision and mission, while maintaining flexibility in teaching and learning strategies to meet the needs of all learners.
