Reflection is critical to the success of any leader. In education it is especially critical because we have new and different experiences everyday. It may be a similar situation, but it is always something new. Our decisions are shaped by our prior knowledge. If we reflect on those prior experiences we are better equipped to make a better decision the next time a similar situation arises. Reflection should be done shortly after your experience and it should be done consistently. Reflection is an important skill in leadership because it allows you to reevaluate earlier situations to improve upon them. Without reflection an individual is more likely to make the same mistake more than once.
In reflection of our superintendent program I think the professors intentionally made reflection a major focus because they have witnessed first-hand how powerful it can be. We were very lucky to have such a fantastic group of professors and their supporting cast. I enjoyed all of our classes and professors, but I particularly enjoyed Dr. Creel and Dr. Nicks. They helped us know that we were in this together and were very supportive and encouraging with their comments. They also kept conversations educational, fun, and relevant. In looking back over the whole program there are some areas of reflection that stick out.
Course Assignments
· Many of the course assignments focused on experiences or activities to prepare us for the superintendency. Through these experiences we were able to have a small taste of some of the day-to-day operations of a superintendent. I think these experiences were vital to see the time it takes and the wealth of knowledge you must possess to be in this role.
· Another reflection I have looking back over my experiences with course assignments was how much work we did. The last year has flown by. I wish I had a better handle on time management when it comes to course work. I tend to put this on the back burner quite often and the log activities began to pile up. I wish I could go back and get it all done by Christmas Break like I originally planned.
Blogs
· The technology incorporated into this program was really good. From the blogs, to the wikis, to the web conferences, to TK20, it all flowed together very well. I have always wanted to write a blog and now I can saw that I have. I think this is something I may continue for our school going forward. Communication is vital and this could be one more form of communication.
· I really enjoyed looking at other students’ blogs. Reading the viewpoints of others and having open discussions really gives you a sense of collaboration and class discussion even though we were hundreds of miles apart.
Wiki
· This too was something that I wish I had done a better job keeping up with. I had it laid out pretty well and had good intentions to fill it up and keep accurate track of each course, but as with other assignments and pushed it to the side as time got scarce.
· Wikis are good for electronic collaboration and we had one major assignment where we put that to the test and things went very well for our group. Our teachers could use Wikis with other campuses for vertical alignment or it could be used with other districts across the state for collaboration.
Course and Campus Supervised Logs
· I learned a great deal from our logs. This is where we got the majority of our experiences. We were given multiple opportunities to experience a little bit of what it is like to sit behind the big desk.
· Looking back at the logs, I enjoyed the campus-supervised experiences more than the course-embedded activities. Many of the activities were done for the benefit of our school or our district, which was beneficial for both our learning and the application.
Assessments
· I particularly enjoyed our first practice exam. It gave me a look at some test-like questions and it allowed me to see that the test was not as hard as I thought it might be.
· I also enjoyed the pre-course/post-course assessments. It was an easy way to see what knowledge you started with and how much you learned through the course. With the activities and lectures, it was hard not to add more knowledge to my limited foundation.
Interviews
· The interviews were by far my favorite aspect of this program. Not only were you working on an assignment, but you also could pick the brains of some very knowledgeable educators. I enjoyed the time spent with my superintendent the most, followed by the web conferences with Dr. Creel. Both gave me some great advice and insight into the superintendent world.
· I think there were some interviews where I should have been better prepared or should have asked the follow-up question that I held back from asking.
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