Reflections on Leadership

These past eighteen months in the Education Specialist Program at Oakland

University have been a whirlwind. I have learned so much about myself and have grown

both personally and professionally. This program has shown me that I have the

wherewithal to thrive in an intensive, advanced program of study while enduring

unforeseen challenges, hardships and tragedies. Through this program, I have gained

insights into my strengths and intrinsic leadership abilities. I have been left with a

rewarding sense of accomplishment.

My field experience was incredibly transformative. With the guidance of my mentor I

learned a lot about myself and about the job of an administrator. While I’ve been an

educator for over 30 years, I found that the field experience allowed me to see the role

of administrator in a new light. As I accumulated field experience hours I found that the

coursework in this program truly supported the lessons I learned from my mentor and

the tasks that I was given to support my internship.

While completing this program and my internship I was afforded the opportunity to

act as the administrator for Hazel Park Public School’s Online Summer School Program.

The experience allowed me to practice the administrative skills I learned during my

internship and to learn some skills that are not traditionally attributed to building

principals. Not only did I manage staff and students, stay in contact with parents and
monitor progress but I was required to complete payroll documents. I also changed

school districts shortly after completing my internship hours.

My move from Hazel Park Schools to Grosse Pointe Public Schools enabled me to

gain experience with a completely different demographic of students and community

which really brought to life the lessons learned in the School Finance Class. This move

enabled me to see the vast differences that economic influence can have on a district.

The difference in funding due to the socio-economic status of the community was

completely different in the two districts. Where one was plagued by such challenges as

declining enrollment, high teacher turnover due to salary decreases and cuts to the

offered curriculum, the other was flourishing with a varied list of classes offered to the

students and the teacher stability due to financial support. I couldn’t have asked for a

better illustration of lessons learned.

When I walked into the first class of this program, back in January of 2020, I had

no idea what to expect. I had not been in school since 1996, when I earned my Master’s

Degree, and I was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to do this. As I completed my first

semester, I experienced something that sustained me through the next eighteen months.

I found within myself the ability to meet incredibly difficult circumstances and not only

survive, but thrive.

I never dreamed that so soon after beginning this program the entire world would

come to a screeching halt due to a global pandemic. Not only did I have to refocus my
way of conducting my internship remotely, but everything about the Education

Leadership Program changed. The entire modality of the program switched overnight,

forcing me to change with it. I think I learned more about myself and the field of

education in those few months after the shutdown than I could have learned in years. I

learned that I could be more flexible in my thinking than I ever imagined. I learned that I

could reimagine my way of presenting things to my students and parents and that by

making those shifts in thinking, I was making myself a stronger leader.

Working with my team on our action research project was another growth

experience that I will remember fondly. Our work examining the effectiveness of staff

cultural proficiency training was fascinating. The research opened my eyes to the many

nuances of cultural proficiency that should be addressed in teacher training. As a future

administrator, this research inspired me to consider various ways of approaching staff

cultural awareness training in my school next year. Working with a team taught me the

true value of working with a team toward a common goal. The team work taught me, not

only the advantages of Working together, but the importance of being able to delegate

work when needed.

One of the advantages to working through this program in a cohort is that I was

able to learn from the people who went through this with me. The ten members of this

program each had strengths that were shared with the class in those first few classes,

before the pandemic shutdown. We were able to share our experiences, our ideas and
our insight into what we had done in our careers with one another. As I look back at how

much I learned from my fellow classmates I am amazed. Many of the cohort members

were already working as administrators so they had a perspective that those of us who

were still teaching did not. As we all moved to the program we found ourselves relying on

the wisdom of our fellow classmates almost as much as our teachers. I must say that

when I walked into that first class I had no idea that I would finish this program with nine

lifelong friends.

I truly appreciate the mindfulness that was embedded within this program. The

guided practices and the techniques we learned helped me to make it through the

Isolation and frustrations during the lockdown and pandemic. I know that these

mindfulness practices will allow me to stay focused and centered when moving into an

administrative position. I will also be able to draw upon the lessons learned from

mindfulness when working with students as a counselor.

My decision to embark upon this journey was one of the best that I’ve ever made.

Through the experiences that I gained, the people I met, and the knowledge I learned I

have discovered a strength that I didn’t know I had and a new path to follow.