Leadership, Goals, and Internship Learning Reflection

I have always been a natural leader, even as a child. I have always been drawn to lead groups, sometimes even when it was not a welcome change. I generally feel compelled to take action or lead others to take action when an opportunity for improvement presents itself. In the setting of education, I am motivated to make a real difference for students and teachers. Even though I am no longer directly involved with facilitating student learning, the opportunity to watch adults learn and apply their new learning for the benefit of students is very gratifying. Leadership is also appealing to me because it inherently involves a constant challenge. The world is changing, and will continue to do so; leadership requires the ability to move others in response and/or in anticipation of the changing world. This is exciting to me, and seeing the results of successful change is very energizing.

I have not made updates to my vita listed below. I did make alterations to my internship plan and discussed them with my site supervisor.

In reflecting on my pre- and post-assessments, I feel I have grown significantly in my knowledge in the competency areas since the beginning of my studies through the Lamar Superintendent Program. I still have needed learning in the area of the physical plant, which is the part of school district operations that I have the least experience with. In the areas of policy and budget, I learned a great deal as well as solidified past learning. I had a great number more “C”s and “S”s than “I”s, which is a contrast from my initial pre-assessment.


Eventually I believe I would like to be a superintendent. However, I do not think I will be ready to assume that commitment for several years due to my family commitments. Having been the Director of Curriculum and Instruction in both 4A and 5A districts, I have seen first-hand the many facets involved in the superintendency. Therefore, my intermediate goals are to move into an Assistant/Deputy Superintendent role. My background makes me a good candidate for a position of this nature that would also serve as the Chief Academic Officer. I would like to remain in my current position and then in that position for enough time to really realize some results of my efforts: begin some initiatives and see them through. In my estimation this would be approximately 10 years.