“It seems to me so silly in life not to pursue the highest possible thing you can imagine, the biggest possible thing you can imagine, the best possible thing you can imagine, even if you run the risk of losing it all.”

~ Francis Ford Coppola

Educational Leadership Philosophy:

Mary Pettit’s educational leadership philosophy is based on the premise that effective leaders communicate the need for constant, clear, and open dialogue. Effective leaders also set aside fear and uncertainty, roll up their sleeves, and collaborate to create trust and a safe space where all voices are heard and valued. In addition, effective leaders enable and support others while also learning from others along the way. Effective leaders are humble. Humble leaders care more about the learning process than about who gets the credit. Finally, effective leaders lead with conviction. They are persistent, determined, and passionate about helping others to succeed. Mary believes that grassroots leaders inspire others and are equally inspired by others.

Educational Background:

Mary Pettit attended Roger Williams University and graduated in 1995 earning a B.A. in psychology with a minor in Elementary Education. In 1997, she attended Dowling College where she earned her M.S.Ed. in elementary education as well as attained certification in Special Education and Literacy. In 1998, Mary proudly accepted her first probationary position as a 1st grade classroom teacher. For the past 25 years, she has taught 1st, 3rd, 4th, and since 2008, 5th grade. She describes education as an ever changing and evolving field. She states that with each new program, initiative, or reform effort, educators, leaders, and theorists come and go. Those who know Mary personally as well as professionally can attest to her constant pursuit of knowledge and quest for learning. As a matter of fact, when asked about her constant pursuit of knowledge, she stated that “if a program or initiative doesn’t make sense, I will not go through the motions and live in a state of misunderstanding while my heart tells me it is not in the best interest of my students.” In 2020, during the height of the pandemic when being an educator took on a whole new set of challenges, Mary pursued National Certification, the most rigorous teacher certification in the country.

After two years of engaging in a highly reflective and collaborative process, she achieved National Certification in Literacy, an accomplishment that only 30% of educators achieve on their first attempt. The knowledge acquired through this prestigious and rigorous process has allowed her to develop into a highly reflective practitioner who exhibits confidence in her abilities, and an unwavering commitment to her peers and her students. During the Board of Education’s recognition of her achievement she stated that her motivation for pursuing this opportunity was that, “when my voice is stronger, my student’s voices are stronger”. In addition to the National Certification journey, Mary embarked on a doctoral journey in Educational Leadership for Diverse Learning Communities at Molly University. As a result, she has met educators from many walks of life. Recently, Mary’s proposal titled “Invisible Literacies: An Educator’s Map to Finding the Hidden Treasures: From Theory, to Approach, to Praxis” was accepted and she was invited to present at the Third International Conference on Literacy, Culture, and Language Education (ICLCLE) to be held at Indiana University, October 14-16th, 2022.

Mary’s Blog Intentions:

Universal Digital Literacies, LLC is a celebration and a quest for knowledge. No matter how many years you have been an educator or how many years you “have left”…it is important to recognize where you have been and how far you have come on your journey. The average teacher spends 30 years of their lives influencing the lives of children. 30 years multiplied by an average of 25 students a year = 750 lives! That is amazing and so are you.