Running head: HARDY FINAL REFLECTION 1

Final Reflection of Internship

Lana G. Hardy

August 16, 2019

George Washington University

EUC 6287- Summer 2019

Dr. James Tucker

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Final Reflection of Internship

I worried that I would not find an internship that would provide the experiences I need, and

then I began at George Washington Middle School with Mr. Paul George as a mentor. I could not

have asked for a better placement. As a child, I remember asking my mother how to spell a word

or to tell me what a word meant. Her response was always, “go look it up!” In those moments I

would be aggravated that she would not simply provide me with the information I needed.

However, I realized over time that it was in exploring on my own with her nearby guidance, that I

was able to more deeply understand how to access information independently.

How I engaged in the internship process

Mr. George’s mentoring style was very familiar and much like that of my mother’s.

Therefore, I engaged in the internship process with both a high degree of independence and a high

degree of guidance. This allowed me to determine the best methods to accomplish the internship

tasks as I might when I am in the leadership role. When I was assigned a task, Mr. George allowed

me to use my prior knowledge (when appropriate) to determine how I would accomplish it and

then he would review my course of action and compare it to his decision-making process. This

experience allowed me to engage in a collaborative leadership role with other interns as well as

essential staff members. I had to learn how to engage the necessary staff and share responsibility

efficiently with others. I engaged in lunch duty; breakfast duty; bus duty; meetings with

administration, teachers, and security; interviews; field trip planning and preparation; scheduling;

discipline; security protocols; walk-throughs; and planning and attending school events.

As I completed some of the internship tasks at Eagle Academy, the mentoring style was

different. Thus, I engaged in the internship process slightly differently. I consistently engaged in

walkthroughs and then working with a Urban Teachers resident during this internship. However,
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as I tackled activities that would meet the NELP standard, it was under direct guidance with

constant direction provided.

Mastery of leadership issues and NELP standards

While I acquired some experience completing tasks that correlate with each of the NELP

standards, there are some NELP standards that I believe I developed a greater level of mastery. My

background as a student, teacher, and aspiring leader, have contributed to my awareness and

advocacy for an ethical school. I met the expectations of NELP standard 2.2 as I recalled what I

learned in school law and utilized my understanding of FERPA and school discipline (regarding

special education) during my internship. I was privy to sensitive information and had to use the

information to work for the benefit of students, while considering students’ rights.

Often times teachers and professors give scenarios for students to contemplate what they

would do in a given situation. Leadership, however, is complex. There is rarely a situation in which

you will do the same thing each time. I had a significant amount of practice with NELP standard

6.3 during this internship as we consistently evaluated policies around lunch, bus security, and

more. The communication of the implementation of regulations was handled differently,

depending on the issue. Sometimes it was verbal in a meeting, sometimes we relayed the

information in an email, sometimes in visits to classrooms, and sometimes multiple methods of

communication were used.

Implications for future leadership decisions

“In many instances, judgements about what needs fixing are made on the basis of simplistic

checklists that have little or nothing to do with the direct experience of teachers in their classrooms”

(City et al., 2018, p. 4). This correlates directly with something Mr. George highlighted as a

significant factor in the success of the administrator- face-time with staff. I could not count the

times I heard him ask, “what do you think about_____?” It was common practice for him to hear
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the voices of multiple levels of staff members. He didn’t just listen to the input from others, but

would sometimes refuse to make a decision without hearing from multiple parties.

It is important to hire effectively; however, many times you inherit your staff. Having a

good team is vital to the success of the school. This network of staff “shows us that together, we

are and can become a lot smarter than if we each tried to think about and improve teaching and

learning on our own” (City et al., 2018, p. 96). This is not a job that can be done alone. I will need

my staff’s support, viewpoint, and expertise. The instructional coordinator during the internship

demonstrated a different interpretation that forced me to further consider my future leadership

approach. As we discussed a professional learning session, he advised me to be mindful of

encouraging a growth mindset and a collaborative culture. This was not only for culture building

purposes. It is meant to create a network that allows for multiple lenses to be represented and to

increase accuracy in identifying strengths and areas of growth.

More importantly, I learned in this internship to focus on what I do well. I went into this

internship nervous that I would underperform. Rath and Conchie (2009) warn against focusing on

your weaknesses. Rather, they claim that “without an awareness of your strengths, it’s almost

impossible for you to lead effectively. We all lead in very different ways, based on our talents and

our limitations. Serious problems occur when we think we need to be exactly like the leaders we

admire. Doing so takes us out of our natural element and practically eliminates our chances of

success” (p. 10). Fortunately for me, the leader I admire surprisingly has a leadership style very

much like my own. I discovered strengths I didn’t realize I had under his guidance that reminded

me so much of home. This familiarity, despite our obvious physical differences, heightens passion

for equity and the desire to advocate for it in our schools. I hope to take what I’ve learned from

my mentor and about my strengths as I embark on my leadership journey in the future.

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References

Rath, T., & Conchie, B. (2009). Strengths based leadership: Great leaders, teams, and why

people follow. New York: Gallup Press.

City, E. A., Elmore, R. F., Fiarman, S. E., Teitel, L., & Lachman, A. (2018). Instructional rounds

in education: A network approach to improving teaching and learning. Cambridge, MA:

Harvard Education Press.