Running Head: REFLECTIVE ESSAY

Reflective Essay
Craig Bryant
East Texas Baptist University

Mark Twain once said, The secret of getting ahead is getting started. This statement
seems fitting for a student starting the pursuit of a Masters degree in the second Practicum of
two. Just getting started was an uphill climb. Most students already had methods and systems in
place, such as mentors, APA style, Weebly, and portfolios. It felt as if I were playing catch-up for
much of the semester. This was not a bad thing, mind you, but just simply part of the reality of
my choice to begin the program at the point in which I did. What this did was force me to stay
constantly focused. Focus was not my attitude of choice on my first go around in higher
education, so I am proud of the level of work that I have maintained thus far. Consequently, this
getting started phase is surely helping me to get ahead.
I have honestly enjoyed my experience in the Practicum. It has not been without certain
frustrations, but it has been a wonderful experience none the less. It has sometimes been fun and
sometimes less so, but always challenging. The thing I was most excited for was the opportunity
to gain real world experience through my internship with my mentor. Having played sports my
whole life it felt as if I was going onto the playing field and suiting up. Although this did not
materialize in the way I had hoped, I still came away with invaluable lessons.
One of those lessons was that if I were going to get my feet wet I was going to have jump
in the pool myself. At times I felt as if obtaining eighty hours of internship under my current
mentor was going to be an impossible task. Then I would talk to one of my classmates and they
would tell me they were working on hour 110. It was curious to me how they were seemingly
such a help to their campus principal and I felt like an afterthought to mine. It took me going
back to my mentor several times in order for me to slowly start procuring hours and hitting the
competencies. There was an anxiety filled moment when I called my wife and explained to her
how I was never going to be able to fulfill my practicum duties.

It turns out there are actually a couple of good reasons for the hours to come so slowly.
First, my mentor was new to our campus. He has had great experience in the field as a principal
and as a traveling discipline consultant, but he was hitting the ground running, just as I was. He
was getting acclimated to a new district, a new campus, new coworkers, and a new state test.
Additionally, I teach 8th grade math which is a STAAR tested subject. There was understandable
reluctance on the part of our administrators to allow me out of class in order to intern. In fact, on
one particular day that I was scheduled to have a substitute so that I could get in a solid ten
hours, the principal asked me if we could hold off until after the STAAR tests were over. I was
still a handful of hours and competencies away from eighty and waiting until then would have
meant not working on my needs until April 24th, the day after my portfolio and presentation were
due. I spoke with him and explained the situation. He allowed me the day, but I was panicking
for a few moments.
As an educator, I feel as if I have learned important lessons that will undoubtedly help me
grow professionally. Those lessons mainly stem from seeing the campus through the lens of an
administrator. Moving through the ILD curriculum, as well as hearing reasons for my mentors
decisions, has given me an insight into why certain decisions are made. I have a deeper
understanding of how situations are faculty and students are dealt with. These insights help me in
the classroom to make better decisions, and help to facilitate my own growth as an educator.
Becoming a student again, this time with a family and a full time job, has certainly come
with challenges. As mentioned earlier, I was not a student who was full of focus in my time spent
as an undergraduate. Obviously, I finally graduated but with less than stellar honors. Thankfully
my wife and parents trusted me to move forward with my post graduate goals. Their belief and
confidence in me has in turn given me confidence in myself to not only pass, but to thrive and do

well. Likewise, the high expectations of the practicum experience, and frankly, of Dr. Winters
has propelled my confidence level. Moreover, being in class with like- minded individuals has
been exponentially beneficial to my success. I seriously considered an online masters course at
one time because I thought that I would not have the time to attend evening classes. I am very
glad that I made the decision to apply and attend at my alma mater. I am getting something at
ETBU that I would not get online. That is face to face personal attention. I know that had I
chosen an online course that I would not be getting the experience that I am fortunate to be
getting now.
Administratively, I am learning quite a bit from the ILD curriculum and my mentor. ILD
has introduced me to the various types of leadership, how to effectively collaborate, and even to
the world of scripting. Even though I got off to a slow start with my mentor, I eventually was
able to sit in on student and teacher meetings, which gave me valuable lessons on how handle
certain situations. My mentor is excellent at working with people and undeniably tactful. The
most important lesson that I have learned, in my opinion, is that an administrator should work
collaboratively as much as possible while still being able to make tough decisions on his or her
own.
Overall, my practicum experience has been invigorating. I have learned many lessons
throughout these last couple of months, and I look forward to next semester where I can take
some of this knowledge, apply it, and grow even more. Now that I have started, maybe I can
finally get ahead.