Shelly Schantz

EA 8940
June 9, 2018
Reflective Essay
How it Started!

Many years ago, I inquired about the Ed. Specialist program at Oakland University, but just

could not pull the trigger and register. Several opportunities for leadership positions presented

themselves to me and the truth is, I was not qualified for those positions. I have always said that

things work out the way they are supposed to and that when opportunity knocks, I have to open the

door. Opportunity knocked when I was asked to be a participant in Oakland School Aspiring

Principals’ Academy for 2015. I learned a lot about the role of the principal through the academy,

but I left with many uncertainties as well. The one thing that I did know was that if I was going to

pursue any type of leadership opportunity in the future, I WANTED to have completed a program

where I could learn in depth knowledge of school leadership and earn administrative certification. I

also considered the fact that I LOVE being a teacher and having my classroom family. The more I

looked into the Ed. Specialist program, the more I realized that the learning I would gain would not

be lost in the classroom. The next two sections highlight some of the areas I feel I have gained the

most insight and knowledge of school leadership. The first is focused on the coursework in the Ed.

Specialist and the second on the experiences from the internship.

My Ed. Specialist Program Experience

Wow! The coursework load was extensive and filled with rigor and I would not have wanted

it any other way. At the beginning of the program, I thought I had learned a lot from the Aspiring

Principals’ Academy. Boy. was I wrong, it had only scratched the surface. My gut feeling was the

the desire to learn more (always trust your gut!).

 While I had some prior knowledge/ experiences in Vision (Standard 1.0) and School Culture

(Standard 2.0), I gained knowledge from a different lens. The first two books, and critiques/

analysis that followed, set the tone for the whole program. ​Failure is Not an Option​ by Alan

Blankstein and ​Reframing Organizations​ by Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal taught me to look more

critically at programs and initiatives in the school setting. I feel that I did make significant growth in

both of these two areas. I am confident to say that I understand the importance of creating the

shared vision and then working to keep it alive. The Action Research sequence provided me with a

practical and valuable experience in school research. I am better able to address research to drive

instruction and initiatives; as well as to drive school improvement goals. I am also confident in the

importance of setting the tone and creating a culture within the school that aligns to the vision and

develops trusting relationships.

I feel that I Standard 5.0 is who I am! The book, ​The Truth About Leadership​ by Kouzes and

Posner spoke volumes to me. Through reading and class discussions, I found that some of the things

that I thought worked against me as a leader are actually desirable in a leader! Making human

connections and building relationships are important to me. I am one who strives for very little

personal or professional recognition. I don’t do things to be acknowledged, in fact that is

uncomfortable for me. I completely believe in a WE attitude.

Of course there is always more to learn. Standard 3.0 School Management of Organization,

Operation, and Resources is one that I hope to develop deeper. In the Business Management class I

learned things about school finance that I had no idea about. While I feel I learned a lot, from

Proposal A to business decisions, there is so much more that I need to learn. I do have a better

understanding of school management and human resources. Also, Standard 4.0 School

Collaboration with Faculty, Community Members, and Family is an area that I also plan to develop
further next year. The program touched base with community relationships and partnerships. I feel

that I need more development to really feel confident in this area.

My Internship Experience

The internship experience, while intentions were good to make it a challenging experience

filled with new learning, did not come to fruition in that way. As a full time teacher, balancing the

requirements of the program, the internship, and my professional obligations proved challenging. In

reality, many of the activities I took part in for the internship were activities that I had already been

doing. Having a mentor that was very busy and my own administrator made it difficult as well. I

take full responsibility for not taking full advantage of the possibilities of the internship. I was able

to work with another district administrator on some projects and planning that were helpful for me as

I learned a variety of roles. Many of the things that wrote about above take time and practice to

truly become proficient at doing, therefore I will be making it a point to seek out additional

opportunities within my district and role as Building/ School Improvement Chairperson to extend

and practice the standards. I don’t honestly know what possibly could have been different. There

would have been benefits to having a mentor that was not my principal, so I wouldn’t be tempted to

do what I’d already been doing. However, I don’t know how I would have confidently completed

the requirements outside of my building.

What’s Next for Me?

So, next year I am going to work on some of the items on my internship plan that did not

fully happen. I have been given the charge of fully taking the reins on school improvement, I accept

and will put many of the things that sounded good and important into practice. I will seek

opportunities to grow more in standards 3.0 and 4.0 as stated above. For now, I will continue as a

teacher. The next time opportunity knocks, I won’t just open the door! I will jump up and grab it!

All thanks to tremendous growth and confidence I have gained from the Ed. Specialist program.