Frank Hebron

EDL 651 Administrative Internship

Prof. Aronowitz
11/3/16
Reflection Demonstrating Personal and Professional Growth Essay
Leaders Hold Themselves and Others Responsible and Accountable
A few weeks back it was the morning from hell. I overslept, there was
no hot water in the shower, and my four-year old daughter had a meltdown
of epic proportions because my wife and I told her she couldnt wear a
particular dress she wanted to wear to school that day. After dealing with the
wardrobe crisis, I jumped into my car and began backing out of my driveway
when I noticed the garbage pails had been knocked over and garbage was
strewn across the front yard. The neighborhood raccoons must have realized
we had chicken for dinner the previous night. I quickly cleaned up the mess
and headed toward work. About ten minutes into my drive I realized I forgot
my cell phone. I doubled back home, retrieved the phone, then proceeded to
get stuck in westbound Southern State Parkway traffic for forty minutes. As
the clock was ticking closer to the 7:50 a.m. sign-in time, I finally approached
the school. I was in a dilemma because the parking lot I normally pull into
was closed due to the buses pulling in. So I made a quick turn and went to
the rear parking lot hoping I could get in that way. As I pulled up to the lot,
the security aide had just closed the swing gate, blocking access to the lot. I
rolled down the window and asked him if he could do me a solid and let me
through, he initially said no, but then felt bad as he knows me pretty well,
and he opened the gate. I thanked him for helping me out, parked my car
and rushed to the main office to sign-in on time.
Today, as I was walking outside during recess I approached that same
security aide who mans the back parking lot and asked him how he was
doing. He told me he had a story to share about something that happened
that morning. He told me one of the staff members was trying to access the
back lot after he closed the swing gate. He informed the staff member she
would have to park her car in the street and walk to the building. She argued
with him, but after realizing she wasnt getting anywhere, she reluctantly
parked her car where he told her to. As she walked past the guard, she made
a flippant comment to him saying only Frank Hebron can get you to open
the gate.
My immediate reaction when I heard that was extreme irritation. My
Irish temper got the better of me and I wanted to know who it was. How
dare someone criticize me like that I thought to myself. After all I do around
here, thats the thanks I get. The guard didnt know the staff member by
name, and he told me he responded to her comment by saying I was the
dean of the school and if I needed to get into the lot he was going to let me

in. As I cooled off, we laughed about it for a bit and then I went back to my
office.
Throughout the day the story stuck in my head and I couldnt get it off
my mind. As I played it back in my head I began to realize I was wrong. And
not only because I asked a colleague for a favor and put him in a bad spot,
but because as an authority figure in the school I need to lead by example.
The staff member was right to be incensed that I got through the gate and
she had to park in the street. The rules should apply to me like everyone
else. I mean, if you also look at it from another perspective; the dean of the
school gives consequences to the students for not following the rules, but he
can do whatever he damn well pleases, that sends an awful message to the
school community. Another consideration is why give someone reason to bad
mouth you? I should have realized someone was watching. Now some people
who witnessed it might have thought nothing of it, while others, like this
particular staff member, filed it in her memory rolodex and was biding her
time just waiting to play that card. Something I always tell me students when
they believe a teacher is out to get them is: dont give them the ammo,
meaning dont give them a reason to write you up. I should have followed my
own advice that day at the gate.
Another thought I gestated was when I asked the security aide to do
me a favor. It didnt cross my mind that I was the dean asking him to do it,
but rather hey buddy, do me solid. I now understand thats something I
need to be mindful of with all my encounters with staff. Although technically
Im not an administrator, many people perceive me to be and do hold me to
a higher standard. At school, I make a conscious effort to model good
behavior for my students and the same should apply with my colleagues.
Perception is everything.
Later in the day I went back to the security aide and apologized to
him. I told him it was wrong of me to ask him to let me in that day and I
promised to never do it again. I thanked him for defending me to the staff
member, but told him the explanation he offered portrays me to be above
the rules, which Im not. The security aide laughed it off and said dont worry
about it, but still, it was a conversation I needed to have with him.
My next conversation was to the staff member. I told her it was brought
to my attention about what happened in the parking lot and I explained to
her she had a right to be upset and I understood why she was angry. I told
her I was wrong to ask the guard to open the gate that morning and I
assured her it wouldnt happen a second time.
Over the years working in education, Ive worked with many
administrators. From observing good ones and bad ones, theres always
something to learn from each of them. One of my biggest peeves are the
leaders who practice: do as I say not as I do. When I come across that
mentality, I lose a lot of respect for that person. It makes it extremely difficult
to for me to buy-in to what they are selling. How can you possibly be
respected as a leader when you are perceived as a hypocrite?

One of my attributes as a dean which I pride myself on is that I

wouldnt ask anybody to do something I wasnt prepared to do myself. As a
big Game of Thrones fan, a particular line from the books that always stuck
with me is the man who passes sentence should swing the sword. Now I
realize middle school is not Westeros and Im not tasked with executing the
malcontents, but I do find the message behind that line to be inspiring and I
try to emulate it in the work I do.
After I thought about what happened that day in the parking lot I was
disappointed in myself. I shouldve known better and I kicked myself for not
realizing what I was doing. I realize as a leader mistakes will be made. Better
to learn from those mistakes and take responsibility than be dismissive
and/or make excuses. To quote a great line from Lou Holtz about making
excuses: the man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to
be the one who dropped it. I love this line and it is one I use often with my
students. No one is perfect, but to not acknowledge your mistakes is making
an even bigger mistake. It also sends a terrible message to your followers
and sets a pretty bad example. While much of this paper is spent discussing
the importance of leaders holding themselves accountable, the same applies
to leaders holding their subordinates accountable as well. Being a leader is
not always easy and its certainly not a popularity contest, sometimes it
means making the hard decisions.
Trait theories help us identify traits and qualities that are helpful when
leading others. In my humble opinion, holding oneself accountable is one of
the most important qualities of being an effective leader. I know in the grand
scheme of things the story I shared here may appear to be small potatoes,
but this minor incident taught me several valuable lessons in leadership. It
got me to start thinking about the bigger picture and thinking about the way
people perceive me and the example I want to set. On the internet I read a
good piece of advice from Dr. Gene Klann, a respected leadership expert,
who says leaders live in a fishbowl and are always being watched. They
should always be conscious of that fact and take advantage of it.
I can honestly say my experiences from this administration program
has opened my eyes to looking at things with a different perspective (in a
good way I might add). I am excited about the progress I have made and look
forward to the growth I will continue to make.
Leaders Know and Understand What It Means and What It
Takes to be a Leader
Just the other day during dismissal, an adult male in his 30s walked up
to a group of our middle school students standing outside the building
waiting to be picked up by their parents. The man threw several dollar bills
on the sidewalk and told the children take the money and download the
app, its for kids. The students then scrambled to pick up the money as the
man walked away. Apparently the individual was promoting a social media
site as the bills had stickers on them promoting the app. This individual

created quite the disturbance and a particularly dangerous situation

considering he did this at a time when there is high volume of traffic on that
road. My thoughts instantly went to what if one of those bills had blown into
the street and a child, who wasnt thinking, couldve chased after it and
gotten hit by a car. Fortunately, a student, who happened to pick up one of
the bills, told her mother as she got into the car. Her mother promptly
brought her to my office to report what happened. I was very appreciative for
the parent bringing this to my attention and I commended the student for
reporting this to her mother.
Now, it was about 3:30 p.m. when I finished speaking to the parent and
student. I needed to be at my daughters day car by 4:00 p.m. in Smithtown
to pick her up. At that particular day and time I was the only authority figure
in the school. I knew a needed a couple of hours to handle this incident
properly, as I had surveillance video to review, phone calls to make and emails to send. My concern was not only for the safety of the students in our
own building, but I thought about this individual doing something reckless in
front of one of our other schools as well. I took a deep breath and called my
wife asking her if she could leave work early to pick up our daughter. When
all was said and done, I left work that day at 8:00 p.m.
Over the years in my role as dean, Ive been faced with a number of
moments similar to this where the tough choices needed to be made, and at
times, even sacrifices too. When I took the position of being a dean in the
school I accepted the responsibility of being a leader in the building. Part of
being a leader means sometimes putting the needs of the school before my
own. Thats what leaders do. Famed leadership Simon Sinek says leaders
are the ones who are willing to risk, when it matters, their own interests so
that others may advance. I believe in this principle and I apply it regularly in
my decision making.
Leaders Never Stop Learning and Honing their Skills
In Administrative Core I class, I remember reading a chapter on leadership
and a one particular section of the text stuck with me. It asked the question can we
learn to become leaders? I believe with hard work, dedication, and determination it
is possible. Not everyone is a natural born leader. There are many components that
go into becoming an effective leader, especially in the school setting. As equally
important to having an adept leadership skill set, an administrator must also have
proficient management skills. I think those who have both those traits are the
administrators who truly stand out. A quote I came across sums it up nicely,
managers do things right, while leaders do the right things. Warren G. Bennis,
leadership scholar. A school leader must be equally adept at those two things.
I understand learning management skills is learning process. As someone
who works closely with building administration, I can see how easily administrators
can be consumed by the daily management duties of running a building. At times it
seems overwhelming. When does one find the time to become an educational
leader when one is juggling all sorts of issues on a given day? In order to manage
efficiently, it is important to create a strong organizational structure and culture in

the building. Time management is another crucial skill an effective administrator

needs to master.
When I was hired as a dean it was right in the middle of the school year. I was
thrown right into the mix, no preparatory time, just hit the ground running. I can still
remember my first day walking into my office looking at the large pile of untouched
discipline referrals and parent messages sitting on my desk. Initially, the job was
overwhelming, but as the days passed by, I put in both the time and effort into
learning the position and made it my own. Gradually things got better. I expect the
same will happen when I take on an administrative position in the future. I wont
have all the answers at first, but with hard work and determination the situation will
eventually improve.
Reflecting on my coursework on leadership, it is evident to me that there is no
one perfect way to lead. It is important to make the position your own and be
genuine. A good leader will also be receptive to new ideas and work to evolve as
time changes. Effective leaders will always ask questions and actively seek
answers.
Leaders Support, Develop, and Nurture Staf
To address this characteristic of effective leadership, I need to share a story
which applies to this belief. It involves XXXXXXX, a mutual acquaintance of ours.
Over the years, working as a dean in the middle school, Ive had some
interaction working with the districts assistant superintendent, XXXXXXX. Our
contact usually revolved around two circumstances: discussing the districts
V.A.D.I.R. report before it was submitted to the state and seeing each other at a
student superintendents suspension hearing, where she would be chairing and Id
be the witness for the school. We developed a friendly relationship over time. I
respected her a great deal and I could tell she was appreciative of my work. One
day I received a phone call from her informing me she was going on vacation the
following week and asked me if I would chair her position as hearing officer in the
event there was a suspension at the high school. I was flabbergasted. I
remembering tripping over my words as I told her yes. I think what hit me the
hardest was the fact that she had such confidence in me. To this day I still
remember the feeling of pride I had after that phone call. It made me feel like I
could accomplish anything. It was also the moment I began to contemplate
resuming my administration coursework. My only hope is one day I can make one of
my future subordinates feel as I did that day.
I share that story because I believe in the power of that moment. Effective
leaders provide opportunities for their staff to reach their full potential, both
personally and professionally. We do that by supporting, developing and nurturing
them. Sometimes its the little things that make a big difference. Things like;
following up on a staff members concern, offering a complimentary job well done,
or being just being there in time of need. These are simple gestures that can
change a staff members attitude and also serves as a great motivational tool.