Meet Conference Scholar
Margaret Clauson
Biography
Margaret Clauson formerly taught 6th grade math and science at Wilmette Junior High School and High Crest Middle School, both in Wilmette, Ill. Her education includes a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois and a master's degree from Northwestern University. Currently, she is the administrator for human resources at Wilmette Public Schools in Illinois.
Margaret loves sailing but does not own a boat. She reports she can often be seen crewing in sailing regattas on Lake Michigan, but that it is not as glamorous as it sounds!
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In Her Own Words: A Leadership Reflection
What has led to your development as a leader?
Early in my career, I caught the leadership bug. Some of my veteran teaching colleagues told me to “sit on my hands” during meetings in an effort to protect me from once again volunteering to join a committee. Fortunately, I didn’t listen. The bug—a desire to make improvements, a feeling that there was always a way to make something better, and the challenge of trying to solve a problem, was too strong. It was the beginning of a career path that has led to a variety of roles—teacher, principal, and human resources administrator.
While the leadership bug is intrinsic, my development as a leader has grown through experiences, reflection, and coaching from trusted colleagues. I have learned to draw upon prior experiences by reflecting on what was good and what could have been better and filing those experiences away to draw upon as I encounter new challenges.
I have also learned the value of a critical friend—the colleague who serves as a sounding board and challenges you to think about a situation from different viewpoints. And, along the way, I have learned that as an educational leader you must never lose touch with the children whom we serve and those who most directly impact them, the teachers.
What leadership article has inspired you?
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