Oakland University

Education Specialist EA 701

Julie Zemnickas
Internship Reflection 1

Introduction

I currently work for Oakland Schools in the Career Focused Education department. I am
a Health Science Teacher and recently took on the role of Cluster Teacher Leader. The Cluster
Teacher Leader role is in addition to my classroom responsibilities. This was a perfect time to
transition into this role while attending The Galileo Leadership Institute and working on the
Educational Specialist courses. I now view my role differently as a classroom teacher and as
Cluster Teacher Leader because of the course work and internship experiences.
Course Work Experiences
The course work through Galileo has helped me analyze my current practices in the
classroom and modify my instructional and assessment practices. Participation in the readings
such as Mindset by Carol Dweck, seminars on Formative Assessment, discussions on facilitation
of meetings and the format of the instructional practices that have helped me develop better
practices to engage students in learning and help develop as learners. Every time we attend
Galileo we are participating in many instructional practices that keep us as adult learners moving
and engaged. Teaching high school students I have been able to utilize those practices to keep
students learning through their engagement in the classroom. Being a Galileo leader is not just
what happens with your peers but it is definitely something that has me developing my
leadership qualities with my students.
The Oakland University courses have also been challenging but rewarding. Starting with
Failure is Not an Option and analyzing leadership through The Four Frames of
Organizations outlined by Bolman and Deal had a very profound effect on my outlook as a
teacher leader or administrator. Every course I have participated in has had a direct relationship
to the ISLLC standards for administration and has provided me with opportunities to apply what
I am learning in meaningful assignments. Not only am I learning from the assignments but from
the opportunity to collaborate with such a diverse group of educators in Galileo and in the
Educational Specialist Program has been a great experience.
Internship Experience
The role as Cluster Teacher Leader has been an interesting experience. When I applied
for the position I knew the group of teachers I would be working with. They are my peers and
have been working with some of them my entire career at Oakland Schools. I do not view the job
in a boss role but see it as a facilitator. The cluster meetings that we attend once a month for
professional development have not been viewed as positive over the years so I knew I would
need to build a new culture with my group. This has been challenging but with the course work
in the Ed. Specialist and Galileo programs I had resources and practices that helped me develop a
positive culture with my group.
This past year, during my internship I have spent a considerable amount of time on
culture, curriculum, assessment, and student achievement. I have had the opportunity to work
with business partners to increase work experiences for students, I am working on articulation
agreements with colleges to provide better transition to post-secondary experiences for students.
I have spent a considerable amount of time analyzing my Health Science Program and
identifying areas that need improvement. Next year I will be working with my group as the
Teacher Leader to improve student achievement. The inquiry project was a great opportunity to
really look at the ability to individualize professional development for my group with a common
goal of student achievement.
For next years internship I look forward to participating in more of the business side of
leadership and administration. Participating in the human resource course was an excellent
opportunity to think about my leadership style and what my goals would be in working with staff
as an administrator. Assignments like the Webster Case in which we analyzed a school that has
poor culture and student achievement and developed an action plan and timeline for
improvement was an excellent opportunity to apply what I have learned from EA 740.
Constructing interview questions was another activity that will be helpful during this next year
while participating on interview teams.
ISLLC Standards
Identifying my strengths and weaknesses utilizing the standards was an excellent way for
me to begin my journey through this program. Working with the standards and developing my
plan of study has been a valuable way to see my progress and develop a plan for the areas that
still need development through the next years to come. The expectations are very clear through
this process and I can see where each assignment and activity ties into the standards including
the electronic portfolio. I have enjoyed putting the portfolio together and reflecting on my
accomplishments over the past year. I plan on adopting this process for my own students in the
upcoming year. This has been a very valuable way to demonstrate my learning through the
ISLLC standards.
Conclusion
Moving forward I know that I have made the right decision for my career and education.
Leadership is something that is inherent but leaders need the right tools to be successful.
Characteristics such as integrity and honesty is not something you can learn in school but the
ISLLC standards clearly identify the areas that are needed for administrators to be successful in
their role. I look forward to the upcoming year of the Ed. Specialist program and the activities I
have identified for myself. I plan on shadowing other administrators from the Oakland
Opportunity Academy to gain better insight on different practices and apply what I learn in the
upcoming courses.