Reflective practices have always been an important part of my growth in the profession as I’ve looked at events and decisions in an objective manner in order to be able to learn from both the good and bad that have happened. Reflection, when done objectively, provides me with an opportunity to place events/decisions in a proper perspective and allows me to analyze what was done well and what could’ve been done better. Without reflection, I find myself just reacting to each new circumstance without the benefit of past experience. Reflection allows me to learn from the past and to recognize the similar circumstances and draw from prior learning.
The assignments in this course of study have caused a number of reflective moments. During the school finance section I was able to look objectively at my districts financial data and reflect on the real world consequences of being in a poor district. I can see that there are some things that we will not be able to provide to our students through a traditional budget, but knowing this allows me to seek out alternative funding measures. I also had the opportunity to use reflective practices during the study of facilities because we were just finishing building and renovating in the district with funds from a bond election. I saw that there were many things that went on behind the scenes in deciding what and where to build. I believe the reflection process allowed me to determine that if I ever was involved in another such project I would make sure that the district did a better job of public relations and proactive informing of public.
Simply learning about blogs and wikis caused me to think about the potential uses of these tools. I distinctly remember the first time I set up the blog thinking of all the ways that I could use it to benefit my students and the district. I know that reading the cohort members’ blogs has caused me to consider how their insights could be used to help my school and district.
Keeping up with the logs allowed me to see the many facets of the superintendent’s job. I recognize now that no one knows everything about the position but must continue to grow as the job evolves. I’ve thought deeply about the nature of the job and if I even really want to take on such a large burden. The logs also allow me to look back to where I was when I started this program and realize that time management and organizational skills will allow me to complete projects on time. This was a big undertaking during a time when my job was very demanding and there were several incidents of severe health issues in my family, yet I was able to get everything done and have come to understand that I can get through anything if I am persistent.
Each of the assessments gave me reason to reflect on both new learning and parts of the course in which I still needed more information. The self evaluation at the beginning of the course certainly gave me reason to reflect. I took a long time going over each of the domains and thinking about the real life implications of each one. The practice superintendent’s certification exams were real eye-openers as well. I was able to gain confidence in being successful on the actual test by remembering that these courses prepared me well and that I could go into the test with a measure of hope. I looked back at the exams and saw that I had grown significantly in my knowledge of the superintendency.
I believe the interviews with my superintendent have helped me reflect on the learning from this class. I leave my meetings with him with a more objective view of the job that he does. Knowing that there are so many policies, laws, and guidelines that he must consider helps me understand some of his decisions. I also have discovered that the job can be lonely, especially in a small district in which he has no assistant superintendents to aide in specific areas. My online meetings with Dr. Creel have opened my eyes as well. I really enjoyed his insights and often thought of his practical advice. For example, in the last one we discussed salary negotiations and I’ve had time to think about some of the ways that a contract can be written to help with such things as retirement and taxes.
As I mentioned earlier, I have used reflective practices for as long as I can remember. I am an analytical person and when decisions are made or something happens, I’ve always taken the time to determine the causes and if there were better ways to go about it. I have learned from a myriad of mistakes and believe that thinking through the process that led to both mistakes and successes has benefited me greatly. One of the moments of reflection that has occurred recently was when our school was labeled academically unacceptable by TEA. I had to reflect on our previous practices and discern how to proceed in a more effective manner. I realized that we could not continue to do things the way we had done in the past and this allowed me to be more proactive in instigating some needed changes.
In the future, I know that I will have a lot to learn if I become a superintendent. I hope to continue to take time to reflect on the decisions and consequences so that I may grow daily and become an effective leader for my district and a strong advocate for the students.
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