Part D- Reflection

Part D: Reflections on Reflective Leadership

            Reflection is a skill that although we begin at a young age, can often times disappear if not constantly fine-tuned and refined.  In addition, reflection is also something that some may not find valuable and not make time to do in the world that we live in.  I believe that people forget to reflect on their work because the job of being school leader is one that the job of being a school leader is one that is fast paced and often time moving from one thing to another leaving us very little time to critically think about the work that we have completed before jumping into the next item on our to do list.

            When reflecting back on my superintendent course work, there are several opportunities and activities in which I feel have helped to shape me to become a better leader and to change my future path due to deep thinking about the completed work.  The first course that I believe changed me was the hardest course of the program for me personally.  In EDLD 5342, I learned about the detailed inner workings of school finance and the complicated systems that must run fluidly in order to appropriately run a school district.  As mentioned in previous posts, I am a new building principal, so the world of school finance terrified me before entering this role.  I had limited encounters with school finance and my understanding about how it worked was minimal.  I had run several small budgets before, but the task of running a much larger budget was terrifying.  Through my internship and the coursework required by the professors, I took the task of learning about Weighted ADA, building a school budget, and staffing formulas seriously in that I knew that I must become much more familiar with how they are calculated and managed much more seriously and left the course feeling more confident and supported by those who could provide me with answers to lingering questions and situations which I might have been unfamiliar with.  School finance although still scary, is a part of the job that I am less fearful of and much more confident in my skills as a leader.  When I reflect on the courses, I am proud of the growth that I showed in this 5-week course and look forward to continuing to learn and grow in this area.

            The second part of the program that I felt changed me, as a leader was my internship, EDLD 5396.  When looking through my campus activity logs, I recognize that I was afforded many opportunities that have become invaluable and have helped me to build networks and relationships that will pay off dividends in the long run.  A few examples of the most meaningful internship experiences were the opportunity to testify in Austin with my superintendent regarding House Bill 5, working on several cross-functional teams to support the work of the district, and learning more about the leadership pipeline and how to support the work that they were doing to build capacity and future leaders within the system.   In typing this I realize how wonderful these opportunities were and that the conversations and relationships that I built throughout the process will forever guide the work that I do as a leader, whether it be as a building principal or central level administrator, from this point on.  I had several people show me that they believed in the work that I was doing and the work that I was capable of achieving and that confidence will help me in my efforts to achieve new levels as a leader.  I think about the conversations that I had with various people and advice I was given often when making decisions and I don't know that without my internship that I would have been given the same opportunities.

            Next, the assignments that I enjoyed the most were all of the interviews that we conducted throughout the program.  Although I have worked in the same district for my entire education career, the superintendents and senior staff seemed to be busy people who worked hard and were constantly going from one thing to another.  Conducting the interviews allowed for me to stop and see the people behind the job and reminded me that everyone needs that opportunity to see that side of a leader.  Since conducing the interviews, I have made more time to allow my staff to stop and get to know me as a person while still continuing to finish the work of principal, and the culture and climate of my school has changed dramatically.  I will continue to be mindful of this as I work through my program and continue on my leadership journey.

            The blogs and discussions that I had during this course were great opportunities to learn about others who are embarking on this journey of becoming a school leader and I know that several of them will become superintendents who I hope to be given the opportunity to work with over time.  As in my doctoral program, I feel that one of the greatest strength of the design of the program are the relationships that we build with others as we move through the process.  I have gained so much from the insightful comments that my peers have provided me and they have challenged my thinking on a variety of topics.  There are a couple of classmates that I pick up the phone and call to talk through situations and scenarios which in the past I might have just jumped right into the solution and I believe that is a real example of reflection.  For example, the entire state is trying to solve the issue of writing and why so many students are struggling, and with the Superintendent program, I was able to call some local principals to discuss the work that they are doing to ensure that I am not just spinning my wheels at my own campus.  In turn, I then called our central office to share my findings, which saved us hours of time in the long run.  In addition, even last weeks job entry plan assignment made me think about the first 365 days as a superintendent or campus leader and I have changed my mind hundreds of times about the work that I would do in the first 7, 14, 28, and 365 days. 

            The last six months were intense to say the least, but looking back on the insight and experience, I wouldn't change any of it for another one.  I honestly believe that the superintendent program has been a fantastic experience for me and there are skills and practices that I learned that will be with me throughout my career.  Being a superintendent is more than just passing a test, it is about learning to lead the people that you work with and having them in returning wanting to follow.  I know that I am not ready today, but I am confident in time, and with the support of my colleagues, that I will eventually get there.  Thank you