Harleen Singh

EA 8940
Reflective Essay

As I sit to write this final paper, I am disbelief our two years have come to a close. I

still remember debating whether I wanted to embark on this journey, unsure where it

would take me and why I was pursuing my Educational Specialist Degree. Little did I know,

I would be sitting here, 22 months later, feeling like a completely different educator than I

did when I first started.

When I first started this program, I had also started my new role as the K-12 Math

Teacher Leader. I started both of these new ventures not knowing where they would take

me nor where I wanted them to take me. I had been encouraged many times to consider

administration but it never seemed like something I would be interested in nor truly,

capable of. However, as I wrap up this program and close to two and half years of this

program, I can confidently say I feel well prepared of new adventures that lay ahead of me.

For me, change is something that I embrace because I know it is a part of life, but it

is something that makes me uncomfortable. If I could, I would stick to what I know, but as I

mentioned, I know in order to embrace life fully, change is something I need to seek and

conquer. The experiences I had through this program, my internship, and my role, I am

ready to welcome change and the next step in my career. I know there is much I still do not

know but do feel I am well equipped to face those unknowns in a confident, capable

manner. At the heart of this program, understanding the components and characteristics of

an effective leader allowed me the opportunity to be introspective of who I am, what I

stand for, and what I want to be known for as a leader. Having opportunities to think about

my vision, my mission, my beliefs, and my truth has prepared me for what I want my
leadership style to be. If nothing else, I feel having the opportunity to learn about myself as

a leader has been the biggest takeaway from this program. I feel confident in who I am and

how I want to support my students, my staff, and my community as I progress to the next

steps in my career.

As I reflect upon my professional and growth, I feel question #4 on the ELCC surveys

completely summarizes my growth through my experiences and this program. When I took

this survey back in 2017, when asked what best describes my current status, I selected

“Teacher Leader”. However, 22 months later, when asked the same question, not recalling

what I had selected in 2017, this time I selected “Aspiring Administrator”. Just seeing the

difference in this question alone brings me to such joy and pride. As I continue to review

the difference between my 2017 results to now, I am in disbelief how much my confidence

has grown as a leader. Where most of the categories were developing at the beginning of

the program, I am not feeling Proficient or Exemplary in almost all of the prompts. This

growth excites me about what the future holds and encourages me that I *am* ready for

whatever changes are yet to come! Thank you for an incredible learning and growing

experience.