Reflection Post

I did some soul searching before applying to the program- a couple years I think, having first heard about the program coming back from NECC, 2008. I don't see myself as a school administrator so for a while I really thought it would be pointless for me to complete the program. As my sister put it, so you're going for your certification to be a principal but you don't want to be a principal? - don't you love how family grounds you?

However, I finally decided that, much like life, this program will be more about the journey than the final destination. I expect the program to be a rigorous examination and exploration of what makes successful educational leadership and how technology can be utilized towards that end.
I have come to realize that real leadership at every level in education is what is needed to make students successful lifelong learners and to move a school or district towards that goal. I hope gaining a clear understanding of leadership and hopefully gaining the skills to be a successful education leader will help me in whatever my next position will be. I also expect the program to help me further expand my impact on students and teachers in my current role.

Organization is going to be key to my success in this program. I'm glad the program is starting in the summer. This will give me the time needed to create a schedule I can work within without other demands on my time. It also allows me the time to organize other parts of my life, including my teaching for the upcoming year so I will be better able to focus on the program fully throughout the year.

There are some basic strategies that I will follow: devoting a set amount of time daily to the program, scheduling time to complete the activities once they are posted, and trying to find balance in the rest of my life so that stress does not become a factor. I have a tendency to procrastinate or work in a "just in time" mode. I definitely need to shift my thinking in this regard.

I have some concerns that I will have a clear understanding of the expectations of each assignment. I think being able to communicate with team mates, cohorts and the instructors will be most important for me. I need to feel comfortable enough with these folks to reach out with a question when I have one. More explanation in an assignment is always better for me and examples work really well. I have not completed course work in over 10 years, and I'm still a little concerned about working at a JHU standard. In short, the whole program puts me a little bit out of my comfort zone, but I am beginning to believe that that is the only place where we can grow.

Just finished up my first online synchronous session with the cohort. Such a knowledgeable group with great experiences. Each interaction assures me that I was right to trust my judgment on this program: I am still not sure what I will do with an administration certificate. There are days when I think-oh if I just went back into the classroom with all the knowledge and tech expertise I have now that would be a cool experience. Being an administrator does not hold any appeal to me. But I signed up for the program thinking the process of the program would be worthwhile and quite possibly help me figure out what might be the next career step. More and more I'm feeling the program itself will just be a very worthwhile experience and must remember to leave myself open to all the different ways it will provide those experiences.

I can see this program is going to force me to be way more organized than I have been in the last couple of years, but that's a good thing. I am a fairly easy going person overall so it's easy for me to become almost too relaxed- thinking yes I'll get to that.
Some suggestions which I will put to work: scheduling time for tasks and blocking the activities/time on my calendar. The checklists for the weeks have been incredibly helpful and I think I may try to incorporate such a tool into my life in general. Summer seems to lull me into a state of non production-at least these last few have felt that way. I think a weekly checklist(that includes days at the beach) will be a helpful tool to get myself on top of things this summer- I'm sure there's an app that I can use for this.

Up and running

Just created my JHU/ISTE blog for online orientation and beyond